A bid to create a new special school in Cumbria has been successful.
The school, for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, will have around 140 places for youngsters aged four to 19 with autism and speech, communication and language difficulties.
Westmorland and Furness Council bid for the school, which has been chosen by the Department for Education as one of 16 schools and trusts across the country.
The location and design of the school are yet to be determined but the council said it was aiming for somewhere in the Eden area.
The authority will now work with the Government, partners and SENDAC, parents and carers forum, to deliver the school.
Milorad Vasic, director of children’s services at Westmorland and Furness Council, said: “This is excellent news for our area. It means there’ll be a sizable and well-needed increase in the number of special school places for children and young people with SEND in Westmorland and Furness and I’m really looking forward to seeing this project through to completion.
“We can’t confirm an exact location for the school just yet but we are expecting this to be somewhere within the Eden area. We’ll keep residents updated on proposals.
“Westmorland and Furness Council is ambitious for all our children and continuing to improve the experiences and outcomes for children and families with SEND is a key priority.”
Cllr Sue Sanderson, cabinet member for children’s services, education and skills at Westmorland and Furness Council, said: “This announcement will be music to the ears of many parents in Westmorland and Furness.
“Our ambition as a council is that access to learning is available for all and not limited by disadvantage, additional needs, sparsity of population or transport, and this is a significant step in the right direction.”
