Herefordshire Council has been successful in its bid to create a new free school. Barrs Court Academy Trust have been appointed to lead this new school, for 16 to 19 year olds with special needs, which will be located on the former site of Broadlands Primary School.

The school is scheduled to open in 2020, and will help ensure provision and education for young people with special needs in the county continues to be of the best possible standard.

Bright Sparks Early Years, which is rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, has been running for nearly 39 years on its current site, alongside Broadlands Primary School. In September 2015 Broadlands Primary School relocated to a new site, and over the last few months the council has been actively working with Bright Sparks to find them a suitable new home.

Following discussions with Simon Robertson, the Head of the adjacent Aylestone School, accommodation for Bright Sparks has been secured on the site, which is only 100m from their current location. This will enable the pre-school to remain in the local area of Tupsley.

The council will fund the full refurbishment of the area to make it fit for use as a pre-school. Planning will be applied for in the next few weeks with the move scheduled to take place by early September 2018.

Herefordshire Council is one of only 19 councils across the country to be successful in its bid to create a new special free school. The school is planned to open by 2020.

Simon Robertson, Head of Aylestone School, said: “We are delighted to welcome Bright Sparks to our campus and support their continued success.”