Priory school investment plans approved

8/9/09

Priory Education Services, part of the Priory Group, is investing in its specialist education provision in Norfolk with the expansion of Sheridan House school and the creation of up to 50 jobs.

Planning permission has been granted to convert the former Comfort Inn in Northwold, near Thetford into a specialist school and relocate Sheridan House School, which is currently based at Southburgh, near Dereham.

The school, which currently offers residential and educational facilities for 12 boys between the ages of ten and 16 years at Southburgh, aims to provide day and boarding facilities for up to 40 students aged 10 to 16 at the new Northwold site. Students could come from across the UK due to the specialist nature of the school, but mainly from surrounding local authorities within a one hour travelling distance.

The school provides for young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, with associated Iearning difficulties including autistic spectrum disorders. A lack of suitable provision of this type in the region has been identified.

Priory Education Services is the UK's leading independent provider of specialist education and care for children and young people aged four to 35 with Asperger's Syndrome (AS), autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD) and specific learning difficulties associated with dyslexia.

Philip Scott, chief executive of the Priory Group said: "We will be helping young people with our holistic package of care, education, therapy and a nurturing approach, and not those who need high levels of control.

"We will be broadening our intake to support young people whose challenging behaviour is due to Autism and who are in need of a safe and supportive environment, to admit girls and to admit day pupils. These developments have been prompted by our discussions with a range of local authorities, which have identified a lack of appropriate provision within these sectors.

"We are moving to improve our facilities and allow more needy young people to experience the care and education that a quality provision can offer."

Bobby Evans, principal of Sheridan House said: "Our doors will be open to local residents for celebrations, fetes and other activities, and I am confident that those who attend will be impressed with the behaviour and politeness of the young people.

"We hope to be allowed to integrate ourselves into the local community and contribute positively to the parish of Northwold. In fact I would hope to start a 'friends of the school' within the parish, which would be an advisory body to support the school and contribute to its development."

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