Valley School – New Hydrotherapy Pool

21 Jul 2015

Special School Splashes Out On New Therapy pool.

A school in Bramhall is ending the year with a big splash after celebrating the opening of a brand new hydrotherapy pool. Valley School on Whitehaven Road caters for 60 primary-age pupils with a range of complex and severe special educational needs, including autism.

Its original hydrotherapy pool was built in the early Nineties. The well used facility was showing signs of its age and was in desperate need of an update

Debbie Thompson, Headteacher at Valley School, said: ‘The old pool was simply not good enough for our children. The changing room and facilities were out of date and couldn’t meet our requirements.’

The new hydrotherapy pool and its extension, which opened earlier this month, has more than doubled the area around the pool and provided additional bespoke changing facilities.

Paralympic swimmers Natalie Massey and Dan Pepper dived into the new therapy pool to mark its grand opening. Children from the school joined them and celebrated with a giant beach party.

Stephen Bell, Head of Commissioning at Stockport Council, who initiated the project, was also present at the opening of the new state of the art facility.

Pupils seemed delighted with their new pool. Physiotherapist, Liz Lawrence said that it will make a great difference to them. ‘’Hydrotherapy allows the children freedom of movement that they are less likely to get elsewhere. It is a fun and relaxing experience.’’

The school is always in need of fundraising help in order to raise cash for specialist equipment that will benefit its pupils. Any individuals or organisations interested in helping to raise funds for the school should contact Juliet Doherty on 0161 439 7343.

Valley School – Whitehaven Rd, Bramhall, SK7 1EN

Website – www.valley.stockport.sch.uk