THE government is due to pick a sponsor for a new free school for children with special educational needs before the end of the year.

It is hoped that a school for 72 pupils will be opened in the district by September 2020, and members of the Bradford Schools Forum were given an update on the plans at a meeting this morning.

Due to government legislation, Councils are not allowed to open new schools, and so Bradford Council needs to find a sponsor to run the proposed special school.

Earlier this year it was revealed the search had been unsuccessful, and so another "sponsor round" was started.

Lynn Donohue, Deputy Director, Education Employment and Skills, told the meeting that there had been "a lot of interest" from academies, and Department for Education would be notifying the successful applicant by December, with a target of starting work with the Council in the New Year.

She said: "The DofE has indicated they still hope the school will open in September 2020, which I think will be very challenging, but that is still the time frame they are working to."

Last summer it was announced that Bradford had secured the funding for a school for 72 young people, aged ten to 19, with special educational and mental health needs. The plan is for it to be built on the Rhodesway Playing Fields in Lower Grange.

At the time the Council said the new facility would offer “holistic, whole life services” based around education, family care and work-life support, and there would also be an on-site, 12-bed residential facility.