PLANS to open a new school to support autistic children in West Cumbria are taking a step forward.

The Secretary of State for Education has agreed to enter into a funding agreement with The Cumbria Academy for Autism Trust, which is in the process of building the Cumbria Academy for Autism in Lillyhall, Workington.

The special free school will have 56 places for children aged four to 19.

Mark Taylor, acting regional head at Lancashire West Yorkshire & North unit's free schools directorate, said: "I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the great commitment and energy which you and your colleagues have shown in reaching this point. Free schools form an integral part of the Government’s education policy to improve choice and drive up standards in schools. I am therefore delighted Cumbria Academy for Autism will bring new opportunities for children in Cumbria."

Workington MP Sue Hayman said the school would bridge the gap in autism education between existing schools for children with complex needs and mainstream schools.

She added: "It will bridge this gap by providing places for students who do not qualify for existing special schools and who are unable to function in a mainstream learning environment.

"The school’s plans for high staff ratios, small class sizes, and tailored pedagogy will ensure that the children have access to a bespoke form of learning that will provide them with the support that they each individually need.

"I believe the academy has a passionate vision and ethos that would deliver life-changing results for autistic children in Cumbria. I fully support their aims to enable every child to reach their full potential and lead happy, fulfilled, and purposeful lives after they leave full-time education."

The school is due to open in September.