Stunning video gives tour inside the huge once-in-a-lifetime plan to rebuild Mosslands School in Wallasey

Wirral Council said it was working with the government to make sure the scheme is delivered.

The update on the rebuild of Mosslands School in Wallasey came following a question by Wallasey councillor Ian Lewis at a local authority education committee meeting on September 22. He said the rebuild was long overdue and asked what was being done to “ensure progress on this fantastic redevelopment.”

The Mosslands School in Wirral was one of two in Wirral earmarked to be rebuilt in 2022 with funding paid for by the Department for Education (DfE.) The current cost of the project is expected to be just under £58m and will see an entire redevelopment of the school site.

A planning application was submitted to the local authority earlier this year but there’s been no update on the scheme since.

Labour councillor Stephen Bennett, who chairs the committee, said the new school “will have a positive impact on the education of boys in that community for years to come,” adding the council had been working with the school and the Department for Education for several years “to bring this one in a lifetime capital programme to life.”

He said: “Officers are working positively with the planning agents and intend to report to the planning committee at the first appropriate available opportunity.” He pointed out the new school facilities will be available for community use, provide better access for children with special educational needs, and improvements will be made to the nearby Wallacre playing fields

The new school will be built to the south of the existing school site which will enable Mosslands to continue operating in its current buildings while works take place. Parts of the school were first built in 1952 but are now past their expiry date leading to problems such as leaking roofs and a whole host of other issues.

With the redevelopment will come a brand new three-storey school building, a new theatre, two sports halls and fitness suite, a junior pitch, netball courts, a full size county level pitch, and an under 12s pitch alongside an engineering centre and facilities for children with complex needs. Better insulated buildings, solar panels, and a ground source heat pump is expected to save at least £160,000 in running costs.

A previous timeline for the development had suggested work on the first stage of the development was expected to start in autumn 2025 and finish in spring 2027.

The second stage will see pupils moved over to the new school and the old school demolished, the new car park and bike store created, and the other new pitches which are expected to be finished in the summer of 2028.

Councillors also discussed the council’s youth justice service which was recently rated good. Cllr Tony Murphy raised concerns about the links between antisocial behaviour and organised crime, highlighting a number of incidents in Rock Ferry including flytipping and bins being set on fire.

In the last year, there was an increase in violent disorder following riots that took place over the summer of 2024 as well as an increase of eight people entering the youth justice service.

Despite the rise, officers revealed the youth justice programme had prevented 19 children from going to court as well as 12 children from being criminalised and they had not returned to the service. Council officers said they were also working with other services to identify those who are at risk earlier.

During a debate around school attendance, Cllr Murphy also asked the use of ketamine in schools and whether it was having any impact. Officers said they were running a programme to educate children around the risks and school nurses have been trained to identify issues linked to ketamine.

Councillors also moved forward plans for a new football pitch to be built at the Clare Mount Special Sports College in Leasowe, subject to further approval. Costs to the council are expected to be covered by the sale of the college’s former site on Fender Lane.