A new special school for children and young people with complex learning difficulties will be built and opened in Cheltenham by 2028.
Gloucestershire County Council's cabinet has approved the funding of the new 200-place school this March 2025, according to Carmelo Garcia, Local Democracy Reporter.
The school will be built on council-owned land at Alstone Croft — a former school playing field accessed from Arle Road — with £20 million being allocated to its development.
It will be an 'all-through' school for primary and secondary-aged pupils, aged four to 16.
The council says there's an 'increasing need' for special school places in Gloucestershire, particularly in Cheltenham and Gloucester and within easy reach of other parts of the county.
With the approval of the scheme, the council has committed to delivering an additional 540 special school places since 2022 — with around £50 million invested — including the recently approved, 200-place school in Gloucester at Wheatridge East, which is set to open in 2026.
Councillor Stephen Davies, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: 'We are committed to making sure children and young people in our county get the specialist education they need at a school closer to where they live.'
The council says it will work closely with partners including Cheltenham Borough Council and other key stakeholders like the Parent Carer Forum, to ensure that residents and parents in the SEND community are given the opportunity to feed back on plans for the school.
