The latest and final phase of the £10m regeneration of Bank View School in Speke is now complete – creating additional school places for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
The latest phase of the project was funded by Liverpool City Council using almost £3m of High Needs Provisional Capital funding, bringing the total cost of improvements made to the school building to almost £10m since 2023.
The works involved the internal refurbishment of existing pod areas into new classroom, new ceilings, electrical and mechanical installation, soundproofing, new toilets and the refurbishment of the former Parklands High School auditorium and control room. The auditorium has been named as the The Runway Performance Space by the pupils at the school, referring to a place where “creativity takes flight.”
The council says if it hadn’t delivered the additional school places at Bank View, they would need to spend approximately £2.4m annually to fund their education in other settings.
Robertson Construction North West were chosen last year by the council to design and carry out the building works.
Bank View School, Speke is situated on the site of the former Parklands High School which opened in 2002 as a replacement for Speke Comprehensive before closing in 2014.
Bank View, an all-age special school for students with complex learning difficulties, has other schools in Fazakerley and Croxteth but opened their latest site in Speke in 2023 before undergoing extensive regeneration works.
The project also provided local apprentices 122 weeks of valuable work experience supporting the project.
Cllr Joanne Kennedy, Cabinet Member for Employment, Educational Attainment and Skills, at Liverpool City Council, said: “Back in 2023, we proposed and consulted with residents on plans to invest significantly in high quality school places for children and young people with SEND across our council area.
“Since then, we’ve completed expansion work at Millstead Primary, Palmerston College, and now Bank View School as well as agreed to build a new £40m purpose-built primary school for children with SEND in West Derby.
“We are committed to delivering real change for young people with special educational needs and disabilities in Liverpool and seeing the young people already thriving in their new facilities at Bank View makes me incredibly proud.”
Paul Coyle, Regional Managing Director, Robertson Construction North West, said: “Through strong collaboration with the Council, we have repurposed and transformed an unused building into a high-quality, inclusive learning environment that has been carefully tailored to the specialist needs of its users. Delivering this project in a live school environment demonstrates the expertise and care shown by the entire team, and the importance of making the facilities ready for use promptly.
“Being at the opening and seeing how much the pupils are enjoying their new school shows the true significance of this project and the positive impact of our work with the Council.”
Andrew Wrigg, Head of School at Bank View School, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the transformation of our school. These new facilities provide our pupils with the space and resources they need to thrive academically, personally, socially, and creatively.
“The addition of new SEND places means more young people with special educational needs can access the support they deserve in an adapted and inclusive environment. Seeing our students already making the most of these improvements is incredibly rewarding, and we are grateful to Liverpool City Council, Robertson Construction North West and Atkinsréalis for their commitment to our school community.”
