New high school for pupils with special educational needs reaches construction milestone

A significant milestone was reached this week in the construction of Orchard House, a brand-new £16m special high school which is due to open in Miles Platting, Manchester next September 2025.

A special beam-signing ceremony was held at the school to celebrate the completion of the building's steel frame, with employees from main contractor ISG and the North West Construction Hub joining members of the city council and the Prospere Educational Trust on site to mark the event.

Once completed, Orchard House will cater for boys and girls with an Education, Health and Care Plan for significant additional needs, with space for 150 pupils aged between 11 and 19 years old. The Prospere Educational Trust has been chosen to run the school and has worked with the project team as part of a collaborative design process to ensure teaching methodologies and aspirations are met through the building and its facilities provision.

The single-storey building, designed by JM Architects and Ridge and Partners, additionally functions as a key community hub, and outside of school hours its double-height main hall space and external games areas will be available for use by a wide range of local groups and clubs.

The new school’s classrooms will have direct access to dedicated outdoor teaching areas, with external spaces subdivided to create both secure and safe spaces for pupils. Each classroom will also have its own group room, to facilitate additional one-to-one teaching support, and specialist teaching spaces have been designed in consultation with the Trust to create areas that are tailored for the individual needs of pupils.

With modern facilities and a high-quality environment, the new school will enable more Manchester children to meet their full potential and benefit from the city’s growth. The scheme is also fully aligned with Manchester’s Low Carbon Strategy and designed to meet the stretching BREEAM ‘Excellent’ environmental target, creating an educational asset with long term operational and environmental performance.

Funded by the city council and procured by the council through the North West Construction Hub, the school is scheduled for completion in summer 2025.

Mike Kennedy-Gill, ISG framework manager, commented: “This is an important milestone for everyone with a passion for providing children with the correct learning environments to thrive. With demand for specialist education settings outstripping supply across the UK, those pathways that enable new schools to open their doors to pupils in the most efficient timeframe must be prioritised.

The new school joins a family of special schools in Manchester that currently includes five primary schools, two all-through primary to secondary schools, and seven high schools. 

Councillor Julie Reid, Executive Member for Early Years, Children and Young People, Manchester City Council, said: "Orchard House looks set to be a fantastic and welcome addition to the city's family of schools and will also provide some much-needed additional special school capacity in the north of the city when it opens to pupils next September.

"With best-in-class modern facilities and a high-quality environment, it also has an important part to play in helping ensure that all our young people in Manchester receive an education that meets their needs, helps them achieve their full potential and to benefit from the city's growth."