Good neighbours. Primary school shares spaces with nearby SEND school from this September

A Trowbridge primary will be sharing facilities with pupils from a neighbouring school from next term.

Paxcroft Primary in Trowbridge is providing classroom accommodation for Key Stage 1 Silverwood pupils based at the Trowbridge campus for the academic year 2023/24.

The new Silverwood satellite will be based in the heart of the school. Pupils will benefit from a welcoming classroom, use of their own courtyard play area and some shared use of the school's educational and recreational facilities, including the library and playgrounds.

Wiltshire Council has worked with Paxcroft to accommodate the Silverwood Trowbridge intake, as it waits for the extra capacity (with the new build at Rowde) to come online. Once the Rowde facilities are ready, secondary aged Silverwood pupils currently based at the Trowbridge site will move to Rowde.

The new build at the Silverwood Campus at Rowde has been delayed by bad weather and is now due to open next summer. Pupils, parents and carers are aware of the delay, and plans are in place for the autumn term.

Hardenhuish Secondary School, next door to Silverwood Chippenham campus has also been working together with Silverwood to share space since September 2022. This arrangement will be extended to a second temporary classroom for September 2023.

Cllr Jane Davies, Cabinet Member for SEND at Wiltshire Council said: We have strong relationships with our schools and I'm delighted we have good provision in place for our autumn term. Both Paxcroft and Silverwood are excited at the prospect of co-locating as this will help to support inclusion, improve staff knowledge sharing and other benefits.

Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children's Services said: The Paxcroft satellite will provide much-needed accommodation while waiting for the facilities to be completed at Silverwood campus at Rowde. It will also ensure more primary-aged Trowbridge area learners with special educational needs are educated within their local community. I also want to thank Hardenhuish School for continued support. We are fortunate to have these excellent arrangements in place which will continue to benefit our children and the wider school community.

Lou Rhodes, Headteacher at Paxcroft Primary School said, The partnership between our two schools benefits both Silverwood and Paxcroft, presenting a wonderful opportunity for pupils and staff to develop and learn from peers and colleagues throughout the 2023/24 academic year.  All of us at Paxcroft Primary School are looking forward to welcoming Silverwood in September and laying the foundation for a closer relationship for the future.

Sean McKeown, Executive Headteacher at Silverwood said, We are thrilled to be working so closely with our Paxcroft School colleagues in securing temporary accommodation within the school.  Our pupils will benefit from the excellent facilities on offer at Paxcroft including the proposed new 'forest school' space within the grounds. We are once again pleased to be also working with Hardenhuish School which has provided shared space for Silverwood pupils since September 2022, and which will be extended to accommodate a second temporary classroom for this coming autumn term.

Silverwood has campuses at Rowde, Chippenham and Trowbridge. There is due to be investment across the three sites to secure their long-term future and ensure a maximum of 75 pupils at the Chippenham campus and 75 pupils at the Trowbridge site, in line with Department for Education space standards. The investment includes removing some of the 'mobile' structures at Trowbridge, opening up and improving the outdoor learning space and upgrading many of the classrooms and facilities at a cost of around £3.6m.