A new £15.5m specialist school has opened in Offerton.

The new Lisburne School aims to improve special education in the area, and to increase the number of specialist places available locally.

Situated on the former Offerton School site, Lisburne brings together a wide range of facilities, which were previously split into three different sites.

It offers 208 places, and is designed to support children aged 4–11 with complex needs, such as autism, severe and profound learning difficulties, and physical disabilities.

The new school officially opened on Wednesday 11 December, in a special ceremony featuring live musical performances from some of the students.

Lisburne boasts a huge range of bespoke facilities, including a dedicated outdoor forest school - critical for developing social skills, teamwork, and an understanding of nature.

Cllr Wendy Meikle - Stockport Council's cabinet member for children, families, and education - said: "We're doing everything we can to improve SEND support in Stockport, but we need the Government to step up. Right now, Stockport is one of the lowest-funded areas in the country for SEND.

"If we had the same funding as the best-supported local authorities, we'd have £85 million more every year to invest in our SEND services. We are committed to improving the Stockport SEND Local Offer and the opening of Lisburne School is just one part of our commitment to improving SEND provision in our borough."

Samantha Benson, Headteacher of Lisburne school, said "I am so proud that our vision for an exceptional SEND school has finally been realised.

The new site offers a fully inclusive environment for our children to thrive in and will offer opportunities to raise the profile of SEND and support children across the wider Stockport community.

"Our staff have worked incredibly hard to prepare the school and support the transition. It has been a joy to see the children and families come together from the three sites with a real sense of belonging and identity as the Lisburne Community."

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