Families in Brent had to travel great distances in the past to get the right support for their youngsters.
But the new Wembley Manor secondary, due to be formally opened at the end of October, provides 150 places for them so the youngsters can learn closer to home.
The three-storey complex in London Road has 121 modular units that were manufactured 200 miles away in Yorkshire before being transported to Wembley and assembled on site.
It has been designed with bright classrooms and spaces that help learning and teaches independence.
“Our new building is already making a positive impact,” headteacher Andrew Chaplin said. “The children love their new classrooms. This is the start of a very special journey for them.”
Designed as a sustainable environment where youngsters with special needs can thrive, it was completed ahead of schedule and within its budget,
Brent Council cabinet member for schools Cllr Gwen Grahl said: “Wembley Manor will make a huge difference for these families, a place where children feel valued and inspired.”
The green light was given last year for a new school in the borough to tackle a rising demand for special needs education, including autism.
Cllr Grahl said at the time: “Four-out-of-10 of these children have an autism spectrum disorder. This school means they can be educated closer to home.”
Wembley Manor is the council’s first directly-funded special needs school, with its tailored teaching and sports facilities, as well as car parking and drop-off facilities for parents.
The school is part of the authority’s programme to create 400 places for ‘special needs’ children, reducing the need to send them outside the borough tat a cost of £6 million a year in grants.
The Reds10 contractors ‘groundbreaker squad’ first punched a hole in the earth to start building last November, using advanced techniques to minimise disruption in the area from traditional heavy construction work.
Reds10 is a specialist service that designs, finances, builds, equips, fits out and even operates modular buildings “to help society live and learn in amazing spaces”.
