(UK) Somerset: New special school; 'clear and urgent need'

Apr 28, 2021, Somerset Live: New Somerset school could be built at former care home site https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/new-somerset-school-could-built-5345717

(SW England) A new school could be built on the site of a former care home in Somerset amid an "urgent need" for special education provision. A planning application has been submitted seeking approval to transform a vacant former nursing home in Hambridge, near Curry Rivel, into a school for children with special educational needs…. The educational establishment would be intended to be a home for Keys Progressive Care and Education Ltd, which provides tailored education services to children and teenagers between the ages of 7-19 with autism and special educational needs. Keys already operates a nearby school, Somerset Progressive School at Hatch Beauchamp, which has reached capacity, planning document state. The documents read: "Initially 12 pupils would be schooled at this site, rising to capacity of around 30 pupils over three years. "There is a clear and urgent need for this type of educational facility in the locality and it will maintain a significant level of local employment on the site."… unmarked and informal parking areas to provide for 25 marked spaces. A statement from Keys Progressive Care and Education Ltd reads: Some are school-phobic and have a history of non-attendance, often as a result of their vulnerability…."Many children suffer from emotional and behavioural difficulties.