Ambitious plans to create £7.5m SEND school at Omega Centre takes major step forward with planning application submitted
Ambitious plans to create a specialist school for children with severe and complex special educational needs have been submitted.
A planning application has been submitted to the Portsmouth City Council to redevelop the Omega Centre, in Southsea, to create a new SEND school which could support 76 secondary school and post-16 students.
The application is part of the council’s wider response to an increasing demand of specialist school places across the area, and if approved, the Omega Centre will become a new campus of the Mary Rose Academy, run by the Solent Academies Trust.
Plans include modern extensions which will provide space for 1-2-1 and small group work for young people with the most complex needs. New workshop spaces and a kitchen will also be established to help young people with special educational needs develop skills that will help them thrive as adults.
Councillor Nick Dorrington, cabinet member for children, families and education said: “I’m really pleased to see this project moving forward, and the submission of the planning application marks another important step toward delivering this much‑needed provision for our city.
"Portsmouth has a growing number of children and young people who require specialist support, and this new school will help ensure they receive the right care in the right environment.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the plans continue to take shape, and to providing additional high‑quality places that will make a real difference to families across Portsmouth.”
Originally built as a school, plans were revealed in 2024 to return the centre to its original use, with a £2.8m funding boost proposed last year taking the project’s total investment to £7.75m.
The planned extensions to the building will mean the school can accommodate more students than the original estimate of 60.
If approved through the planning process, work on the site is expected to begin in autumn 2026, with the new provision anticipated to open to students in autumn 2028.
More updates to follow.