PUPILS, parents and staff joined together and celebrated with a cake at the opening of the long-awaited expansion of Baytree School in Clevedon.

The school expansion is vital in tackling the growing need for SEND school places and will enable more children to access schooling in their local area.

The building takes Baytree from a single site catering to 72 children with profound and complex learning difficulties, to two-sites offering around 120 school places.

These modern and inclusive facilities open their doors just as Baytree secures an outstanding Ofsted report, with inspectors commenting on the quality of care and education provided to their learners across both sites.

Staff and pupils celebrated the opening of the expansionStaff and pupils celebrated the opening of the expansion (Image: p.griffiths)

Now that the multi-year construction project is completed, the pupils are settling into their bright and spacious surroundings which have been carefully tailored to meet a range of needs.

Adaptations inside the building include integral hoists for children with limited mobility, a hydrotherapy pool, sensory rooms and provision across a single storey for those unable to use stairs.

Councillor Catherine Gibbons, deputy leader of North Somerset and executive member for Children’s Services, said: “The expansion of Baytree is vital as we support our SEN community, offering children with profound and complex difficulties a setting that’s perfect for their needs.

“To see children already settling into their new surroundings really drives homes just how important this project is.

“It’s clear the difference that the school will make in the lives of these children, their families and the school staff who now have everything they need for a calm and caring learning environment.

“I’d like to thank everyone involved in making the expansion of Baytree a reality, along with Willmott Dixon and the school staff, as well as everyone from our SEN community who helped shape the standard of facilities now available.

“This school is a genuine achievement and one that support children and families for many years to come, leading by example as we continue to promote inclusion and accessibility in Clevedon and across North Somerset as a whole.”

Ed Bowen-Roberts, headteacher at Baytree School, said: “’I’m delighted that, after years in the making, we have opened this incredible school expansion to our learners – they all love it’s truly wonderful facilities.

“The facilities will massively benefit our learners and support our work in delivering the best provision we can.

“It’s has been a real team effort to get to this point and I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved.”

Rob Woolcock, director at Willmott Dixon, added: “We are incredibly proud to be delivering what we call ‘brilliant buildings’ embedded in local communities.

“We know the positive impact that Baytree School is already having on the lives of all those who use it.

“Collaboration, partnership and inclusion were important factors for us during the construction of the school.

“As a token of our thanks and to commemorate the school opening, we have presented the first group of learners with a special Baytree keyring by which to remember the day, as well as a cake to celebrate the journey they have joined us on.”

Inclusivity is key at Baytree. North Somerset and project contractors, Willmott Dixon, put significant effort into bringing learners along on the construction journey, offering sensory site visits and opportunities to decorate steel beams and help lay the bricks that make up the new school building.

Beyond the school’s boundary, streets and pavements leading up to the school have been newly resurfaced ensuring ease of access, but also providing benefit to the surrounding community.

The new school site is integrated into the local area and it is hoped that it can help to promote and support ever an improving awareness of accessibility and inclusivity.