The new centre will provide 76 specialist places for SEND pupils

Work is expected to start this year on the Mary Rose Academy’s centre for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The new facility, which was granted planning permission by Portsmouth City Council in May, is progressing, with construction expected to take place later this year.

The Omega Centre in Omega Street, Southsea, will be converted into a specialist facility for SEND pupils at the Mary Rose Academy.

The Edwardian former school building, which operated as an arts and community centre, will be repurposed for young people with autism and learning difficulties up to the age of 19.

The facility would provide 76 places in total, including 50 for pupils with severe autism and severe learning difficulties and 26 for those with “very severe” autism and learning difficulties.

New facilities would include classrooms, group rooms, sensory spaces and specialist teaching areas, as well as a workshop, food technology room, dining hall and kitchen.

The council said it expects “work to start on site later this year” with “construction due to be completed in early summer 2028 and the new school buildings opening in September 2028”.

It added: “The council is continuing to increase specialist education provision across the city. A new inclusion centre at St George’s is due to open this term, plans are in place for a new inclusion centre at Admiral Lord Nelson School to open in September 2027, and additional specialist places have recently been created at Cliffdale Primary Academy through the conversion of the former Battenburg Centre.”

It was reported in July that rising SEND costs are forecast to push Portsmouth’s schools budget into a £515,000 deficit in 2026/27.

The Dedicated Schools Grant carried an £8m surplus into this year, around £1m more than expected, partly due to additional early-years funding.

However, the high-needs SEND budget overspent by £1.8m last year, driven by rising demand for Education, Health and Care Plans, special school places and specialist support.

The council also spent £692,000 more than planned on specialist places outside Portsmouth because suitable provision could not be found in the city.