THE first school for pupils with speech, language and communication difficulties will open later this year after receiving formal confirmation from Essex County Council.

Grove House School will open its doors at its new site in Sawyers Hall Lane, Brentwood, in September, just in time for the start of a new school year.

The free school has also just signed an official funding agreement with the Department of Education.

The school will provide an alternative to mainstream schools for children aged nine to 19.

A number of applications for pupil places have already been received by the school, demonstrating the need for such an establishment.

Lisa Christodoulides, the new principal, said: “It is a privilege to be involved with the set-up of the first specialist school in Essex that will provide tailored education for students with speech, language and communication needs.

“It will enable intensive therapeutic support to be provided for these young people, and allow them to flourish in a languagefocused environment.

“The school, modelled on similar schools in the independent sector, will be the first of its kind in the Eastern region.”

Councillor Ray Gooding, Essex County Council’s cabinet member for education and lifelong learning, said, “Essex welcomes the development of free schools and academies to supportacontinuum of diverse specialist provision.

“The Grove House Free School opening in Brentwood in September 2015 will be the first special free school in Essex and we look forward to welcoming them into our family of schools.”

The school will have a student intake of 100 pupils.

The Weekly News revealed last October the Grove House School was considering a site within the town.

For more information on the school or applications, see grovehouseschool.com or follow the school on Twitter @grovehousesch Alternatively visit facebook.com/g r ovehouseschool