Major plans for a special school in Solihull have been revealed, aiming to create more school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The ambitious transformation of Reynalds Cross School comes as one of its buildings has reached the end of its life, councillors heard.
Proposals for Reynalds Cross School
The proposal was discussed at the latest meeting of Solihull Council's cabinet portfolio holder for children, education and skills decision session. Officer Jamie Rynberk, specialist place planning manager, said the building called The Link - which houses 20 students with a primary need of severe learning difficulty - had reached a point where it was no longer economically viable to repair.
The plans for the school include:
- A new large wing housing a new hall, kitchen, SEND resources such as soft play and quiet areas for autistic children
- A new block at the front of the school which would have three areas - two classrooms for profoundly mentally disabled students and a third room for occupational therapy
- Work inside the school including larger classrooms, a nursing hub and new staff room
Timeline and Additional Places
The plan is for planning approval to be gained from Solihull planners by mid-August. Once work is completed, 30 additional places would be made available in January 2028. The officer said: "Our proposal is about 30 additional places, but so much more than that - the whole school will benefit. We are even putting in a multifunctional life skills training hub/outreach, after-hours facility so that the local community will also benefit."
Councillors' Reactions
Councillor Karen Grinsell, the cabinet portfolio holder and council leader, said: "It's a fabulous school but it needs some major work to be done - so very excited this is going to happen." Councillor Samantha Gethen added: "It all sounds absolutely brilliant. My only concern is what's happening in regards to additional specialist staff for the children at this school?"
The officer replied: "In terms of the expansion we wouldn't simply move from the day of completion up to the full 30 additional places all in one go. That would be unfair on the school and put undue pressure on the need to recruit a lot of staff in a very short space of time. Our plans are for a staged increase over time." The leader approved the plans at the virtual meeting held on June 15.
Background Context
The news comes after the recent confirmation that a plan for another special school has been scrapped. The authority had selected a location for the school – Sans Souci Training Centre in Tamworth Lane - but missed out on crucial funding from the government for that project. Instead, the council received £7.1 million to create new specialist places in mainstream schools in the borough.
