TEACHERS and pupils at a special school in Oldham are celebrating following the completion of a £3million refurbishment which includes a hydrotherapy pool, two new classrooms and a nursery. Kingfisher Special School in Foxdenton Lane, Chadderton, unveiled the new facilities on a YouTube video published on its Facebook site yesterday.

The work was completed by Bolton contractor Seddon.

The school's business director Michael Unsworth said the new facilities were the first of their kind in Oldham.

And he hailed the contribution of Oldham Council, The Stoller Foundation, local business couple Frank and Judith Rothwell and the charity St James's Place for "generation donations" towards the cost of the work.

Mr Unsworth said: "Now that it's ours, it feels absolutely amazing. It's been a long process for us to raise the funds to get to where we are.

"What was really amazing was when we allowed staff to look at it for the first time. Their reaction was priceless. They said 'wow, have we actually got this facility?'

"We have had great support from the community in Oldham, but we owe a huge debt of thanks to the council, The Stoller Foundation, Frank and Judith and St James's Place.

Kingfisher is the only school for primary age schoolchildren with complex and severe learning needs in Oldham.

The new state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool will be particularly important to help children maintain a range of joint and muscle movement, engaging in swimming when they are unable to access a local public pool, Mr Unsworth said.

All children at Kingfisher have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) detailing profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD);severe and complex communication and interaction disorders (including severe autism) (SLCN or ASD); severe and complex sensory and/or physical difficulties and

severe learning difficulties (SLD)

The school is funded to provide 185 places in total for pupils over the Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 years (YN – Y6).

Decisions around pupil admissions during the school year have to be carefully considered by the LA and Kingfisher School.