A NEW special school could be established in Monmouthshire as the council plans to expand its support network for pupils with additional learning needs (ALN).

Monmouthshire County Council wants to close the existing Mounton House Special School in Chepstow and form a new school in its place.

The council is seeking to address the increasing number of pupils with challenging behaviour having to attend out-of-county placements due to a lack of in-county specialist facilities.

The findings came after education watchdog Estyn reported in 2012 that the quality of local authority education for children and young people in Monmouthshire was ‘unsatisfactory’.

Currently there is no specialist behaviour support for primary and secondary aged girls with autism or social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD).

Support is also lacking for primary aged boys with autism and SEBD, with the existing Mounton House catering for boys with SEBD at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4 only.

A public consultation into the reorganisation of ALN and inclusion services was launched in April.

Under the proposals the new 3-19 special school on the Mounton House site would take on boys and girls, with places for 16 primary school pupils and 16 secondary school pupils.

The school would also manage multiple Special Needs Resource Bases (SNRBs) at existing primary and secondary schools across the county, increasing ALN places from 115 to 174.

A report says that job opportunities, and staff losses, would be expected as part of the overhaul but states that staff will be redeployed where possible.

The council’s children and young people committee heard last week that the consultation, which will end on May 27, had been met with a strong level of engagement from pupils, parents and governors.

Chief officer Will McLean said: “School governors have been supportive of the development and recognise the need to change the provisions we have.

“The group which had the potential to be the most contentious, and who have been supportive across the board, has been the parents.

“There was a worry for some that we were going to create a new school, with a new building and all children with an identified need would be relocated to the school. Clearly that is not we are intending on any level.”

Mr McLean said the proposed delivery model would be similar to Newport’s Maes Ebbw School and Trinity Fields in Caerphilly.

Conservative councillor Maureen Powell said the inclusion of boys and girls in a new special school would be a positive move.

“I think the sooner they can be brought together and learn and respect each other, I think the better. If you keep them isolated it will be more of a shock,” added Cllr Powell.

If plans are approved, implementation of the proposals would begin next April and culminate in the opening of the new special school in September 2019.