A BASINGSTOKE secondary school opened its brand new Dyslexia Support Unit on Tuesday (June 1).

This specialist facility at Cranbourne school on Wessex Close is the only one in Basingstoke and the school was delighted to invite local councillors Stephen Reid and Arun Mummalaneni to cut the ribbon and unveil the new unit.

The Unit offers specialised teaching to students with Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and other reading difficulties.

The classroom itself is a unique space where the students can confidently go to receive specialised help with their classwork.

In a joint statement, Cranbourne's head of resourced provision, Mrs Hockley and Learning Support Assistant, Ms Dixon, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the new Resourced Provision base here at Cranbourne. The RP has always been a space where students who use it feel they belong, but this new room has given them especially the chance to ‘put their own stamp on it’ and gives them an additional sense of belonging.

"The light, airy but peaceful room means students are not over stimulated and allows them a quieter place in which to learn strategies they can use across the school. They have all commented on how pleased they are to have something they feel truly belongs to them and we are all very grateful.”

Headteacher Jane Aplin added: “We enjoyed welcoming Councillors Reid and Mummalaneni to Cranbourne and showing them not just the Dyslexia Unit, but the rest of our school. It’s important to recognise the County Council’s contribution here.

"I am very grateful to Hampshire Property Services, who have invested in this refurbishment and to our excellent finance manager Miss Hill for all her work in making this a ‘state of the art’ learning facility. Our students with diagnosed Dyslexia make exceptional progress, so I’d like to pay tribute to them too!”