A long-empty building in Keynsham, formerly known as Charlton House Care Home, is on the verge of becoming a vital special school for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The spacious facility, vacant for two years, once operated as a care home but was closed by Bath & North East Somerset Council in 2024 following a critical Care Quality Commission report citing avoidable harm to residents.
The council’s decision to shut down Charlton House came after just four years of managing the facility, prompting a search for new, community-focused uses for the property. Now, plans are moving forward to transform the building into a day special school that will serve up to 30 children from the local area, providing essential support closer to home.
The proposed redevelopment includes specialist classrooms designed to meet the unique learning needs of SEND pupils, alongside therapy rooms, sensory spaces, and calming breakout areas to promote wellbeing and effective learning. The project aims to reduce the council’s significant annual expenditure of £10 million currently spent on transporting children to distant special schools, some as far away as northern Oxfordshire.
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Additionally, the first floor will be converted into two self-contained children’s residential homes, each accommodating four children with dedicated kitchen, dining, and lounge areas, plus staff accommodation to provide a supportive living environment.
Bath & North East Somerset Council’s planning officers have recommended approval of the development, which is now under review by the planning committee. If greenlit, this initiative will offer a high-quality, inclusive educational environment that keeps vulnerable children rooted in their own community while meeting critical local demand for SEND services.