Use this page to find out more about the context which has prompted us to propose a new special school in Keynsham.
In line with our SEND Education Strategy & Action Plan, we are committed to increasing the number of school places within the local area for children and young people with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
The current situation
There is currently no residential provision within our area that caters for young people with the most
complex needs. We are therefore placing many children and young people in out-of-county schools: both in other local authority schools, which are often at full capacity, and in the independent sector.
Demand for specialist school places has outstripped capacity, and has increased our reliance on out-of-county placements. This has a number of disadvantages:
- It's significantly more expensive.
- It means that vulnerable children and young people can no longer get the support they need close to home.
Why we need a new special school
SEND residential provision within area is urgently needed to meet demand, without sending children and young people out of our local area to get the support they need. Without appropriate local provision, young people and their families may experience higher risk of:
- escalation of needs, or complexity of needs
- urgent or 'crisis' referrals to specialist services
Therefore, we are proposing opening a small school with a residential element within B&NES. Our research shows that, among young people with an ECHP, the rise in need is most acute for facilities to support those with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) or Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties (SEMH).
Proposed facility
The proposal is to open the school in September 2026, on the site of former residential care home, Charlton House, in central Keynsham. The project will consist of a residential children's home for children with complex needs, linked to a special school. The capacity will be:
- 12 beds for residential use
- 2 beds for overnight staff
- 18 day placements
The school will cater for pupils aged between 11 and 17, on both a day and residential basis. Young people can only be accommodated residentially up to the day before their 18th birthday. They can however be accommodated up to the year in which they reach 19, on a day placement basis.
We expect that the majority of residential placements will be for 52 weeks. The designated need is complex needs covering for example ASD with additional needs, in particular social, emotional and mental health needs. The school will offer places to children and young people who need full therapeutic care.
Project specification
The School Specification document contains detailed descriptions of the provision that will be necessary, as well as setting out the aspects of school management that we expect organisations to include in their proposals.