Brighter Futures for Children is working closely with Reading Borough Council to increase the number of school places for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities in Reading.

We will add new projects as they happen. for now, we list below additional provision that has been added in and near Reading over the past few years.

Oak Tree School

The Department for Education announced in March 2019 that Reading was one of 37 towns which would benefit from a new special free school.

It was confirmed in July 2020 the school would be called Oak Tree School and would be operated by the Maiden Erlegh Trust as a free school. It opened in September 2023.

Oak Tree School is located on land at Winnersh Farm in Wokingham and offers 150 places for pupils with a Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) and/or an Autism Spectrum Condition diagnosis.

Brighter Futures for Children and Wokingham Borough Council worked with the Maiden Erlegh Trust and DfE on the project.

The school accepts pupils from Reading and Wokingham boroughs. You can find out more about Oak Tree School at: www.oaktreeschool.org

The Avenue

The Avenue Centre, which was previously office space, was converted and refurbished to provide an additional 60 places for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and handed over to The Avenue School Special Needs Academy Trust in Tilehurst.

The work increased the total number of pupils on site to 235.

Hamilton School

The new Hamilton School building in Bulmershe Road opened to pupils in February 2022.

It replaced the old Phoenix College building in Christchurch Road which was in a poor condition and unsuitable for special needs pupils.

The school, on the site of the old Hamilton Centre, is an SEMH school which caters for up to 64 students aged 11-18 with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP).

The new school building was highly commended in a local authority and community building national awards in November 2022.

Visit the school website at: https://www.hamilton-school.co.uk/

Odyssey House School

Odyssey House School was created for up to 50 pupils aged between seven and 19 years who have struggled within mainstream settings. Wokingham Borough Council granted planning permission for the new school, off London Road, Wokingham, on 8 February 2023 and the school opened in September 2023. Find out more at: https://www.odysseyeducationgroup.co.uk/wokingham-london/