New special education needs school to open in Buckinghamshire after Government approval

Bucks Council has been given Government approval for a new free school supporting children with special education needs.

Yesterday (9 May), the Department for Education confirmed it had chosen 16 locations for new schools including one in Buckinghamshire.

At this stage the council has not revealed where in Buckinghamshire the new school will open.

Bucks Council has stated the next step will be looking for a sponsor, before nailing down the location and timeframe for the school opening.

Current plans are for a school for 152 children aged between 7-19, that will offer therapeutic support and aths, English and Science at Btec and GCSE level alongside other subjects.

Councillor Anita Cranmer said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this vital funding which will allow us to build a brand new special educational needs free school in Buckinghamshire. As is the case in many other places, we have seen a growing number of students on Education, Health and Care Plans and this will allow us to create a number of additional places for our children and families in Buckinghamshire so that they can access the education they need to thrive and flourish.

“We are looking forward to working on this project with the Department for Education and the school’s future sponsors to develop a truly outstanding school for children with SEND in Buckinghamshire.

This is a crucial part of our long-term plan to deliver on our SEND sufficiency strategy to make sure the needs of all our Buckinghamshire students can be met.”

A statement of action was sent to Bucks Council by Ofsted in 2022 demanding the authority do more to regain families’ confidence in its SEND services. Ofsted found that some issues such as children waiting too long to see a paediatrician predated Covid.

Buckinghamshire is one of three areas in the South East region that have secured a new school via the Government project.

Education secretary Gillian Keegan said: “Special schools can truly transform children’s lives, enabling pupils with special education needs and disabilities to thrive in environments that meet their needs.”