News / SEND
Plan for hundreds of new school places for pupils with special needs
More than 500 new school places are planned in Bristol by 2030 for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
84 places have already been created and six major projects are planned over the next few years to create hundreds more places.
Recently the number of children with an education, health and care plan has more than doubled, rising from 2,193 in 2018 to 5,795 this year.
These documents set out what support a child is legally required to receive.
Bristol City Council is legally responsible for ensuring there are enough specialist school places, and is aiming to create 569 new places.
In recent years in Bristol, parents and campaigners help protests and taken legal action over shortcomings in SEND provision – photo: Rob Browne
An update on the programme will be given to councillors on the children and young people policy committee on March 5.
A committee report said: “The number of children and young people with an EHC plan in Bristol has been increasing each year.
“Expanding in-city provision is a key lever for ensuring our children can be educated closer to their homes, achieving more economically efficient provision and meeting the council’s statutory duties.”
Six major projects are due to be completed from this summer until summer 2029 at Claremont School, Briarwood School, Elmfield Secondary School for Deaf Children, Henbury Court Academy, St Anne’s Infant School and Trym Valley Academy.
Together these are expected to cost £53m, excluding the new Trym Valley special school, as the government will fund this.
Bristol City Council is legally responsible for providing enough specialist school places in the city – photo: Susie Long
Redeveloping Claremont School, in Henleaze, is expected to create an extra 70 places by summer 2029.
Briarwood School will take on the recently refurbished Throgmorton House in Knowle West, creating an extra 66 spaces by this summer. An extra 18 places would be created in a caretakers building at Briarwood’s main site in Eastville by summer 2028.
Elmfield School for Deaf Children in Southmead recently expanded, creating 31 extra places in 2024.
Construction started in January on a new building at the Badock’s Wood Academy site on Doncaster Road. This should be ready by summer next year, although won’t provide any more new spaces.
Three classrooms at St Anne’s Infant School are being refurbished at the moment.
This will lead to 24 new spaces for pupils with autism, and should be ready by summer next year.
At Henbury Court, an underutilised building is being refurbished, with 30 extra places expected this autumn.
The new Trym Valley Academy school will be built in Southmead, with 100 places planned for summer 2029.
A further 64 places are planned from 2030 onwards.
The school is proposed to be located on the site of the former Elmfield School for the Deaf, on Greystoke Avenue.
Alex Seabrook is a local democracy reporter for Bristol
Main photo: Rob Browne
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