Specialist Salford school primed for £7.5m expansion

Work to more than double the size of a Jewish special educational needs school on Rigby Street is expected to start next year after the city council approved the plans, as long as fundraising targets are met.

Aim Habonim Special Educational Needs School in the Broughton area of Salford will undergo a £7.5m expansion project that will allow it to increase pupil numbers from 75 to 125.

Fundraising for the project is ongoing and a “large percentage” of the cost has already been raised, according to the school.

The school was established in 2012 in the former Broughton Library and currently extends to 16,000 sq ft. The expansion, to be constructed on neighbouring land the school has acquired, will see it grow to 37,600 sq ft. A later phase of the project will see the existing building refurbished.

Aim Habonim caters for Jewish children and young adults aged four to 25 who are severely disabled or have profound and multiple learning difficulties and autism.

David Leaman, chairman of governors, said Aim Habonim has outgrown its existing premises.

“We currently have insufficient space to cater for growing demand in the community to meet the needs of children whose requirements cannot be met by mainstream schooling,” he said.

The expansion project will provide a host of new amenity for students including a hydrotherapy pool, sensory rooms, provision for physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, oxygen therapy, a gym, quiet rooms, one-to-one reading rooms and music rooms.

“The expansion and refurbishment of the school will greatly enhance the delivery of education and therapy for the pupils, and some of the facilities will be offered for community use, outside of school hours,” Leaman added.

Hawkins\Brown is the architect for the scheme, and the team of professionals also includes Civitas Planning, C4 Projects, Curtins, and Waterman Group.