A Poole special school that missed out on a rebuild under Building Schools for the Future, is celebrating the opening of a new therapy suite.

Winchelsea Special School in Guernsey Road, Alderney, was earmarked for £11 million improvements but lost out when the new government axed the scheme for schools which did not have contracts signed.

But thanks to some school fundraising and a successful bid from a central government funded programme, the site now boasts a smart new therapy unit.

The Aiming Higher Capital Bid, which aim to transform services to children with disabilities and their families, provided £70,000 of the £110,000 cost.

The suite includes occupational therapy and physio treatment rooms with a soft play area.

“It’s really good,” said headteacher Steve Cook, who opened the new suite along with representatives from occupational therapy, the local authority and governors.

“We were going to be getting a new school under Building Schools for the Future. It’s not that but it’s something. It allows us to develop as the type of school we want to be, which is a resource for the community.”

The school was in the rebuild programme because its “existing buildings are not fit for purpose and include temporary accommodation”.

The school caters for around 93 children aged three to 16 with special needs and disabilities, including moderate and severe learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders.