MANOR Park School pupils with special educational needs will soon get extra support following the Department of Education and Children’s successful bid for a new classroom.
Government planners have approved (12/01468/B) the DEC’s plan to move a double mobile classroom from the former St Ninian’s Lower School site at Park Road to Manor Park, in Pulrose Road, Douglas.
A DEC spokesman said the mobile classroom would provide specialist accommodation for pupils at the school with special educational needs.
‘There are a number of pupils at the school who require various additional interventions and learning strategies that are not always possible within a mainstream classroom environment.
‘These pupils with extreme social emotional and behavioural difficulties or additional need would benefit from specialised input alongside their mainstream provision.’
It is planned that one of the classrooms will also provide a base for the appointed child and family support worker.
The department says that the cost of dismantling the facility and then re-erecting it and providing the new services will be about £20,000.
Approval was granted by government planners with the condition that the double mobile classroom can remain in place until July 31, 2017.
After then, it must be removed unless otherwise approved by the planning authority.
The approval notice says: ‘Mobile classrooms such as this are considered by the planning authority to be a temporary measure to address unusual or new situations in the school.’
It continues: ‘If the reason for the temporary accommodation becomes a permanent requirement then the school should consider ways to make permanent provision for this either by reorganisation or expansion of the school infrastructure.’