The plans would see the creation of a 20 place Resource Base within the secondary school designed to support pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.
It would strengthen existing provision for children and young people with SEMH needs across the city, while enabling more pupils to remain in mainstream education close to home.
The City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet last month approved an initial period of consultation with parents and carers, pupils, staff, governors and the wider community, which began this week. Feedback from this initial consultation will help determine whether the proposal should move forward to a formal statutory consultation stage later this year. To have your say, please visit Proposed Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Resource Base – Colton Hills Community School by 14 June, 2026.
The proposed Resource Base would form part of Colton Hills’ wider expansion plans, which are set to create space for an additional 79 Year 7 places from 2027, and 395 permanent places in total across Years 7-11 by September 2031.
Councillor Jacqui Coogan, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: "There is growing demand for specialist SEND provision in Wolverhampton, with the number of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans increasing significantly in recent years.
“Social, emotional and mental health needs continue to be one of the most prevalent primary needs, and there is currently no secondary age SEMH Resource Base in the city.
"The proposed Resource Base at Colton Hills would provide additional specialist school places in the city for children and young people with SEMH needs, offering tailored specialist support while allowing pupils to access mainstream lessons for much of their learning.”
Julie Hunter, Headteacher of Colton Hills Community School, added: “This dedicated resource base facility would be designed as a purpose built, standalone centre, focused on supporting students with social, emotional, and mental health difficulties.
"By designing this base as part of the broader build, it would be a game changer for our expansion, providing a sanctuary of specialist expertise that complements our academic growth, and creating a seamless bridge between tailored support and mainstream opportunity, ensuring every student has the tools to succeed in an environment designed specifically for their needs.”
