Fred Nicholson School to relocate amid growing student demand
With the completion of the steel frame on the 3.2-hectare site and the installation of precast floors, internal work has now commenced
Norfolk County Council has reached a milestone in the expansion and relocation of the Fred Nicholson School, as the school is due to move from its current location in Dereham to a new site on Lynn Road, Swaffham, to better accommodate its growing number of students.
News of the school’s relocation is part of the council’s multi-million-pound Local First Inclusion (LFI) programme, which aims to grow the number of pupils from 197 to 224.
Students from the school, which is for children aged seven to 16 with special educational needs and disabilities, visited the new site and took part in a ceremonial steel signing along with school staff.
With the completion of the steel frame on the 3.2-hectare site and the installation of precast floors, internal work has now commenced.
The new site will feature a three-storey building with 17 main classrooms that will provide comprehensive special school education and dedicated areas for sixth form and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) provision.
Fred Nicholson School’s new building, which is due to open in spring 2026, will also include specialist teaching areas for life skills, sensory immersion, and sensory and physical development.
Cllr Penny Carpenter, cabinet member for children’s services at Norfolk County Council, said: “The relocation of Fred Nicholson School will allow us to address the growing demand for specialist education and support services. Thank you to everyone involved for your commitment, hard work and dedication to the project, ensuring that every child in Norfolk can flourish.”
Heidi Philpott, headteacher of Fred Nicholson School, added: “We are all getting excited about our move to Swaffham, we have very much outgrown our current school in Dereham. The new building will enable us to further extend the provision we offer our young people, supporting them to continue to develop their independence and the skills they need to be successful.
“We look forward to the opportunity to welcome a Key Stage One cohort into our school community as our new building will facilitate this growth.”
Norfolk County Council’s SEND improvement programme, Local First Inclusion (LFI), is delivering more than £100m of new investment by the Department for Education to the area.
LFI builds on the council’s £120m capital investment to build more special schools and specialist resources based in mainstream schools, with three special schools delivered to date as well as hundreds of specialist places at mainstream school delivered and planned.