North East Lincolnshire Council has approved a £6 million plan to expand special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision by transforming a former school site in Grimsby into a new sixth form facility for Humberston Park Special School.
The council intends to repurchase the Nunsthorpe School site, which was initially sold to the Grimsby Institute in 2004 and is currently used as a technical and professional training centre. Grimsby Institute is preparing to vacate the premises as it transitions its animal husbandry courses to its main campus.
Humberston Park Special School, serving pupils aged four to 19, is currently operating beyond its assessed capacity. The school, designed for 106 pupils, currently accommodates approximately 140 students and has stopped accepting new enrolments until 2029. It has also closed its nursery provision due to space constraints.
The redevelopment is aimed at alleviating pressure on the existing Humberston site, which lacks room for expansion, and at reducing the need to send SEND students outside the borough, a measure expected to generate savings of around £31,000 annually.
The funding package for the redevelopment includes £4.5 million from the council’s general pupil place budget and £1.5 million from a future Department for Education high needs grant. The transition is expected to begin in September.
