Home / Education / Council Fights for Autistic Kids' School
Council Fights for Autistic Kids' School
28 Feb
Summary
- Council seeks full government funding for a new autism school.
- The school will provide 100 places for autistic children.
- A funding choice was made between the school or cash.
Bracknell Forest Council is urging the Department for Education to fully fund and deliver a new 100-place school specifically for autistic children. This new facility, planned for Buckler's Park in Crowthorne, Berkshire, has been designated as Forest View School.
Council officials were presented with a choice in December: the new school or a £5.4 million sum spread over three years to secure special educational needs (SEND) places elsewhere. After careful deliberation with parents and carers, the council opted for the school.
This decision stems from a clear need for a dedicated autism school, in addition to ongoing investment in specialist provisions. The council highlighted that the new school would significantly decrease the necessity for many children to travel outside their local area for specialized education, thus ensuring better access to learning and support.
Parents and carers, represented by the Bracknell Parent Carer Forum, expressed a desire for both enhanced specialist school provisions and increased support within mainstream schools, emphasizing that an "either/or" situation is not ideal for meeting diverse SEND requirements.
