School for children with autism put on hold

The government said the national special education system had been "on its knees for years"

A planned new school for autistic children has been put on hold by the Department for Education (DfE), a council has said.

Known as Forest Hill, the school was set to be opened in Buckler's Park in Crowthorne, Berkshire, in March 2027, after originally being planned to open in late 2026.

Bracknell Forest Council officer Duane Chappell told a meeting of education leaders: "Everything has been frozen until the government looks at the places across boroughs."

The DfE, which is due to make a decision in due course, said it was reforming the national special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, which would "take time".

As part of a government funding agreement, the council is working to reduce its million pounds of overspend on SEND in return for a £16m investment in two specialist provisions and two special schools.

Ms Chappell told a schools forum the news in March.

"[Forest Hill] has been on hold for a while from the DfE's perspective," she said.

"We are trying to find out from the DfE what's going on.

"If we go ahead with that school and the DfE signs off that bill for that school, then [it's] for us to ensure that we can open so we can take the pressure off schools."

Ms Chappell said she was looking at what else was available for the authority if the school did not open.

The Propeller Trust has been appointed to run the school, which could accommodate about 100 autistic pupils.

In a statement, a DfE spokesperson said: "The evidence is clear that the SEND system has been on its knees for years, with too many children not having their needs met and parents forced to fight for support."

It said part of its Plan for Change meant thinking differently about what the SEND system should look like, "to spread opportunity, restore the confidence of families up and down the country and deliver the improvement they are crying out for".

The DfE said progress was being made by investing £1bn into SEND and £740m to encourage councils to create more specialist places in mainstream schools.