New special needs school in London opens: ‘A dream come true’
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New special needs school in London opens: ‘A dream come true’

Side by Side has offered children with special educational needs a chance to learn new skills since its establishment in 2001.

Special needs school Side by Side open in Stamford Hill, October 24, 2022.
Special needs school Side by Side open in Stamford Hill, October 24, 2022.

Special needs school in Stamford Hill, Side by Side, welcomed pupils for their first day of school on Monday, causing excitement among parents about new opportunities for their kids.

The school has increased its capacity from 80 to 150 pupils, with the £11.6m purpose-built building offering bigger space, enhanced facilities, and support to cater for every student’s needs.

Parents described the new school as “a dream come true” and “exceptionally welcoming.”

“It is difficult to put into words what this opening means to me. I am so incredibly proud of our whole team, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every person who has been involved in this project and worked exceptionally hard to ensure we reached this landmark occasion,” Gerald Lebrett, Headteacher of Side by Side, said.

“This is more than just a physical move for all involved, and we cannot wait to see what the next chapter brings as our pupils continue to flourish and reach new heights,” he added.

The enthusiasm was echoed by Jacob Sorotzkin, Trustee at Side by Side: “This beautiful project will allow our current and prospective students to maximise their potential and develop in new and exciting ways. On behalf of us all, my sincere thanks to our donors and my fellow trustees. Our dream has become a reality.”

Side by Side has offered children with special educational needs a chance to learn new skills since its establishment in 2001.

“The new school will continue to hold this core value at its heart, taking a holistic view and having the space and resources to extend its vital provisions to more of the local community,” a statement from the school said.

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