5 new special free schools for Yorkshire

11 March 2019, 11:52 | Updated: 11 March 2019, 11:53

Thousands of new school places are going to be created in England for children with special educational needs or those facing additional challenges.

The Department for Education has announced 39 schools in total will be opening across the country, including 37 special free schools and two alternative provision free schools.

The five schools opening in Yorkshire and the Humber will provide more than 500 places. They will be for children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Severe Learning Difficulty, Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties and Speech, Language and Communication Needs.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said: "We want every school to be a school for children with special educational needs and disabilities. That's why we are investing significant funding into Special Education Needs units attached to mainstream schools and in additional support so children with education, health and care plans can access mainstream education. But we recognise some children require more specialist support. These new special free schools and alternative provision schools will make sure that more complex needs can be provided to help support every child to have a quality education."

Applications will now open to find providers to run the schools - including community groups, teachers, charities, existing education providers and other organisations.