More children with special educational needs will be educated in Bracknell Forest, council bosses have pledged.

Currently 70 per cent of youngster in the borough with additional needs are schooled locally, less than Bracknell Forest Council's target of 75 per cent.

But the authority's chief executive says this number will increase as they seek to meet the demand for school places of those with special educational needs.

Susan Halliwell told councillors: “The overall trajectory that we’re forecasting is that more children from the borough will be educated within the borough when they have SEND requirements.”

The figure relates to children with education, health and care plans – assessments which set out what support the council has to give them.

Due to their needs, some children have to be educated at special schools outside of the borough, meaning they may have to travel long distances each day.

Bracknell Forest Council wants to make sure at least 75 per cent of these children get education within the borough – but currently only 69.1 per cent are.

Councillor Georgina Pickering said this was ‘not far off the target’ but asked whether this would improve, at a meeting on Thursday, August 29.

Susan Halliwell replied the council was predicting that more children would be educated within the borough. And Grainne Siggins – the director of children’s services – said she didn’t expect this figure to fall now that most children have school places for the year.