A specialist school in East Durham is opening its doors to a fourth site in Horden at the start of the next academic year.

Hope Wood Academy has sites in Easington, Peterlee and Eden Hill, and is looking forward to opening another in Horden in September.

The new site will have provisions for 60 pupils in early years and key stage one, and will be welcoming 40 new children to the academy.

Academy head, Adele Pearson, said: "It’s a really exciting opportunity. It’s allowing our school to expand and provide more places for SEND children across the region.

Pictured front left is Les Todd, Durham County Council site manager, and front right is Mick Little, chief operating officer for Ascent Academies' Trust. Hope Wood Academy head, Adele Pearson, is standing middle back.

placeholder image — Pictured front left is Les Todd, Durham County Council site manager, and front right is Mick Little, chief operating officer for Ascent Academies' Trust. Hope Wood Academy head, Adele Pearson, is standing middle back.

"It’s just really great to be able to meet more needs of young people, working closely with our mainstream partners and the local authority to do so.”

Hope Wood Academy first visited the Horden site back in 2018, but it has only been over the past two or three years that planning has officially started to take place.

Speaking about the decision to open a fourth site in East Durham, Adele said: "The demand for SEND places has been huge both nationally and in the North East, and we’re the only specialist school in the east of the county.”

Hope Wood Academy caters for young people aged two to 19 with a range of special educational needs, and is part of a larger family of six specialist schools across the North East and Yorkshire – the Ascent Academies’ Trust.

Adele said: "Each site specialises in different ages, so pupils can move across our sites in more of a natural transition.”

The new site will be open to pupils from September.