On 21 January 2026, Hampshire County Council approved plans to create 157 new school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across the county. The decision is part of a wider county-wide package of work to expand local specialist support and reduce the need for children to travel to distant independent or out‑of‑county schools.
For families in Fleet, the programme complements a phased rollout of resourced provision that began in late 2025 at Fleet Infant School and Velmead Junior School. Together these two schools will provide 21 autism-specific places (Velmead Junior School: 12 places; Fleet Infant School: 9 places) as part of that phased implementation.
The Jan. 21 approvals also include a new SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) resourced provision at Wavell School in Farnborough that will provide up to 15 places, opening in phases from September 2026.
Councillor Steve Forster, Executive Member for Education and County Councillor for the Fleet Town division, said the council aims to create 1,000 new specialist places by 2030. The work is being taken forward through the council’s capital programme and sits alongside other local plans, including a new primary school at Hartland Village, Fleet, which is planned to open in September 2027.
The council is using modular buildings and internal remodelling of existing school accommodation to bring places online quickly. Officials say the additional local provision should reduce long travel times, reliance on independent placements and the financial and emotional burden on families who currently travel for specialist support.
