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Vision for Special Schools in Wiltshire

Here you will find the latest updates about Wiltshire Council's proposals for Special Education provision in Wiltshire.

New Secondary Resource Bases in Wiltshire for this September

Wiltshire Council is expanding its support for children and young people with SEND by opening two new secondary school Resource Bases this September 2025.

The new Resource Bases will be at:-

• The Wellington Academy in Tidworth
• Avon Valley Academy in Durrington, Salisbury

Each school will open its Resource Base for Year 7 students with SEND, with up to 10 places available to begin with; over time, these will grow to:-
• 30 places at Wellington Academy.
• 20 places at Avon Valley Academy.

These new Resource Bases will offer young people tailored support and pupils will spend some time in the base for targeted help and specialist interventions, while still joining mainstream lessons as part of their school day.

The two new Resource Bases will support different areas of need:-
• Wellington Academy: for pupils with communication and interaction needs
• Avon Valley Academy: for pupils with cognition and learning needs

Wiltshire Council is working closely with school staff to create calm, low-distraction spaces within each school; spaces that support learning but are still inclusive and connected to the wider school community.

These new Resource Bases are part of the council’s wider plan to improve support for pupils with SEND across the county. There are already resource bases in 26 primary schools and 3 secondary schools. With these additions, Wiltshire will offer:-
• Up to 75 places in secondary school resource bases.
• 548 places in primary school resource bases.

New Primary Resource Bases Opening September 2025:-
Grove Primary School and Bellefield Primary School in Trowbridge will also open new Resource Bases this September, each with 10 places, growing to 20 places from September 2026.

New Special School Places for South East Wiltshire Planned

Wiltshire Council has announced that an additional 120 school places for children with SEND aged from 4 to 19 will open in south east Wiltshire next year.

The Department for Education (DfE) has given a Significant Change DfE approval for the Exeter House satellite school which will be located in the grounds of the Wellington Academy site in Ludgershall. The former boarding house on the site has been transformed into the satellite school for pupils with Severe and Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities. It will have sensory and soft play spaces, 12 classrooms plus a specialist classroom for activities such as food technology and a life skills area. The boarding school was closed down by Wellington Academy in July 2024. The new satellite school is linked to Exeter House in Salisbury and will be named Exeter House Wellington.

New SEND Free School for Wiltshire

As a result of a successful bid to the Department for Education (DfE), a new SEND school will be built in the Westbury area to create more special school places. The new special school will be located at Bitham Park in Westbury, subject to completion of feasibility studies and planning permissions. The education provider will be Brunel Academies Trust.

The new school for 130 pupils will provide specialist provision for pupils aged four to 19 years with social emotional and mental health needs (SEMH) and could be opened by Autumn 2026.

New SEND School in Melksham Next Year

Melksham House in Melksham is set to become home to pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs as it helps address a need for more SEND places in Wiltshire.

Melksham House is expected to open next year as a primary school for SEMH needs (aged 4-11), as well as an alternative provision for children and young people up to 19 years old. The council has commenced the process to find a provider to deliver education for Wiltshire learners. No specific timeframe can be confirmed on when precisely the school will open, but the Council will share more details soon.

The new school is part of an expanding network of places for young people with SEND across Wiltshire to help meet growing demand and ensure all young people have an opportunity to thrive, and will offer more children and young people the opportunity to have their specialist education needs met closer to home, within Wiltshire.

Secondary Schools Resource Base Update

Wiltshire Council has announced that two Wiltshire Secondary Schools will have resource bases from September 2023, as part of the Council's planned programme to develop support for pupils with SEND in secondary schools across the county.

Both Clarendon Academy and John of Gaunt will have secondary resource bases on their sites, with 10 spaces available at each site for incoming Year 7 pupils with SEND.

The secondary resource bases will provide young people with access to enhanced support, spending time in the base for specialist intervention while also joining mainstream classes.

Specialist advisory teachers and educational psychologists from Wiltshire Council will be working with the resource base staff to develop the resource base environment and ensure the successful transition and inclusion of students. Therapists from health services will also provide tailored intervention to meet needs, where appropriate.

Future Investment and Proposals for Silverwood School to be Discussed at Cabinet

Proposals for the future of Silverwood School, including major investment to help meet the need for SEND places across its three sites will be discussed by council leaders at the Cabinet meeting on 2nd May 2023.

The proposals include investment in the three sites to secure their long term future and ensure a maximum of 75 pupils at the Chippenham campus and 75 pupils at the Trowbridge site, in line with Department for Education space standards.

The investment includes removing some of the 'mobile' structures at Trowbridge, opening up and improving the outdoor learning space and upgrading many of the classrooms and facilities at a cost of around £3.6m.

A new model has been put forward by Silverwood School, and there have been opportunities to contribute to the consultation on the proposed changes.

It is proposed that Chippenham and Trowbridge sites will provide primary age provision complemented by the all-through offer (reception to Sixth Form) at Silverwood Rowde. Silverwood School will continue to provide a hybrid Sixth Form offer, supporting mainstream colleges alongside in-house Sixth Form provision for young people with more complex and profound needs at Rowde and Silverwood College (previously known as Poplar).

There is a press release on the [Wiltshire Council website]. Information about the 2nd May Cabinet meeting can be found [HERE].

Salisbury Special School takes Significant Steps towards Official Opening

Reach South Academy Trust has announced that the Salisbury Academy for Inspirational Learning (SAIL) has signed its official funding agreement with the Secretary of State for Education. This is a significant step forward for the soon to open special free school, which means it can now be officially named on EHCPs for students applying for places at the Salisbury special school provision.

Signing the funding agreement also means that Reach South Academy Trust can proceed with its plans to recruit a number of teaching and support staff to facilitate the opening of the school this autumn. SAIL will open in temporary accommodation, based at the sites of Sarum Academy (currently the home of Springfields South) and Pembroke Park Primary School, until refurbishments at the school's substantive site on Wilton Road are fully completed in early 2024.

New Wiltshire Special School for Wiltshire Children and Young People

In late 2022, the WPCC endorsed Wiltshire’s Council’s bid to the DfE for additional funding to build a new Free School in Wiltshire to increase SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) provision.

Wiltshire Council has just announced the success of its bid, following a DfE announcement. This means that a new Free School, to provide 130 places for young people with SEND will be created in Wiltshire. The new school for children with SEMH will be for children aged 4 - 19. The new school will help address the growing numbers of SEND places needed in Wiltshire and provide much needed support to children and young people, and their parent carers.

The DfE will fund and build the Free School, which is likely to open in 2026. The location is being determined and will be shared as plans progress.

This new SEND school will be in addition to the new build on the Rowde campus and the new SAIL academy in Salisbury.

Special Schools Project Newsletter – March 2022 Edition

The March 2022 edition of the Special Schools Project Newsletter is now available. Information in this edition includes: -

• An update on construction at the Rowde campus
  
• Silverwood School Council
  
• An update on progress with the new Salisbury SEND Free School
  

Click [NEWSLETTER] to read the March 2022 Special Schools Project Newsletter.

If you would like you read previous newsletters please click [HERE]

New Website for Silverwood School

You will be aware that Larkrise, St Nicholas and Rowdeford special schools have merged to form Silverwood School (one school across three sites in Trowbridge, Chippenham and Rowde). During the summer break, Silverwood has been working hard to prepare for the new academic year.

Sean McKeown, Executive Headteacher, told the WPCC that: “The start to the term has been really positive with our children looking very smart in their new uniforms. We have also installed new signage and our new website went live. There is of course more work to do on the website, but I hope these changes will strengthen our identity as one school”.

Silverwood School’s new website address is: https://www.silverwood.wilts.sch.uk/

Silverwood School can be contacted by telephoning: 01380 850309 or emailing: admin@silverwood.wilts.sch.uk