A former primary school in Denton could soon be brought back into educational use, this time as a specialist setting for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), if new plans are approved.
Phoenix Schools (South) Limited, led by Jonathan Pain and based in Devon, has submitted an application to Tameside Council seeking permission to convert the Denton Centre on Acre Street. The site, which previously housed Denton Central Primary School, was sold by the local authority to the company in February, enabling the organisation to progress its redevelopment proposals.
Planning documents outline the intention to create a specialist day school for approximately 40–50 pupils aged between eight and sixteen. The applicant highlights the need for enhanced safety features, explaining that vulnerable pupils can become distressed and may attempt to leave the school grounds if boundaries are not sufficiently secure.
The submission states that, despite high staffing levels and trained professionals capable of managing challenging situations, the current low fencing presents a risk. According to the application, experience from other SEND school operations indicates that boundary treatments of at least 2.4 metres are required, with three-metre fencing preferred in areas where risks are higher. As a result, the plans include installing three-metre perimeter fencing around the playground to safeguard pupils and staff.
The site itself has a long history. Originally opened in 1911 as Duke Street Elementary School, it was repurposed as an Auxiliary Hospital during the First World War. Following its closure as Denton Central Primary School in 2005, the building remained empty until Tameside Council adapted it for use by its social services teams between 2013 and 2023. It has been largely unused since, aside from temporary car-parking arrangements supporting a neighbouring development.
If approved, the new SEND school would cater for children unable to access mainstream education. The applicant says the facility would provide much-needed specialist support for families in the area. Staffing would include a headteacher, administrative staff, teachers, instructors and teaching assistants, totalling 31 employees.
The school would operate during term-time, Monday to Friday, from 9am until 4pm, with no activity outside those hours. The proposed opening times and reduced pupil numbers represent a significantly lower level of activity than when the premises were used as offices or as a former state primary school.
Tameside Council’s Speaker’s Panel (Planning) will consider the application and decide whether the redevelopment can proceed.
