High-tech special needs college opens in Scunthorpe

Image source, Wellspring Academy Trust

At a glance
  • The new 拢12m Trent View College in Scunthorpe will be for 60 students with special educational needs
  • The college meets strict environmental standards, according to the trust which runs it
  • The building includes a cafe which will serve the public and enable students to develop hospitality skills
  • The school's principal says the site will serve as a "fantastic resource" for the wider community

A brand new 拢12m college for students with special educational needs has opened in North Lincolnshire.

Trent View College in Scunthorpe is aimed at helping young people develop important skills and prepare them for adulthood, the trust which runs it said.

Designed for 60 students, it has its own large commercial kitchen space, vehicle workshop and hydrotherapy pool.

The college meets strict standards around energy efficiency and environmental impact, according to the Wellspring Academy Trust.

Image source, Wellspring Academy Trust

Image caption, The school's principal says it will serve as a "fantastic resource" for the wider community

The building was constructed according to what are known as "Passivhaus" standards, an ultra-low energy design standard for homes developed in Germany in the 1980s and 90s.

The college's heat-intensive hydrotherapy pool was believed to be the first in the world to achieve Passivhaus standards, the Wellspring Academy Trust said.

The kitchen space would allow students to learn catering skills and prepare the meals for their fellow classmates, and the vehicle workshop would allow students to learn about car maintenance and repairs, it added.

The building also had a cafe which would serve the public and enable students to develop their hospitality skills, according to the trust.

Image source, Wellspring Academy Trust

Image caption, The college's hydrotherapy pool was built to exacting environmental standards, the trust says

Sarah Parker, Principal at Trent View College, said: 鈥淭oday is an incredibly exciting moment for the local community and for everyone who has been involved in the efforts to bring this wonderful new school to Scunthorpe.

"We now have this amazing new building and talented team in place to provide a nurturing space where our students can acquire vital life skills, engage in meaningful work and develop their routes toward independence."

The new school would also be a "fantastic resource" for the wider community, Ms Parker promised.

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