A specialist school located inside a Grade II-listed rectory has had its plans to construct a multi-use games area given the green light.

Wetheringsett Manor School applied to Mid Suffolk District Council in March to construct the new facility at its Church Street school site. 

The school, which expects to start the next academic year with 76 pupils, provides specialist education to children aged between 11 and 18. 

A wide variety of sports can be played on the new multi-use games areaA wide variety of sports can be played on the new multi-use games area (Image: Wetheringsett Manor School)

As part of its plans to cater for all pupils' needs, the school has been given the go-ahead to build a multi-use games area (MUGA) which would be used for a wide variety of sports. 

The facility will be 30 metres by 16 metres and enclosed by a three-metre high fence. 

A letter from headteacher Mark Jeffries said following an audit of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), more than half of its students are in need of some form of movement break. 

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It read: "The introduction of a MUGA as proposed would make a significant contribution to providing a safe and regulated space for such activity for pupils, including enhancing the safeguarding of the aforementioned, unstructured time.

"Currently pupils at the school do not have access to enclosed space and so can access many parts of the school site.

"Their need for breaks is usually to expend energy so everything is done at speed and it's not uncommon, on occasion, for pupils to run and put distance between themselves and staff.

"The ability to allow pupils to use a MUGA which would provide an enclosed space would eliminate this risk."

As a result of the plans being approved, the school will have an all-weather facility which can be used all year round. 

The school first opened its doors in 2020. 

It expects to have 100 pupils onsite at the end of the next academic year.