Construction of the new site for Sara Cohen School officially started yesterday after a sod-turning ceremony at the site in Riselaw Rd, in Carlton Hill.
Board of trustees chairwoman Sharon Oliver, who is also the parent of an alumni, said she was overjoyed to see the new school being built.
She had a child with needs who reached the point where they could not leave their home because nowhere was safe for them.
"It felt like we were living on an island and we felt very isolated and the world was going past because we couldn’t go anywhere safe for our children," she said
She said it felt like a dream came true to see the the first soil turn.
"It isn’t just my dream, it’s my dream for all those families and all the families yet to come knowing that they can come out and have a family outing and be safe."
School principal Matthew Tofia said the build had been a long time coming.
The proposal for the new school was announced by the Ministry of Education in 2018.
Since then, the site had shifted from the present Sara Cohen School in Caversham to Riselaw Rd and its budget had inflated from $4million to $7.5m.
Mr Tofia said the change in site meant it was "business as usual" at the present site and and pupils were not affected.
He said there had been a lot of meetings and heartache but also most recently a lot of excitement.
"The other school had done its dash and that had to be acknowledged.
"A new solution was needed and this was it."
The new school would have a hydrotherapy pool, a non-climbable fence and a fully accessible playground that would be available for any children with special needs, not just those at the school.
A community orchard had also been planted.
