Nov 4, 2020, Braintree and Witham Times: Building work underway on Chatten Free School in Witham https://www.braintreeandwithamtimes.co.uk/news/north_essex_news/18843327.building-work-underway-chatten-free-school-witham/#:~:text=Construction%20work%20has%20already%20begun,academic%20year%20in%20September%202021.&text=It%20will%20take%20youngsters%20between,one%2Dto%2Done%20teaching. (SE England) AMBITIOUS plans to build a special educational needs school in Witham are now moving forward at pace. Construction work has already begun on the Chatten Free School and it is hoped the £8million [$9M U.S.] facility will welcome the first set of students through its doors at the start of the academic year in September 2021. In what will be a first for the county, the school will offer education for children who have been diagnosed with severe autism. It will take youngsters between the age of four and 19, with each student provided one-to-one teaching. Adam Dean has been appointed the headteacher of the new school and for him, welcoming students next year will mark the end of a five-year journey…. It has capacity for 75 pupils from across the Essex area, and will help to address the strain on special educational needs services in the county…. “The vision is our pupils will one day leave and be able to access the world in meaningful ways and feel safe in our communities. “It is beyond exciting to see the footprint of the building going down and I can’t wait to see our first pupils arrive in September.”
