A NEW school for children who have difficulties in managing their emotions and behaviour could be coming to Bracknell.
Education chiefs at Bracknell Forest Council (BFC) are in the early stages of developing a plan for a social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH) primary school which would have 50 places.
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Bosses have earmarked £40,000 in next year's budget to investigate the possibility of building the new school.
A report suggests this type of school would best meet the needs of children and young people in the borough, and one reason for this is due to the increasing number of families from outside the UK.
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The report read: “We are experiencing a steady rise in the numbers of refugees - currently, 10 children or young people in the borough are refugees.
“Experiencing a traumatic situation, such as conflict, separation from family and financial hardship, all of which are common experiences for refugees, can significantly increase the likelihood of needing specialist SEMH provision.”
According to data from 2017, there are 96 children with SEMH needs in the borough.
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More than 130 children with special educational needs are educated outside of Bracknell Forest, which means big costs for the council.
BFC spends more than £2.7 million on sending children to schools run by other local authorities, and this is just one reason BFC is considering designs for a new school.
Parents and residents can have their say on these plans, and BFC’s other 2020/2021 budget proposals, before the council’s consultation closes on Friday, January 31 2020.
Councillors will vote on the authority’s final budget plans at a meeting in late February.
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