A FREE school for children with special educational needs will be built in Selby.

There is currently no special school in the Selby area, so children with special needs have to travel around North Yorkshire or out of the county to go to school.

Following a bid to the Department For Education, North Yorkshire County Council has been awarded funding to create the new school, which will cater for 100 pupils aged three to 19.

County Councillor Patrick Mulligan said: “At present, some children and young people from the Selby area have to travel significant distances to their special schools. A new special school will enable them to go to school in their community and with their friends, which will support their social and emotional wellbeing.

“It will reduce travelling time and, therefore, the time children spend away from their home and community. There will also be greater opportunity to have health needs met locally, to be part of community events and developments and to prepare for adulthood in their own area.”

The lack of special educational needs for children in North Yorkshire was this week raised in Parliament by MP Julian Sturdy, and County Councillor Mike Jordan said the bid’s success was a big step forward.

He said: “As a local member and acutely aware of the lack of provision in Selby district I welcome the success of our bid.

“This is a step forward by North Yorkshire to provide a local service. Funding is challenging but the County Council has a strong team of staff who are committed to making this work and it will provide that much needed local service.”

County Councillor Steph Duckett said: “Selby families have struggled for years with having to bus youngsters to schools in other areas. It’s a hard enough coping with SEND (special educational needs and disability) problems without the worry of long-distance school journeys."

“In my time on Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee, I have come to understand even more the problems involved in SEND provision and know how hard the County Council works to do a good job with limited funds.”

County Councillor Karl Arthur said: “This will be of enormous benefit to children with SEND needs in the Selby district by ensuring that they can actually be educated in the Selby area rather than travelling long distances to get to schools outside the Selby area.”

The DfE is now inviting applications to find a trust to open and operate the state-funded school.