Bid to move 'overcrowded' and 'out-of-date' Boston special school to new home

An “overcrowded” and “out-of-date” special educational needs school in Boston could get a new home – more than doubling student and staff numbers.
New school plans are being examined for the "overcrowded" John Fielding School.New school plans are being examined for the "overcrowded" John Fielding School.
New school plans are being examined for the "overcrowded" John Fielding School.

Lincolnshire County Council wants to move the John Fielding School, which caters for around 60 pupils aged 2-19 years old with severe learning difficulties, from its current home on Ashlawn Drive.It forms part of plans to spend £50 million on special educational needs in an effort to create 500 places county-wide, agreed by Lincolnshire County Council in November.The authority says the current land is “restricted” and “limits the opportunity to expand the school.“The school is currently overcrowded and the facilities are out of date to meet modern SEND educational requirements.“Due to issues with safeguarding, traffic and site area, redeveloping the existing site is not an option.”Instead, the council wants to move the school just over a mile away to open space on Kitwood Road, taking some of the land allocated to Boston St Nicholas School, which it says holds land “in excess” of its requirements.The new build will cater for around 140 students, though some classrooms will be “flexible” enabling numbers to fluctuate year-on-year.It will also enable the school to hire an extra 80 staff members, taking the total staff to 137.The new school will include more than 70 parking spaces.Alongside the classrooms, there is also planned to be a hydrotherapy pool, hall and studio, therapy spaces.Lincolnshire County Council is currently consulting on the plans, but wants to start building in 2020.It is hoped the new build will be complete by September 2021.