Government backs plan for new Send school

Plans for a new autism school in Worcestershire will move forward after the government confirmed it would support the project.

Enterprise Academy in Malvern would provide much-needed specialist places for children and young people with autism, the county council said.

The Department for Education (DfE) has accepted the authority's recommendation to continue with plans for the school, which is being developed in partnership with MacIntyre Academies.

In February, education bosses rejected a £5.7m offer from the government to scrap the project and use the cash towards increasing the number of special educational needs and disabilities (Send) places in mainstream schools instead.

The authority said the decision to continue with Enterprise Academy formed part of its wider work to improve support for children and young people with Send and it was working to agree updated delivery timelines.

The council's children's services director, Adam Johnson, said the 120-place school would play a "vital role" in strengthening the county's provision and helping children and young people access the right support closer to home.

"Working with the Department for Education and MacIntyre Academies, we will now move into the next phase of planning to agree a new delivery timeline," he added.

"The project aligns closely with our local Send reform plan and our commitment to providing earlier, more effective support for families."

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