Plans for a new special school and SEND centre for excellence in Suffolk have been given the go-ahead in a ‘first’ for the county.
The school in Glastonbury Road, Bury St Edmunds – which will be run by Eastern Education Group and funded by the Department for Education – will provide 90 places for students aged 14 to 19 with special needs and disabilities.
The plan is for it to become a centre of excellence and hub for SEND guidance, offering its expertise to mainstream schools in what Suffolk County Council says is a ‘first for Suffolk’.
The school will provide outreach staff to mainstream schools, offering specialist advice and opportunities for training.
Set to share a site with Chalk Hill School special school, which is due to open in Easter 2026, the school’s construction launches the county council’s ambition to implement this model across the county.
Dr Nikos Savvas OBE DL, CEO of Eastern Education Group, said: “We are incredibly proud to be leading this transformational development for young people with special educational needs and disabilities in Suffolk.
“This new school is not only about providing high-quality specialist places in Bury St Edmunds, it’s about rethinking how expertise is shared across the whole system.
“By establishing a centre of excellence and outreach hub, we will work alongside mainstream schools to strengthen inclusive practice and ensure more young people can thrive within their local communities. Collaboration, early intervention and high expectations will be at the heart of everything we do.
“Together with our partners at Suffolk County Council and the Department for Education, we are creating provisions that will deliver meaningful impact for families now and for years to come.”
Andrew Reid, Cabinet Member for Education and SEND at Suffolk County Council, said:
“This is a significant and very welcome step forward for SEND provision in Suffolk.
“The new school in Bury St Edmunds will not only provide much-needed specialist places, but it will also introduce an innovative centre of excellence model that strengthens support across all our mainstream schools.
“By working as a countywide hub – offering outreach, specialist expertise and high-quality training – this provision will help build confidence, skills and inclusive practice right across Suffolk. It means earlier intervention, better outcomes for families, and fewer young people needing to leave their communities to access the support they deserve.
“Coming so soon after the announcement of the new school in Saxmundham, this demonstrates real momentum in delivering our SEND sufficiency plans.
“Together, these developments show our commitment to ensuring that every child and young person in Suffolk can access the right support, in the right place, at the right time.”
