The much talked about Hill View Academy in South Somerset is really starting to take shape and progress as a school building.  Finally breaking ground in 2023 provided hope that the much-anticipated specialist free school for children with Social and Emotional Mental Health Needs or Speech, Language and communication needs would finally be delivered by the Department for Education.

The delays to the build have been well publicised including the challenges with securing a long-term successful Trust to run the school.  But as we begin the approach to a new academic year, we do so with confidence that the school itself is now starting to really take shape on the site and will open in 2024.

The school will provide places for 120 children who require specialist education and will be unique for Somerset specialist Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) provision in spanning across four key stages and catering for all genders.

The Department for Education are entering into the final stages of identifying the right Trust to run the school, with a trust being named before the commencement of the autumn term.

As the build continues to progress, the Local Authorities Inclusion engagement team will be working with contractors and the new Trust, to identify the right time to invite the community onto the site to see progress beyond the fencing.