Work is under way on a £20m project to relocate and expand a Norfolk special school.

The Fred Nicholson School in Dereham is set to move to a new home in Swaffham in the coming years, as part of a major investment in special educational needs provision.

The multi-million-pound move will see an extra 27 places created at the school, with its capacity to increase from 197 to 224.

But it will also leave a vacant site at its current base, in Westfield Road in Dereham.

(Image: Norfolk County Council)

This week, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to mark the beginning of the construction project, which is due to be completed in spring 2026.

It saw youngsters from the school don high-vis vests and hard hats and pick up spades as contractor RG Carter officially moved onto the site in Lynn Road, Swaffham.

Penny Carpenter, cabinet member for children's services at Norfolk County Council said: "Relocating Fred Nicholson School allows us to address the growing demand for specialised education and support services, ensuring every child in Norfolk can flourish.

"This project is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved, from the planning stage to groundbreaking."

(Image: Norfolk County Council)

Heidi Philpott, the school's headteacher, said: "Today starts our journey to our new school, which will offer us many more learning opportunities along with appropriate specialist rooms and facilities to truly meed the needs of our young people.

"We will all be following the progress of the build closely and look forward to helping our young people transition successfully."

The new site will be set across eight acres and will include a three-storey building with 17 main classrooms.

It will also include specialised classrooms for creative arts, music and drama, food technology and life skills."

A spokesman for Norfolk County Council said the site being vacated in Dereham would be considered for educational use in the first instance.