Bid to create new special school fails
PLANS for a new special school in Hyndburn have fallen at the last hurdle.
A bid to the government from St Christopher’s CE High School in Accrington to create a free school catering for 11 to 19-yearolds with special needs has not been successful.
They had hoped to open the Pathways School, which would have focused on young people with autism spectrum disorder, by September 2018.
But now school bosses, who had been working with education campaign charity the New Schools Network on their application, will have to go back to the drawing board after they were not included in the latest list of approved new schools.
Richard Jones, head at the high school on Queens Road West, said they expect to resubmit their proposal ‘as soon as possible’.
He said: “Applications to open a free school have to go through a rigorous and competitive process.
“On this occasion our bid to open a new special free school in September 2018 has been declined.
“We are appreciative of the many positive comments made by the final judging panel and look forward to addressing the areas identified for further development.
“Of the 111 new free schools announced by the Department of Education only five were from the North West and none from Lancashire.
“This clear geographical imbalance is something we look forward to raising with the Regional Schools Commissioner at a meeting later this term when we will continue to press our case for a new special school and sixth form.”
The Pathways programme, which already runs at the school’s specialist sixth form centre, involves improving functional English, maths and ICT skills alongside developing pupils’ personal and social development skills, independent living skills, vocational and employability skills.
Mr Jones said: “We remain convinced of the need for a special school which will cater for pupils who live with autism and require a more specialist provision.
“Our proven track record of educating students on the autistic spectrum is well known, as is the national reputation of our highly skilled specialist staff.”
He added that their application had been supported by the Church of England and a number of educational authorities, and 100 per cent of the places had been commissioned, indicating the ‘level of need’ within the area.