A multi-million pound bid for a new Isle of Wight special school has been accepted by the government.
The new school, set to be built on land next to Carisbrooke College in Newport will cater for up to 75 pupils with additional needs.
The Isle of Wight Council, in partnership with Hampshire County Council, submitted the bid to the Department for Education (DfE) last year.
The school will offer specialist support and education for primary and secondary aged pupils with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), such as autism or social emotional and mental health conditions.
Welcoming the news, Cllr Debbie Andre, Cabinet member for education and lifelong skills, said the new school would significantly increase the availability of much-needed specialist provision places on the Island.
She said:
"I'd like to thank all those involved in putting together this application and the government for recognising our need.
"The council is committed to ensuring all children can access high-quality education as near to their family and local communities as possible.
"This has benefits both in terms of the health and wellbeing of our Island children, especially those with Special Educational Needs, and also in the reduction of carbon emissions which supports our Island's UNESCO Biosphere status."
The Island has the fifth highest number of pupils with Educational Health Care Plans (EHCP) across England at 1,450. And it is a figure that is expected to grow by 2027.
The Island only has two maintained special schools and both are now full.
This means increasingly the council is having to place pupils in more expensive independent placements both here and on the mainland.
A free school functions like an academy, insofar as they are funded directly by the DfE rather than through the local authority.
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