Willow Bank school unveiled as Penkford replacement in Newton-le-Willows

The Willow Bank facility will serve as a replacement for the Penkford School in Newton-le-Willows, which is an institution for children with special educational needs.

Approving the project in 2020, St Helens Council has overseen a multi-million-pound redevelopment of the former Red Bank Education Unit which was closed in 2014.

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Councillors were given a tour of the new school this month (Image: Cllr Seve Gomez Aspron)

The abandoned site has been brought back to life with the extension of the existing building, new learning spaces, and a dining and multipurpose sports hall.

The new school also boasts a new playing field, sports pitch, car park, fencing, and amended access from Winwick Road.

Some of the new classrooms at Willow Bank (Image: St Helens Council)

Posting photographs of the Willow Bank facility, Councillor for Newton-le-Willows Seve Gomez Aspron said:

"Proud to be part of a Labour Council that delivered this amazing new school facility at Red Bank.

"The school is a replacement for Penkford and will be called Willow Bank.

"The school move in after October half term and will rightly have a facility befitting their excellent staff, pupils and recent Good Ofsted report!".

The new school hall (Image: St Helens Council)

Galliford Try, contractor of the project, has agreed that they will also deliver more than 20 projects aimed at supporting the wider community and delivering social value for the area.

Speaking about the development last year, Anne Kyle, head teacher at Penkford School, said: “The Special Educational Needs children of St Helens deserve the best facilities to learn in, as they already have so many barriers to learning to overcome.

"The whole school community, but especially the pupils are so excited and grateful to St Helens Borough Council for investing in them and their futures.

"We cannot wait to start our learning journey in our brand new school.”

The Willow Bank site (Image: St Helens Council)