An external provider will deliver education at Melksham House from September 2024.

The new school will support Special Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) provision to primary age learners and secondary age children with high levels of anxiety, leading to Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA).

It will aim to relieve some of the pressure from the large increase in pupils with a Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) across the county and ensure such pupils receive fulltime equivalent education in an OFSTED registered school tailored to their individual needs.

The awarded contract will require an external provider to supply 45 places for primary age children and 15-25 places for secondary age young people.

The commissioning was discussed at the most recent Wiltshire Council cabinet meeting on Tuesday, December 12.

The report presented to councillors noted that the lack in sufficiency of local authority maintained special schools means that Wiltshire Council is currently placing high numbers of children in expensive independent special schools which often result in children travelling long distances.

Councillor Laura Mayes, cabinet member for Children’s Services, said: “In simple terms, we have had an extraordinary increase in a number of children for whom social, emotional and mental health needs have been the prime reason for them having an EHCP.

“For instance, we’ve had an increase of 70 per cent of primary school children where SEMH has been the primary cause of their EHCP.

“In simple terms, in Wiltshire we aren’t able to meet this need at the moment and worryingly we’ve currently got 28 primary school children who are in independent special schools.”

She let the cabinet know that a tender process would ensure that any contract is with an OFSTED registered provider.

She added: “We’ve got a cohort of children in secondary school who are suffering from a lot of anxiety and are either being educated at home or are having to have external provision, and it’s just wrong on every level.

“To be in a safe, kindly, supportive, small school environment that gives them back that confidence that then enables them to go back into mainstream, is obviously very important.”

The project remains on track for Melksham House to open for pupils in September 2024.