A new school for autistic and other special needs children which has opened on a temporary site in Upton Park has got the go-ahead to expand and build a permanent campus.

The Connaught Special School was set up temporarily in September in response to a needs n the Newham area for a school that could help children with special needs.

It opened in the grounds of Upton Cross Primary and has 26 places.

But now the Learning in Harmony Trust, which runs the school, has been given planning permission to build a purpose-built campus facility for 105 youngsters, with construction starting soon.

The new building will have an outdoor gym, indoor immersive water suite, horticulture area and immersive ICT suite for children’s development and learning.

The Trust also runs the JFK School in Beckton which is one of a small number of special schools in the country rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

But plans for its own campus and expansion have got the green light to take more than 100 youngsters to meet a growing demand in Newham for special education facilities.

“We will be able to support children to flourish with the opening of the new site,” Connaught head teacher Nithra Subramaniam said. 

“We can see the progress that our young people are already making, by sharing best practices and tailored resources to ensure the best education for them.”

The school housed at the end of the Upton Cross playground in Kirton Road is already having a significant impact by getting pupils with autism and significant learning difficulties back into full-time education.

One pupil, 11-year-old Erfan, has had significant improvement in just four months with his “eagerness to come to school” each day and is now able to foster relationships with adults. 

His mum and dad said he seems happy with the specialist routine that helps Erfan get ready every morning, sitting on the sofa waiting for the school bus. The school has helped them become “very happy as parents”.

The special education involves sensory equipment, visual schedules and picture exchange communication systems, which has helped Erfan into full-time placement and encouraged his learning.