A new special school in Winnersh could open in a temporary building next year due to delays.

The Department for Education (DfE) has explained the reasons for the delay to the opening of Oak Tree School.

Last week, we revealed the school – due to open in September 2022 – would not open until at least September 2023.

READ MORE: Winnersh special school Oak Tree Academy opening delayed

The DfE has now confirmed this is due to “unavoidable delays and risks to planning and construction”.

A spokesman for the DfE said: “We are committed to ensuring that local families have access to the school places they need and we have been working to secure the opening of the new Oak Tree school as soon as possible.

“We plan to update the forecast opening date for the school, reflecting recent unavoidable delays and risks to planning and construction, and to ensure a smooth and safe opening at completion.

“We are exploring the feasibility of opening the school in temporary accommodation in 2022.”

The delay was revealed in a report at a Reading Borough Council (RBC) Adult Social Care, Children’s Services and Education (ACE) committee meeting last week.

At the meeting, councillor Ashley Pearce, RBC’s lead member for Education, said the council will do all it can to help the school open in 2022.

But the report from council children’s services company Brighter Futures for Children (BFfC) suggested even a September 2023 opening date may not be possible.

The new school for children with special educational needs and disability (SEND) will be run by the Maiden Erlegh Trust and based on farmland off Woodward Close in Winnersh.

It will be attended by 75 pupils from Reading Borough and 75 from Wokingham Borough.

READ MORE: School for special needs pupils in Wokingham and Reading approved

The DfE says all free school projects are monitored closely to identify any risks to the programme and project timelines, and on occasion this can necessitate a shift in the realistic year of opening for the school.

The department says it is exploring the feasibility of opening Oak Tree in temporary accommodation in 2022.

It will hold detailed discussions with the Maiden Erlegh Trust and carry out a review of available sites.

The department says it will also ensure the solution for 2022 provides value-for-money and that any temporary accommodation is safe and suitable for educational purposes.

According to the ACE report, the Maiden Erlegh Trust “could possibly be willing to open Oak Tree in another school building for one academic year from September 2022 but will not run the school at another site beyond this date”.