New classrooms for Horsham school planned

Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee School (QEII School) in Comptons Lane caters for children aged between two and 19 with severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties or complex needs.

Over recent years the number of pupils attending the school has gone up, but without supporting investment.

Numbers have gone up from 85 in 2017 to 105 in 2019, with some classrooms built for eight pupils accommodating far more than that.

West Sussex County Council is proposing to build a new three-class modular teaching block.

According to an officers’ report: “The proposed project will ensure the school can continue to offer appropriate accommodation for the 105 pupils currently on roll.”

The new block would be locating on land currently used as a playing field by the Forest School.

This loss would be mitigated by a new all-wear pitch to enhance sporting facilities at Forest.

A total of £1.4million is set to be allocated by the county council for the three new classrooms.

Once the design is fully developed a planning application would then be submitted.

The current timescale would see the new classrooms ready for use by September 2021.

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