A KINGSWOOD school will be expanded to provide extra places for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Councillors have agreed to create an extra 40 to 60 places at New Horizons Special School for children with social, emotional and mental health needs.
But there is not enough room for expansion at either of the New Horizons sites, in Mulberry Road and Courtney Road, so the council is looking for a third site for the £8 million project.
It says this must be no more than 20 minutes away, as staff will need to travel between sites.
The extra provision will reduce the reliance on expensive special needs places outside South Gloucestershire. It will mean children can go to school much nearer their homes, instead of travelling to independent schools far away.
The money for the expansion is coming from a Department for Education grant. The expansion was approved by the cabinet on April 14, and is expected to cut costs by £2.4 million a year.
Labour Councillor Ian Boulton, co-leader of the council and cabinet member for education, said: “This is all about ensuring we have the places that we need. This is another good news story. Not only does this provide the places in the area where we need them, it’s also investing to save.
“The expansion of the New Horizons Learning Centre will provide special educational needs provision within South Gloucestershire, saving the council significant sums of money as a result of reducing the need to commission expensive private school places.”
By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service