Special needs day school to open

The day school hopes to provide short break services for parents and families

A school for children with autism and Asperger Syndrome is to open in Cambridgeshire in January.

Gretton School, in Girton, near Cambridge, will cater for up to 40 pupils aged between five and 19.

Education company Piscari, which has set up the school, said it would look to start residential education too in the future.

It also plans to offer short breaks for parents and families, holiday play schemes and out-of-hours clubs.

These will also be open to the local special needs community as well as to pupils at the school.

'Significantly improve lives'

The school will offer medical facilities and a range of therapies including speech and occupational therapy.

It will also run research programmes and hopes to work with the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge.

Headteacher Lyndsey Stone said: "We are all very proud to launch this pioneering, new school.

"It will significantly improve the lives of children and young people living with ASD in and around Cambridge and in the near future, provide residential education for children and families further afield. "

For a place at Gretton School the child's placement must be supported by a referring local authority who will fund it.