More children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) will be able to learn in Salford after council leaders backed plans for a new specialist primary school.

Salford City Council has secured £7.43 million from the Department for Education to build a 150-place primary special school, reducing the need for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) to travel outside the city for support.

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The school is proposed for the former St George’s RC High School site in Walkden and will now enter the planning process. If permission is granted, it is expected to open by Spring 2029 as part of the Co-op Academies Trust.

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: "We're delighted to share the news that a brand-new, purpose-built special school for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) will be created in Walkden. The primary school will create a space where the children can thrive, learn, and feel supported.

"Thanks to funding from the Department for Education, the school will provide high quality educational opportunities for children with SEND in Salford."