A significant milestone has been reached in the development of Orchard House, a new £16m special high school which is due to open in Miles Platting, Manchester next September.

A special beam-signing ceremony has been 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 Learning 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 Learning 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.

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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.

Linda Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Prospere Learning Trust, said: "We're really excited at the difference Orchard House is going to make, both to pupils and the community in Miles Platting. We're looking forward to welcoming our first pupils next year and helping them succeed and achieve in what promises to be a fantastic new building, firmly rooted within the local community."

Funded by the city council the school is scheduled for completion in summer 2025. It 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.

The construction of the new school by main contractor ISG was procured by the city council through the North West Construction Hub.