Nottingham City Council is being asked to approve a further £830,000 for a new Special Educational Needs and Disabilities unit at Fernwood Academy in Wollaton, taking the total cost of the scheme to £3.98 million.
A report going to the council’s Executive Board on 12 May says the additional money is needed to meet higher design and construction costs, following changes to the scope of the project, an extended programme, additional professional fees and inflation. The proposed unit would support 24 pupils, including 20 additional places commissioned by the local authority for children and young people in the wider community.
The specialist provision is planned for pupils in Key Stages 3 and 4 with moderate learning difficulties, and some with autistic spectrum disorder, depending on individual special educational needs. The council says the scheme forms part of its SEND Sufficiency Strategy 2023–28, which was approved by the Executive Board in September 2023 and sets out how Department for Education High Needs Provision Capital Allowance funding should be used to increase and improve specialist SEND provision in the city.
The Fernwood Academy scheme was included in the first phase of that strategy. The council says the wider aim is to create more local specialist capacity for children and young people with complex needs or Education, Health and Care Plans, reducing reliance on more costly external placements and helping more pupils have their needs met within the local community.
The project was first approved by the Executive Board in October 2024 at a cost of £2.75 million. A further £400,000 was approved in May 2025 after additions to the scope and rising costs, bringing the approved total to £3.15 million. The latest report says the revised total cost is now estimated at £3.98 million, with the extra £830,000 proposed to come from carried-forward High Needs Provision Capital Allowance Grant funding from the 2024-25 grant determination.
The initial funding package included £2,209,946 from High Needs Capital Grant and £540,054 from a Section 106 contribution linked to 100 Woodyard Lane. If the latest recommendation is approved, the overall scheme would be funded by £3.44 million from High Needs Grant and £540,054 from the Section 106 contribution.
The additional works include two life-skills kitchen areas, the relocation of an existing sensory garden, and changes to parking on the school site. The report says the life-skills kitchens would allow pupils to learn practical skills such as food preparation, cooking, hygiene and independent living routines. The sensory garden is being moved because the existing space is needed for the new SEND facility, while parking changes are intended to replace spaces displaced by the expansion and create a net gain of ten parking spaces.
The updated designs also include dedicated calm spaces, clearer access routes, a safe turning circle and drop-off area, and improved separation between pedestrians and vehicles. The council says these features are intended to provide more predictable and lower-stress arrival routines for pupils who may need additional support when moving into the school day.
A professional services contract was entered into with G F Tomlinson Construction in November 2024 for surveys and design development, using the Scape Regional Framework. The report says the project was fully costed and ready to move to a construction contract in May 2025, but further works were later identified to support the provision. The construction contract is now expected to be worth up to £3,214,500, with the council seeking delegated authority for its Corporate Director for Children’s and Education Services to procure and award it through the Scape Regional Construction Framework.
The Executive Board is also being asked to allow the council to modify the value of its contract with Perfect Circle JV Ltd through the Scape National Consultancy Framework to cover professional fees. The report says the revised project costs include £3,214,500 for the construction contract, £285,400 in client contingency, £213,607 for professional services, and £70,000 in internal fees.
Council officers say not progressing the project would mean the work already completed could not be capitalised against the High Needs Provision Capital Allowance Grant. The report says this would create an immediate £500,000 pressure on the council’s General Fund and would add to pressure on the High Needs Block of the Dedicated Schools Grant by limiting the council’s ability to create local specialist SEND capacity.
The report also says Fernwood Academy Trust owns the freehold of the site, meaning the council will need a licence to enter the site and carry out the works. A deed of covenant is also expected to be needed to protect the long-term use of the new building for SEND purposes. Planning permission is likely to be required for the construction works, and the council has been advised to check whether any variation or further consent is needed for the proposed use and any impact on school land.
The council says there are no anticipated revenue implications from the decision. If approved, the capital programme will be updated to reflect the full £3.98 million cost and funding package. The report says the construction contract is expected to be entered into immediately after the additional funding is approved, with a contingency included to manage cost risk.
