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Award winning school is officially opened!
Posted on 23/06/2009
Photo opportunity: Forest Way Special School in Coalville, which has just scooped a top award for its state-of-the-art facilities, will be officially opened at a special ceremony next week. Roger Wilson, Chairman of Leicestershire County Council, will unveil a plaque to mark the occasion at 10.50 am on Thursday 25th June.
Earlier this month the school was presented with the prestigious Times Education Supplement's Outstanding New or Refurbished School award.
The new £10 million building which is on Warren Hills Road in the National Forest is attended by 138 pupils aged between 3 and 19 who have special needs.
The theme of the school reflects its forest setting. In the heart of the school is a dappled woodland glade with realistic oak trees and the sound of water, rustling leaves and birdsong. A 'river' flows through the main corridor floor which leads through life-size woodland glades and a virtual reality studio has sounds, smells and pictures that transform it into many settings including a desert where even the benches can wobble like camels!
The school also has a swimming pool with light and sound above and below water, as well as food technology, science, soft play, art and design rooms.
The new building replaces the old school and has been redesignated as an Area Special School, which allows more pupils to be taught closer to home and it provides facilities for the wider community.
This is the third new Area Special School to be built in Leicestershire. Birch Wood School in Melton Mowbray opened in 2004 and Dorothy Goodman School in Hinckley opened in 2006.
David Parsons, Leader of the County Council, said:
"This new school building is absolutely remarkable and the facilities are some of the best in the Country. It thoroughly deserves the top award it has been presented with. It will make so much difference to the lives of many young children in the County and it will also serve the much wider community. The County Council is committed to providing high quality education to all children in Leicestershire.”