July 27, 2017, BBC: Portsmouth special school academy wins funding http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-40743642
The new academy will be built alongside Redwood Park School
A new special school academy is to open in Portsmouth in 2020 after a successful bid for government funding.
The academy will teach 40 children with autism, social communication difficulties, associated challenging behaviour and sensory needs.
It will have eight junior places, 24 secondary and eight for post-16s.
Portsmouth education councillor Hannah Hockaday said the school would have a "massive impact on the availability and choice of school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities".
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.