A NEW special free school will soon be set up in Alveston, following a successful bid from South Gloucestershire Council.

The school, which will be the second of its kind in South, will be based on the Marlwood School site, offering 112 places over a three-year period for children aged two-to-19-years-old with severe learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorder and with profound and multiple learning difficulties.

It is planned that the school, which will be run by the Enable Trust on the Castle School Education Trust (CSET) site, will open in 2019, and in its first year of opening will provide for a total of 32 places for nursery and primary school age children.

Cllr Toby Savage, SGC cabinet Member for schools, skills and employment, welcomed the announcement of the new school from central government.

He said: “We submitted a bid for a new special free school as part of our strategy to increase specialist place provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in South Gloucestershire.

“We know that as our population grows, so do the numbers of young people who need specialist support and the new school on the Marlwood site will help provide additional local places for families closer to home. 

“We have already supported the expansion of existing special schools at New Siblands in Thornbury and Warmley Park in Warmley, but they are reaching their maximum capacity. 

“Working alongside CSET at Marlwood means that we will increase the availability of high-support school places in brand new, purpose-built facilities. 

“I look forward to seeing progress being made to build the new school, with the aim being that it welcomes its first pupils in September 2019.”

CSET chief executive Will Roberts said: “CSET welcome the news that the new special free school will be co-located with Marlwood School in Alveston. 

“Sharing this large site will help to ensure the future sustainability of Marlwood School by reducing overhead costs and bringing much needed capital investment to the site.”