A school in Bracknell that has been closed for three years is set to be redeveloped to provide a place to teach pupils with special educational needs.
A school in Bracknell, closed for three years, is set to be redeveloped into a facility for pupils with special educational needs.
Warfield Church of England Primary School, which opened in January 1994, relocated to a new campus in Sopwith Road in 2016. The All Saints Rise site closed in September 2022, leaving it empty since.
Bracknell Forest Council plans to transform the site to cater for students facing Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) challenges. The redevelopment will remodel the hall and admin block while adding a new two-storey teaching wing and PE changing facilities, with the existing teaching blocks set to be demolished.
The new school will accommodate 50 secondary pupils aged 11 to 16. Planning officer Simon Roskilly approved the project, stating that it would not adversely impact local amenities or worsen flooding risks.
Following this, the council’s planning team leader, Margaret McEvitt, gave the green light last month. The contractor must submit drainage management plans to mitigate flood risks before construction begins.
The Propeller Academy Trust has been appointed to run the new SEMH school, named Forest View, which will open in phases starting with 10 pupils at the College Hall site in September 2025, before moving to Warfield upon completion.
The trust already operates schools in South Oxfordshire and has a long history in education dating back to 1816 with the founding of the original school by Lord Braybrook.
For more details, check the planning application reference 24/00722/3 on the council’s portal.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
