Wiltshire Council has bought a former school to boost places for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The former Calder House School site near Colerne was purchased by the local authority – and will reopen as The Northwood Centre.
It will operate as a satellite campus of an existing Wiltshire special school, allowing more children to receive the support they need closer to home, reducing the use of placements outside the county.
The Northwood Centre is intended to provide high-needs places within a council-owned setting.
A report going before cabinet on Monday 9 December asks members to approve the statutory process required to create new places at the site.
It also recommends delegating authority to the Director for Education and Skills, alongside the relevant cabinet member, to deliver the plans.
Demand for specialist provision in Wiltshire continues to grow, particularly for children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs and those with Speech, Language and Communication needs, including autism.
The council says some pupils cannot be supported in mainstream settings, creating pressure on existing special schools.
The work comes amid national delays to the Department for Education’s free school programme.
In Wiltshire, the pause affects the Bitham Park Social, Emotional and Mental Health free school in Westbury and two Alternative Provision free schools planned for the north and south of the county.
Bitham Park is expected to take 130 pupils, while the AP schools would provide 40 places each.
Cllr Jon Hubbard, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Skills, said: “We want our children in need of a special school place to remain in our County, and are determined to meet that need.
“We are taking proactive steps to ensure children and young people with SEND receive the right education in the right place.
“Repurposing The Northwood Centre as a special school satellite will create urgently needed places locally, reduce costs, and deliver on our commitment to inclusive, high-quality education.”
According to the council, a full time Independent Non-Maintained Specialist School placement costs an average of £62,219 each year.
A maintained or academy special school placement typically costs £25,471.
It says creating fifty high-needs places at The Northwood Centre would cost £1.273m per year, compared to £3.111m if the same number of pupils were placed in independent settings.
