A NEW school for children with special needs is rapidly taking shape at Newsome.
Work on Castle Hill School, off Newsome Road South, started in June.
Contractors have now put up the steel framework to the two-storey-building, which is to accommodate up to 108 pupils and more than 100 staff.
The £5m school will replace Highfields School at Edgerton and Turnshaws School, Kirk- burton.
It is one of four new special schools being built in Kirklees in a £25m Public Private Partnership programme.
Gill Taylor, who has been appointed head of the school, said it included state-of-the-art design and exceptional facilities.
It will include a hydrotherapy pool, a speech and language therapy room, a physiotherapy room and medical rooms.
All the classrooms are purpose-built and include additional teaching areas, staff working areas, a community training room and meeting room for parents and staff.
She said the school was also to be an Outreach Training facility for other schools to use.
Mrs Taylor added: "All staff have been involved in the design.
"The working relationship with the local education authority and the construction team has been excellent."
She said it was hoped to have a member of the royal family to officially open the school.
Extensive landscaping is also being done to transform the grounds.
The work will include creating a sensory garden and wildlife area. Plans also include adventure areas, an outside dining area and rooftop greenhouse.
Project consultant Mick Ruane said roofing contractors would move on to the site within the next couple of weeks.
He said there would increasingly be more tradesmen on the site in coming weeks, with windows and doors being put in after Christmas, along with external wall cladding.
Mr Ruane said the project was on schedule for completion next September.
