Parents and school children who previously had to travel over 50 miles to a Special Educational Needs (SEN) school, have shown their gratitude to the opening of a new facility closer to home.
Thanks to Wates Construction and the East Midlands Property Alliance (EMPA), the MacIntyre Discovery Academy in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, opened in April this year.
The academy gives specialist support to 80 pupils aged from nine to 18 who would otherwise have been enrolled into a mainstream school or would have to travel to Henley or Rugby to receive the much needed educational assistance.
One parent, Donna Mallabone, says that the school has transformed her family’s life since her 13 year old son started at the academy.
She said: “My son has suffered with extreme anxiety since nursery school which meant that he was unable to cope with a lot of school situations and places where there was a large amount of noise. As a result, he was always shutting himself away and was in and out of school constantly for two and a half years.
“I had looked at other SEN schools to help him, but the nearest one was in Banbury and I knew the long drive would have a large impact on his anxiety. When I found out that the Macintyre Discovery Academy was opening closer to home, I immediately applied.”
Meanwhile, Principal at MacIntyre Discovery Academy, Matthew Pike, said that the impact of the new school has been remarkable.
The Macintyre Discovery Academy was originally a disused school building that had been closed for more than four years. Working together with Warwickshire County Council, Wates Construction carried out a £6m refurbishment project, which included the delivery of 13 new classrooms.
Wates is a framework partner of the East Midlands Property Alliance (EMPA) which is managed by Scape Group.
