Plans have been submitted to Gloucester City Council for a new special school in Barnwood.

The proposal is to convert vacant office accommodation at Units 1 and 2, Barnwood Park, Saw Mills End into a special educational needs and disability (SEND) school.

The current office space is mainly open plan. The plans will divide the space into more than 20 classrooms over two floors, with a multi-use hall, a sensory room, music room, ICT suite and more.

If approved, the converted unit will provide an independent special school for pupils with an education health and care plan (EHCP), specifically those with a primary need of social emotional and mental health (SEMH)/ autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), who have been struggling to thrive in other school settings.

The school will provide education through key stages 1 to 3 (aged 5-14) when it launches. This may extend to key stage 4 (15-16/ GCSE) in the future to provide the local authority with a much needed 'through school' and reduce the number of transitions SEND pupils will go through during their time at school.

The property will enable the school to deliver a thorough and varied therapies schedule which will support learning and improve outcomes. Small class sizes of six pupils or less mean individual pupils will have increased support from their teaching staff.

Although the proposed school is an independent special school, it will be funded by the local authority and available at no cost to eligible families.