New classrooms at special school in Horncastle make 'a dramatic difference'

So said Tonya Stokes, head teacher of St Lawrence School on Bowl Alley Lane after the official opening of the extension, which features 17 extra classrooms, a new hall and improved outdoor spaces.

The building, which also boasts a studio and spaces for soft play, sensory play, social recreation and the teaching of life skills, is part of a £100 million project by Lincolnshire County Council to improve and expand special schools

Three of the new classrooms at St Lawrence are designed for pupils with profound learning difficulties, and Mrs Stokes said: “The building means our most complex learners can now access different areas of school freely.

"Specialist spaces allow pupils to focus on specific aspects of learning, which is having a positive impact on the delivery of the curriculum.

"The addition of specific sensory spaces meets the needs of a wide range of students. Access to group rooms means teaching can be focused in small groups, which means it is high quality.”

Mrs Stokes, who has been in charge at the school for just over a year, even praised the width of the corridors and beamed: “The whole school feels much calmer!

"The new building has made a dramatic difference in terms of purposeful spaces for teaching and learning.”

Staff, students and councillors attended the opening ceremony, including Coun Patricia Bradwell, who is the county council’s executive member for children’s services.

She said: “St Lawrence is the latest in a long list of success stories in our £100 million project. I’m sure the much-improved facilities will make a life-changing difference to pupils.”

The outdoor spaces include a sensory garden, horticulture area, sports pitches and exercise equipment. The site has also been designed to provide better drop-off and pick-up points, with more parking space.

St Lawrence, which has about 150 pupils, comes under the umbrella of the Lincolnshire Wolds Federation and the Inspire Connected Communities Trust.

Lea Mason, the trust’s chief executive, said: “We are extremely pleased with this new building, and enormously grateful to the county council for providing a significant investment.

"Our aim is to assist our students reach their full potential. The impact of this new building is far-reaching.”