Plans for new 200-place SEND school in Plymstock

Derelict former Dunstone Primary School preferred location

A new 200-place SEND school is being proposed by Plymouth City Council at the site of the former Dunstone Primary School at Plymstock.

The new facility will replace the Ofsted rated “outstanding” local authority maintained Mill Ford School at Ernesettle where the building is deteriorating and is said to be “life limited”.

Plymouth City Council has outlined proposals in a pre planning application enquiry to its planning department after the cabinet announced its commitment to building a replacement school in March.

It will be spread over two floors of the building and cater for wheelchair needs and is expected to have a range of external spaces including a multi-use games area, habitat space, hard play, car parking and access road. 

Children and young people from the ages of three to 18 will be accommodated with 58 staff expected on site.

The council says in planning documents that a feasibility study has been undertaken in collaboration with the school and the education department, looking at several options for sizes of school that could be provided on this site. The 200-place school was the preferred option. 

The school will include meeting rooms, a kitchen for post 16 and food hall, post 16 common room, physio space, art room, nurse room, IT and science rooms and individual teaching wings for early years, infant, junior and secondary school pupils.

Sensory areas and a hydro pool will be included and there  will be a 32-space car park and a pupil drop off area plus space for bicycles.

The site, which is surrounded by residential areas in Shortwood Cresent,  is presently derelict and has been subject to anti social behaviour and arson attacks.

Dunstone Primary School closed in 2021 with pupils relocating to the new Morley Meadow Primary School on the Saltram Meadow estate.

Mill Ford School has 133 pupils with 79 per cent of them eligible for school transport, but almost 30 per cent of parents choose to transport the children themselves.

A survey two years ago revealed that parts of the structure of Mill Ford were in a “severely deteriorated condition”.

It was estimated at the time that the rebuild would cost between £26 million and £35 million.

The council currently has £12.9 million available for the build but will need to secure additional significant capital funding to deliver the project.

Labour cabinet member for education Sally Cresswell (Stoke) said a new SEND school was “a game changer and we are absolutely committed to delivering it.” 

The number of children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in Plymouth has risen from 2,756 in September 2024 to 3,654 in January 2026 which is an increase of 898 children in just 18 months. 

While most children with EHCPs are supported locally, 405 children and young people are currently educated outside the city, including 261 in independent special schools because local capacity simply doesn’t meet demand.   

Cllr Cresswell said keeping children closer to home was not only good for them and their families but for every child who stayed within the city there would be a saving of £3,000 a year on home to school transport. 

Under Labour government SEND reforms there will be new ‘inclusion bases’ in every secondary school but Plymouth City Council has recognised it must provide more specialist school places too.

Parents of SEND children in Plymouth have highlighted “failures in the education system” through a number of peaceful protests in the city.

The city was issued a notice to improve following a damning report in 2023 by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission for its SEND provision but the notice has now been removed after the secretary of state recognised stronger leadership, better partnership working and clearer oversight across the system.