Sponsor confirmed for new special school in Surrey

The school will serve pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs

A sponsor has been announced for a new free school for children with social, emotional and mental health needs in Surrey Heath.

Surrey County Council (SCC) said London South East Academies Trust had been confirmed as the sponsor for Frimley Oak Academy, near Camberley, by the Secretary of State for Education.

The school, which is anticipated to open in 2027, will serve pupils aged 11 to 19 years-old and is proposed to be built on the former Lakeside Primary School site.

Dr Sam Parrett, chief executive of the trust, said: “We are delighted to have been selected" to help establish the "much-needed" school.

The new school will be delivered by the Department for Education’s Special Free Schools Programme and partly funded by SCC.

Frimley Oak Academy is expected to provide around 60 additional specialist school places within its first year of opening, according to the local authority.

The number of places is expected to increase to around 170 by 2031/2032.

Dr Julia Katherine, director of education and lifelong learning at SCC, explained the additional school places will give families in Surrey access to local "high quality" specialist school provisions.

"It will enable children and young people with complex social, emotional and mental health needs to achieve healthy, independent, and fulfilling lives," she added.