Given the go-ahead in July 2020, a new 65-place school will educate and care for students aged between five and sixteen who have social, emotional and mental health needs.  Currently students with these needs need to travel outside of North Somerset for school. 

 Learn@ MAT will run the new school and are now looking for a trustee and potential governors.  

The Trustee will help steer the development of the school to be built in Churchill, including appointing a headteacher and other key staff and creating an academy council.  A Trustee is required to start as soon as possible and Academy Councillors from September. 

Free schools are new schools set up by parents, teachers, charities, academy trusts or existing schools in response to demand from the local community. All children attending the new school will have an Education, Health and Care Plan in place to be referred by the Local Authority SEND Department.

The new school features many specialist facilities, such as sensory rooms, therapy spaces and vocational learning areas, as well as lots of outdoor space for play and learning.  Links with Weston College will help older students access a wide range of accredited learning opportunities and also provide excellent training opportunities for staff.

Providing employment for up to 40 staff across teaching, administration, technical support, catering and maintenance, it is anticipated that the school will run on a temporary site from September 2022 to fully open in 2023.  

The next steps will be an outline design for the school, led by the Department for Education agents MACE, followed by a planning application.

Chief Executive Officer of Learn@ MAT,  Peter Evans said:   “Our new trustee will join at a key time in the development of a new specialist school for North Somerset.  You will help shape key policies and be the voice of young people in the area.  If you’re passionate about education for children with social, emotional or mental health needs and have a professional background we’d love to hear from you.”

Information regarding Governance is published here.

If you have any further questions or would like information please telephone Louise Shepherd, Clerk to the Board of Trustees on 0117 456 6513 or by email louise.shepherd@learnmat.uk