New Send school 'good to go' despite offer to stop it

Education bosses have rejected a £5.7m offer from the government to scrap plans for a new autism school.

The Department for Education (DfE) is funding a 120-place special free school in Malvern, Worcestershire.

But in December, it said Worcestershire County Council could continue with the school project in Poolbrook or take the cash to spend on increasing the number of Send (special educational needs and disabilities places) in mainstream schools.

West Worcestershire MP Harriet Baldwin said she feared the government was "backing away" from its commitment to a new school. But at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, the council cabinet said it was pushing for the project to go ahead.

Stephen Foster, education chief at the Reform UK- led council, told the meeting the authority would "reject the £5.7m and request the DfE deliver the special free school in Malvern at the earliest opportunity".

"The DfE originally promised a Send school for September 2026 – that's seven months away," he said.

Plans for the new school for pupils with autism, aged between five and 19, were unveiled in 2023 and approved by the cabinet the following year.

The DfE has announced it will be run by MacIntyre Academies, which will work with the county council to establish a new Enterprise Academy.

A 125-year lease has been agreed for the school to be located on the site of the Sunshine Children's Centre.

Adam Johnston, the authority's strategic director of children's services, told a scrutiny meeting last month he had met with the DfE and been told the school may not be built until 2029.

"Many free schools have been cancelled across the country and regionally as well," he said.

"The situation with regards to the Malvern special school is we are in a position where we are good to go now. And we are also mindful of the fact this has already been delayed."

Green councillor Natalie McVey said the county's commitment to Send was "bucking the trend" of other Reform-led county councils.

"Some children cannot be educated in mainstream schools and this helps meet their needs," she said.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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