Mayor opens new £3m school at former Dinnington College

Elements Academy, at the former Dinnington College, is the only school of its kind in Rotherham borough and will meet the growing need for specialist provision.

The school, for 135 students, aged seven-16, has now been officially opened by Coun Tajamal Khan, borough mayor.

The students all have an education health care plan and previously attended other borough educational settings.

Coun Victoria Cusworth, Rotherham Council cabinet member for children and young people, said: “We are proud of the fantastic new specialist education Elements is providing to local children and young people with social, emotional and mental health needs.

“The council has invested about £3m to create Elements Academy, which means local children can access bespoke provision which meets their needs here in Rotherham for the first time.

“It also means we’ve been able to keep an important community asset in Dinnington open and that the former college could continue as an educational establishment, which it has been for nearly 100 years.

Jayne Foster, Ethos Academy Trust, said: “The development of Elements has been a exciting project for trust over the last 18 months.

“As a Trust, we specialise in the development of high quality, nurturing provisions to enable a range of pupils with SEMH needs to thrive and succeed.

“The staff at Elements are skilled at supporting the needs of the pupils. They have created a welcoming and nurturing learning community, in which pupils feel safe and empowered to develop the skills and knowledge they need to be happy and successful within and beyond school.”