Woodley School and College

The school is currently situated on a site off Dog Kennel Bank in Huddersfield and caters for children across Kirklees. It operates from multiple buildings, including two Grade 2 listed buildings.

Additional teaching spaces have been added over time. However, these current buildings and facilities are dated, and any further developments are restricted due to the site.

The council is also looking to provide more special school places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. If there's not enough places, some children have to go to school outside of Kirklees or to independent schools. These are very expensive, and are not always the best option for the child or their family.

Benefits of a new school building

The new, modern building allows us to create bespoke, inclusive spaces with a high level of therapeutic support. This, together with excellent teaching, will allow children and young people with additional needs to thrive and reach their full potential.

The school will be able to offer more spaces for children and young people, expanding their current offer to cater for around 180 pupils. This increase cannot be achieved at the school's current site.

The new location, on Fernside Avenue in Almondbury, maintains a relatively central location, meaning travel times will be kept to a minimum for many pupils. This location also retains flexibility in modes of transport available, including bus and cycle infrastructure which could reduce the reliance on car travel.

The site has already been cleared of existing buildings, and groundworks are being undertaken so that work to create the new school can begin in the coming months.

The building is expected to be completed Autumn 2027.

The school has been designed to accommodate the drop-off and pick-up arrangements for pupils, with a large onsite drop-off zone for buses and cars.

The car park has also been designed so that queueing vehicles waiting to pick up do not queue back onto the main road, and sufficient parking for staff and visitors is available.

Before developing the plans, we asked communities and professionals for feedback. Thank you to everyone who took part in that consultation. Your feedback helped to shape the way forward. Your comments were gathered and are included in the Statement of Community Consultation.

See the full Woodley School and College planning application