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The new 25 places at Gordano School will be on top of the 331 new SEND school places which have already been created in North Somerset over the last five years.
Money paid to North Somerset from the Department for Education (DfE) specifically to be used to create SEND provisions is funding the much-needed resource base, which will cost around £1.7million to deliver and is expected to welcome students in September 2026. The DfE will make the final decision on whether to proceed.
The proportion of pupils with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan in North Somerset continues to increase in both primary and secondary schools. In primary schools, 2.8 per cent of pupils have an EHC plan and 9.6 per cent have SEN support. In secondary schools, 3 per cent of pupils have an EHC plan and 12 per cent have SEN support.
Also, between March 2024 and March 2025, over 700 referrals for an Autism assessment were made in North Somerset.
Gordano School is part of The Lighthouse Schools Partnership, which includes 29 primary schools and four secondary schools across North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) and Bristol.
Working with the Lighthouse Schools Partnership (LSP) and staff at Gordano School, Gordano School has been identified as a suitable location for a SEND Resource Base to support secondary-aged children from across the local area with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Gary Lewis, Chief Executive of Lighthouse Schools Partnership said:
"Developing a Resource Base at Gordano is a really exciting venture and has been enabled through a significant financial investment in the facilities by North Somerset Council. It fills a gap in local provision and will make a real difference to an important group of young people. It is good to work in close partnership with our Local Authority to serve our community in this way."
Roger Whitfield, Portishead local councillor said:
“It’s a much-needed resource which will really benefit our young people. It’s also great to see more investment coming into the Portishead area.”
Cllr Catherine Gibbons, Cabinet member for children and families at North Somerset Council said:
“We’re delighted to approve further places for children and young people with SEND at Gordano School and now eagerly await the Department for Education to provide the vital final green light. We want our children and young people to be given every opportunity to thrive and that’s why we’re working with schools, parents, carers, staff and the Department for Education to invest in new school places.”
The DfE has already committed to the creation of five new SEND resource bases across North Somerset. Two Resource Bases have been delivered at Milton Park Primary and Locking Primary Schools, two new buildings are currently in delivery at Hannah More Infant and Grove Junior Schools and Priory School and the final one at Hans Price Academy is in its feasibility stage.
For more information about SEND in North Somerset, visit the council's online SEND hub at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/sendhub or the North Somerset Parent Carers Working Together website at www.nspcwt.org.