Two new special free schools announced in Cambridgeshire
One is in March and the second in Gamlingay
Two new special free schools in Cambridgeshire are going to be built after the Government has given the go-ahead to Cambridgeshire County Council.
One is a 210-place, multiple needs school in March.
It will cater for children and young people, aged 2 to 19, of all genders. and is due to open in September 2026.
The other is a 60-place school in Gamlingay for children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.
It will be on the site previously occupied by the former Gamlingay First School and is due to open in September 2025
Cambridgeshire has already invested £60m in creating 150 new special school places at new or existing schools, but the Council say more are needed.
Fenland is currently the least well served district in Cambridgeshire for special needs, with Meadowgate Academy in Wisbech being the only special school in the area.
Children in the district can face lengthy journeys to and from the nearest school able to meet their needs.
In the Gamlingay area, there is a particular demand for provision for girls whose SEMH needs result in challenging behaviour.
At present girls either travel out of county, attend an independent school or are educated at home through 1:1 tuition.
A primary feature of the new school in Gamlingay is that it will be co-educational.
Gamlingay, whilst at the far south of the county, is relatively easily accessed by residents of Huntingdonshire, Cambridge, South Cambridgeshire and much of East Cambridgeshire.
Some Fenland residents would also find Gamlingay accessible, for example residents of Chatteris which is 47 minutes away by car.