A PLANNED new school for children with special educational needs has been given the go-ahead to be built in Gloucestershire.

Gloucestershire County Council’s cabinet unanimously approved £7.5million to establish and construct the new 75-place special school in Brockworth.

The school would cater for boys and girls aged 11 to 16 with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, and is planned to cope with increasing demand.

Details of where the new school could be built will be revealed by the end of this month.

SEMH needs comes under the wider umbrella of special educational needs, and its schools support children with a range of different needs, including attachment issues, exposure to traumatic life experiences, depression or an eating disorder.

The county council said the new school will reduce the number of pupils with special educational needs who have to receive an education out-of-county.

At the end of May 2019, 57 children were placed in Gloucestershire’s special schools – 23 higher than May 2018.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported in June the county council said a planning application for the new special school was in its early stages.

Brockworth has been chosen because it would be most accessible to both Gloucester and Cheltenham where there is the highest level of demand for this type of specialist education.

The county council said the new school will reduce the number of pupils with special educational needs who have to receive an education out-of-county, saving the authority almost £2million per year.

At the end of May 2019, 57 children were placed in Gloucestershire’s special schools – 23 higher than May 2018.

The cabinet also approved £215,000 to adapt and extend Belmont Special School, in Cheltenham, to support more pupils, £75,000 for improvements at the Cheltenham and Tewkesbury alternative provision school.

Kevin Day, headteacher at Belmont School, said the money will partly go towards a new specialist soft play facility, ready for October 2021.

He said: “Belmont leaders and community are delighted by the £215,000 investment in our school as this ensures Belmont’s learning and intervention facilities continue to match the quality and commitment from the staff team.

“The funding will provide a large and specialist soft play facility that will be accessible to all Belmont students and assist greatly in the children’s emotional and physical development all year around in a safe and stimulating environment.

“The new facilities are expected to be fully operational by October 2021 and I am grateful to Betteridge school who have extended opportunities for our students to access their soft play facilities until the building is completed.”