In September 2025, the Department for Education confirmed Enable Trust as the preferred sponsor for Gloucestershire’s new 200-place special school in Cheltenham.
We are delighted to be working in partnership with local schools, trusts, and Gloucestershire Local Authority to support children with complex special educational needs across the region.
The £20 million all-through school will cater for pupils with complex learning difficulties (CLD), including autism and associated communication and interaction needs. It will serve both primary and secondary aged pupils and will be built on land off Arle Road in Cheltenham.
Subject to approvals, the Cheltenham school, provisionally named Affinity School, is scheduled to open in the 2027/28 academic year.
For more information on the new school, visit https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/chelt-special-school