Plans to permanently expand a specialist educational needs primary school in Salford have been given the green light to go ahead in the next academic year.
Starting from September, Springwood Primary School will have 60 additional places for pupils, taking its total capacity to 300 across two sites in Salford.
It comes as a response to a rise in demand for this type of specialist education.
The primary school, based in Barton Road, Swinton, is the only one of its kind in the city, catering for children with complex needs from nursery to Year 6.
The expansion will involve enlarging Craig Hall in Preston Avenue, Irlam, which has been used by the school as a 'temporary annex' for around three years.
Salford mayor Paul Dennett said the council is keen to 'get on with expansion'.
He said: "This is really good news for the city and further demonstrates our commitment to providing facilities for young people with special educational needs and disabilities."
Springwood Primary School serves the whole of the city of Salford as well as accepting some pupils living elsewhere in neighbouring local authority areas.
It provides specialist education for children with complex needs including profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, communication and interaction needs, autism, hearing impairment, other difficulty and disability, specific learning difficulty and visual impairment.
In April, a formal statutory notice of the plans was shared with parents, carers, the school's governing body, its staff, the dioceses and neighbouring councils.
Salford council strategic director, Charlotte Ramsden, said there were no comments received in response to the four-week statutory consultation.
She said: "Springwood Primary School is a fantastic school.
"The number of children requiring this kind of provision has increased and the service that's provided is of extremely high quality.
"It's very popular with parents and children who attend do extremely well."
The project's capital costs have been met from the local authorities Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Basic Need capital funding streams.
Funding will come from the High Needs Block of the Dedicated Schools Grant.
Revenue required for the additional places is included in the grant allocation and the additional commissioned places have been agreed by Schools Forum.
Salford council's cabinet approved the permanent expansion of Springwood Primary School from September 1, 2021 at a meeting on Tuesday (June 8).
