Hampshire charity plans new school run by autistic adults

A charity wants to open what it thinks would be the first Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school run by autistic adults in England.

More Education already operates a support hub for families in Andover, Hampshire.

The group is trying to build a specialist school within the region but has struggled to find a site after searching for more than a year.

It says it has funding in place through donations, grants and fundraising.

The independent not-for-profit school would cater for up to 60 children, aged five to 16, who have had a formal assessment of their needs by a council, known as an EHC plan.

Cassie, 9, who is autistic and also has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has received extra support at her mainstream school.

But her mum Jane said she would be keen to send her daughter to the new school.

"They [would] have a better understanding of who she is. When you have a child with special needs… each day is different," she said.

A number of potential locations have fallen through for various reasons, including land availability and the need for outdoor space.

Mark Rist, from the charity, said he was hoping a site could be found soon

Mark Rist, the group's head of education, said demand for a new SEND school was "huge", with the number of pupils in England with special educational needs rising since 2016.

"Already we have a waiting list… but we need the bricks and mortar to do it," he said.

Tori Rist, head of operations at More Education, was diagnosed with autism and ADHD after her young daughter struggled at school and was found to have the condition.

She said: "We are very out and about being autistic. We are very proud about our brains.

"These children are our inventors, our scientists, our mathematicians or our artists but if they're not given that… safe environment to learn how can they reach their potential?"

Last year, a survey by a head teachers' union showed nearly all schools that responded felt there was insufficient funding to support pupils who had special needs.

The results of a government review of the system are yet to be published.