Plans have been unveiled for what is described as the first purpose-built Beach School for vulnerable children in the world – right here in Cornwall.

A full, detailed planning application has been submitted this week by surf therapy charity The Wave Project for the new facility, planned for a site near to Gwithian Towans beach in Hayle, and follows a public consultation in May.

It is for a surf therapy and education facility consisting of classrooms, communal space, toilets and changing facilities, offices and meeting space, kitchen facilities, and indoor storage. Associated development would include landscaping, biodiversity enhancements, renewable energy and heating systems and car parking, on land north west of Godrevy Park.

The Wave Project Beach School would combine outdoor learning and surfing with schemes of work that help children to re-engage with the idea of learning.

It is designed to support vulnerable local children who struggle to engage with traditional school lessons and are at risk of permanent exclusion.

The concept is currently in operation at The Wave Project’s local projects across the country – but this would be the first time that a physical facility has been built, for this purpose and the charity describes it as "the first facility of its type anywhere in the world."

Joe Taylor, founder and CEO of The Wave Project said: “We’re delighted to move one step closer in our plans to launch our very first purpose-built beach school.

"At The Wave Project, we come across many children who are not able to achieve their full potential in conventional classroom environments, and too many end up dropping out of school altogether.

“Our beach school has been designed with the needs of these children in mind, offering them the chance to learn outside wherever possible, in an environment they find calming and supportive.

“We really hope this facility will prove to be a model for other similar schools nationally and around the world, to help to reduce the number of children who fall out of the traditional education system.”

Children currently referred to The Wave Project beach school classes attend for one full day per week during normal school time, providing them with a break from school, and helping them to reset their thinking about learning. Spending most of the day in their wetsuits and learn outside, on the beach and in the sea, children attend lessons devised to incorporate the natural environment in the pupils’ learning.

The new beach school facility at Gwithian would enable the course to be delivered to up to 75 children each week (15 per day). The design has been developed to give children the sense of being outdoors all the time, whilst keeping them safe.

Truro-based architects Lavigne Lonsdale are leading on the design of the facility, and the company said: "Creating an intrinsic relationship between the buildings and the landscape was one of the core principles behind the design, encouraging children to engage and interact with the surrounding natural environment."

The plans state that the development would hope to provide a habitat for native plant and animal species by ‘extending’ the Towans and creating a dune-scape environment within the site. This includes the planting of species that would help support the rare local Scabious Bee population. Bird and bat boxes would also be integrated into the buildings.

Members of the public from the surrounding area will have an opportunity to respond to the planning application on the Cornwall Council website under reference number PA21/09867.

The charity said: "The proposed beach school responds to a mental health crisis amongst young people in the UK that is reaching critical levels, with the problem getting worse each year and exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. According to the NHS, one in six children had a diagnosed mental health issue in July 2020, compared with one in nine in 2017.

"Children with poorer mental health are far more likely to struggle at school, and some may end up being permanently excluded.

"In Cornwall, there are more children with social, emotional and mental health needs than across England as a whole – there were 90 permanent exclusions from schools in Cornwall in 2019/20, and 92 in 2018/19.

"The long-term cost of each of these children to public services is estimated at £370,000 each – a total cost of £33million per year in Cornwall alone."