Plans for new special schools set to be abandoned

Plans for two new special schools in Barnsley are set to be cancelled with the money instead being spent on existing facilities.

The council said it faced "urgent and increasing pressure" to provide special and alternative educational provision for pupils and in 2023 secured government funding to build two new free schools.

The government has now given the council the option to either continue with the two free schools or accept £9.4m.

Officers have advised councillors to accept the money and spend it on "multiple smaller, flexible schemes" across Barnsley rather than a single large facility in one area.

The original plan was for a new SEND school provided by the Ethos Academy Trust, in partnership with Sheffield Council, with an equal share of the 200 places across both councils.

An alternative provision school would also have been built and run by Delta Academies Trust.

Both schools were later halted by the Department for Education (DfE) as part of a national review of all new specialist free school projects.

Free schools are funded by the government but are not run by the local authority. They cannot use academic selection processes like a grammar school and do not have to follow the national curriculum.

In December 2025, the DfE offered the local authorty the choice of proceeding with the schools or accepting funding instead.

In a report, council officers said: "Rising demand, continued growth in Education, Health and Care Plans and sustained high levels of exclusion have resulted in an acute shortage of local places.

"Despite recent expansions, specialist and alternative provision capacity remains significantly below requirement.

"It leads to heavy reliance on out of borough placements, increased transport costs, and inconsistent educational experiences for some of Barnsley's most vulnerable children.

"Continuing with the school programme would delay new capacity until 2029/30. Accepting the £9.4m offers earlier and more flexible capacity from 2026 onwards."

The council said the places would serve the whole borough "fairly and equitably rather than being tied" to a single location.

As of January 2026, 136 children were awaiting a special school placement, and there are 68 pupils enrolled in alternative provision settings, with 216 students receiving tutoring due to a lack of local provision.

Barnsley Council's Cabinet will discuss the report at a meeting on 18 February.

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