New 210-place special free school in Fenland given government green light

A new 210-place free school for children with multiple needs is to be established in March.

The school will support pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.

The school will initially established by Cambridgeshire County Council but the next stage in the process will be to invite multi-academy trusts to apply to run the new school.

The school is planned to open in September 2026; catering for 210 children and young people from ages 2 to 19.

Alongside a general need for extra special school places across the county, the county council has said that there is a particular need for more places in Fenland.

Fenland is currently the least well served district in Cambridgeshire for special needs, with Meadowgate Academy in Wisbech being the only special school in the area.

Children in the district can face lengthy journeys to and from the nearest school able to meet their needs.

A 60-place free special school will also be founded in Gamlingay, Huntingdonshire.

Cllr Bryony Goodliffe, Chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Children and Young People’s Committee said: “I am delighted that the government has given us the go-ahead to establish these two much-needed special schools.

"We are making significant progress in meeting the need for more special school places, but this announcement will enable us to create many more places.

"We now need to find sponsors who can develop innovative, first-rate educational institutions for children and young people in Cambridgeshire with the most complex needs.”