A VILLAGE school has secured the cash it needs to bankroll a new multi-million expansion programme.

Birtenshaw School in Bromley Cross first announced its plans to expand back in 2018 and now it is ready to press ahead with its proposals to construct a new building to provide an additional 72 school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities ­— with plans to open it by September 2022.

The £15.3m loan facility from Triodos Bank will finance the construction of a new building next door to the existing school in Darwen Road.

It will provide state-of-the-art facilities to help children make progress not only with their education, but also with their social and independence skills.

The building will include nine new classrooms, as well as therapy spaces to support learning, wellbeing and development needs. These include a hydrotherapy pool, rebound therapy room, sensory room and soft play areas. All areas have been designed to be autism friendly.

The expansion plans come less than a decade after the school moved into a modern purpose built building.

David Reid, chief executive at The Birtenshaw Group, said: “We are delighted to have been offered such a significant investment from Triodos Bank. We hope to work with them for many years to come, possibly to open new special schools in other areas.

"We are pleased that Triodos Bank decided to support our development plans. This new building will help us to transform the lives of many children and young people with special educational needs and disability well into the future and will ensure The Birtenshaw Group continues to be one of the leading provider organisations in the UK.”

Currently Birtenshaw School Bolton is fully subscribed with 60 children with special educational needs and disabilities on the roll. This development will more than doubling the school’s capacity. The Birtenshaw Group aims to open the new extension to Birtenshaw School Bolton in September 2022.

Phillip Bate, senior relationship manager at Triodos Bank UK, said: “We aim to deliver positive impact through all of our lending, and a key area of focus is ensuring that all children have access to education and a good quality of life. The Birtenshaw Group has put the wellbeing and development of children at the heart of its work for over 60 years and we’re pleased to support this latest chapter to help the school take on more pupils.”

The organisation was first formed in 1956 in the Bromley Cross area of Bolton by parents of children with cerebral palsy. It aims to ensure that the people it supports can lead independent and fulfilling lives.

The Birtenshaw Group now operates two special schools in Bolton and Merseyside, an independent specialist college for 18-25-year olds in Bolton, several children’s homes, as well as a number of adult supported tenancies, an enrichment service, a sport and activity centre plus a variety of complementary therapies.