PLANS to build a new free school in Hyndburn have moved a step closer.

St Christopher's CE High School in Accrington is in the final stages of putting together a bid to open the new special school with the hope it will be up and running by September 2018.

The Pathways School will cater for 11 to 19-year-olds who have special needs, particularly those on the autism spectrum, with Aspergers or communication difficulties.

Senior assistant headteacher Sandra Lines said the school will build on the success St Christopher's has had already with its Sixth Form Foundations Pathways Course which is taught by specialist staff at the Queen's Road West school.

The curriculum will focus on building resilience and developing employability skills as well as allowing pupils to study some GCSE subjects within the mainstream school.

St Christopher's has been working with free school campaign charity the New Schools Network on the application process with the final decision set to be made by the Department for Education.

Mrs Lines said: "We have attended interviews with the New Schools Network and they provided additional advice.

"We have had very positive feedback from them and we are now just fine tuning our proposal before submitting it on September 28."

She said they had been invited by the New Schools network for a mock interview in preparation for their interview with the Department of Education.

"The chances of getting to the next stage are very strong," she added.

Headteacher Richard Jones said: "It will not be a faith school, but has the full backing of the diocese.

"Unlike a new secondary school which can generate opposition from other schools, we have not had any of that. There is a lot of support and a recognition that what we are offering is needed.

"There are a large number of pupils with these emotional needs that are in the wrong provision or provision that does not match our own. It will really fill that gap.

"Parent forums have said that there are a number of pupils who have to be transported out of the area or educated privately because the provision is not there."

Mrs Lines said the school has a four year growth model in place and they would hope to have 50 to 60 pupils in the first year which would grow to around 100.

"We already have existing provision called Pathways and it is that kind of model we are looking to replicate because we have been successful," she said.

She added they would expect to have some kind of feedback from the Department for Education by December, but it could be a few months before they get approval.

Mr Jones said: "You can not overestimate the challenges of opening a new school, but we can confidently take on this challenge because we have got that experience of working with a large number of pupils and families of children with additional needs."