(UK) Calderdale: Council plans for new special school for 200

Sept 10, 2026, Trust appointed in major step forward for new specialist school | News Centre - Official news site of Calderdale Council

Calderdale Council is moving forward with exciting plans for a new specialist free school in Calderdale, with the appointment of a multi-academy trust to lead the school and support local children and young people with additional needs.

Nexus Multi Academy Trust will run the new school on the former Threeways Community Centre site in Ovenden, north Halifax, which is expected to open in the 2028/29 school year.

Like other areas across the country, there aren’t enough school places in Calderdale for children and young people with special educational needs. This means pupils sometimes have to go to schools outside Calderdale or into independent specialist schools, often meaning longer journeys to school, which are difficult for families and not the best value for Council money.

The Council and the Government’s Department for Education approved the development of the new specialist free school to ensure more young people can learn closer to home.

The new build will provide places for up to 200 pupils aged 4 to 16 with a range of needs. They will be able to continue both their primary and secondary education in the same school as they grow up, and will be supported with academic and vocational learning, therapeutic approaches and enriching activities to meet their needs. . . .

Cllr Tim Holden, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, said:

“The creation of a new specialist free school is just one of the ways the Council is supporting more children with special educational needs and disabilities. It will give them high-quality education close to home, with all the help they need to do well at school and be prepared for adulthood.

“The new school will build on and work alongside the great specialist provision already available in Calderdale and will be part of the outreach support for special education needs in mainstream schools. We look forward to working with Nexus and other schools across the borough to continue to help young people thrive.” . . .