A NEW school hub for young people with autism will open in Haddington next week, after months of planning.

Five pupils will start at Meadowpark Knox Academy when it begins its first term later this summer, but it will be able to accommodate up to 30 students once up and running.

The school, which East Lothian Council describes as a “communication provision”, is based in the former Haddington Infant School, on Victoria Road, and is part of the Knox Academy campus.

It has retained much of the character of the Victorian building, using its large windows to provide plenty of light in the large rooms, as well as introducing skylights.

As well as classrooms, the revamped building offers a food court which will be accessed by students and their families, as well as staff. It has a soft play area inside, a sensory room and escalation room, medical office and assembly hall, which will also be used as a gym and can be opened up with the food court for events.

Outside in the playground there is a large enclosed area of artificial grass, along with ground for developing into garden or communal use space.

And there is a self-contained flat which will allow older students to practise life skills such as making a bed or preparing food. It is hoped the students will be able to use the flat to invite friends to visit for lunch.

Charli Prime, a depute headteacher at Knox Academy, said the aim was to have as much flexibility as possible in the layout and design of the new £900,000 facility.

She said: “We have had a lot of input from the pupils and the layout provides us with flexibility, which is so important. We have to get this right and being able to adapt to suit our students’ needs is important.”

Run by East Lothian Council, Meadowpark Knox Academy is for children and young people of secondary school age from East Lothian who have needs primarily associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Pupils due to start at the revamped building have been involved in choosing some of the colour designs for the rooms and the council has looked at other places, including New Struan School in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, to learn what works for them.

Councillor Shamin Akhtar, council spokesperson for education, said: “I hugely welcome the opening of Knox Academy Meadowpark. This is a significant achievement for East Lothian Council and has been very much welcomed by parents, carers and young people. I’d like to thank everyone for all their efforts in getting it to this stage. It’s going to be a great environment for young people to learn and to enable them to stay within the county and be near their family, friends and local community.”