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Essex County Council welcomes DfE approval for special needs free schools (18 April 2017)

Date: 18/04/2017
Duncan Lewis, Child Care Solicitors, Essex County Council welcomes DfE approval for special needs free schools

Essex County Council has welcomed approval from the Department for Education (DfE) for free special needs schools in Essex.

More than 200 new special school places look set to be created in Essex, after the government approved plans for two free schools and encouraged a formal bid for a third.

Under the proposals, Market Field Learning Community will open and run Chatten Free School – a new, 75-place special free school for children aged from three to 19 years, who have autism with severe or the most complex learning needs.

A location for the school has yet to be finalised, but it is likely to be in mid- Essex – the academy trust hopes it will be open by September 2018.

The other Essex free school bid to be approved was for a new 70-place, all-through special school next to the existing Thriftwood College in Chelmsford, which was submitted by SEAX Multi-Academy Trust.

The school, which is expected to open in 2018-2019, will be specifically for children and young people with autism who have complex needs and high levels of anxiety.

The Department for Education has also approved an initial expression of interest from Essex County Council about the possibility of another special free school on the former St Peter’s College site in Chelmsford.

The council hopes the school will create around 70 places for children with social, emotional and mental health needs – and will now invite bids from academy trusts interested in running it.

Any final decision on the proposal would be subject to agreement between the Secretary of State and the trust.

The council says the announcements are a huge boost for the county – and come as Essex County Council continues with its own record investment in special schools.

Around £85 million – including £42 million from the Essex Schools Forum and up to £43 million of capital funding from the council – has been allocated towards creating more special school places in the county over the next three to five years.

An Essex County Council spokesman said:

“We are committed to meeting the individual needs of all pupils in Essex and ensuring they receive the best possible education.

“We already have some excellent special schools in the county – however, more capacity is still needed to reduce the distance children have to travel to school and meet the needs of the rising number who are being diagnosed with autism.

“The approval of these free schools is a huge boost to our efforts to create a network of special schools that the county can be proud of.”


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