Council shares vision for new free school
BRADFORD COUNCIL has hosted an event to share its vision for its new special free school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs in a bid to attract a sponsor to run it.
The new facility is being created in Bradford after the council successfully bid with partners in the district and neighbouring councils for Education and Skills Funding Agency funding.
It follows the largest wave of free school approvals during the last Parliament.
The school will offer “whole life services based around excellent education, family care and worklife support”, with space for 72 pupils and a 12-bed residential facility, according to the authority.
As part of its drive to attract applications, the council held an event at City Hall to provide more information to prospective sponsors. Representatives from social care, child and adolescent mental health services and neighbouring local education authorities also attended. Applications can be submitted at any time before noon on November 24.
Bradford Council’s executive member for education, employment and skills, Coun Imran Khan, said: “This new free school will play a key role in our provision for pupils with special educational needs.
“We are looking for an organisation which can fulfil our vision for a school which provides whole life services based around excellent education, family care and work-life support.
“We believe this school can make a real difference to the lives of young people who will benefit from this support.”
Sponsors are also being sought for schools in Doncaster and Sheffield after the Government gave the go-ahead to create more than 4,000 new school places in the region earlier this year.
In April the Department for Education announced it would build 131 new schools - including seven in Yorkshire - to create more than 69,000 new school places nationally as part of its commitment to open 500 more new free schools by 2020.
In addition, a total of 20 local authority areas were approved to create a new special school.