Theresa May has welcomed the news that Forest Bridge School, a new school for children with autism, will be opening in Maidenhead in September after a funding agreement was reached with the Department for Education. The agreement comes at the same time as a deal was reached with Berkshire College of Agriculture ensuring that the school will have a new long-term site on the BCA campus in Maidenhead.
The school is opening as part of the Government’s free school programme, and will be an all-through school for pupils aged 4-16 with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The school will open in temporary accommodation for two years at the former site of Oldfield Primary School in September 2015, and is expected to move into a new permanent building at BCA in 2017.
Commenting, Theresa said: “I am delighted that Forest Bridge School will be opening in Maidenhead having secured a funding agreement with the Department for Education. This is fantastic news for parents across the local area who have children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is important to have a local school specialising in providing education to children on the Autism Spectrum, who have particular needs that might not be met in a mainstream school.”
The news comes in the same week that the Prime Minister announced 49 new free schools across the country, bringing the total number of open and approved free schools to more than 400, creating around 230,000 new school places. Free schools are set up by teachers, parents and community groups and tend to raise the performance of those around them. More than 40,000 pupils are already attending free schools and over two-thirds of these free schools are already rated good or outstanding.
The Prime Minister also announced that the next Conservative Government will go further and open 500 more new free schools, meaning 270,000 new good school places.
Theresa said: “Maidenhead is already benefitting from the introduction of free schools, and it is very welcome news that more free schools will be created under a Conservative government. We need more good school places in the local area to ensure greater choice for parents, and free schools have an important role to play.”
