New free school plan to boost local SEND places sooner

Wokingham Borough Council is proposing to accept Government funding to help increase special educational needs and disability (SEND) school places in the borough more quickly.

The council is set to take forward plans for a new special free school and a provision on another site. 

This would be supported using a £13million Government payment, instead of the government’s initial plan of building two new special free schools in the borough. 

The new special free school will provide places for students with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) at Rooks Nest Farm in Barkham/Finchampstead, aiming to open in September 2028. 

This will be supplemented by another special provision, in refurbished school premises, opening in September 2029.

Committed to adding SEND capacity locally

The two new schools go alongside the council’s commitment to expanding existing special school capacity in the borough. 

These plans replace the proposal for the Department for Education (DfE) to build two 120-place schools at Rooks Nest in Barkham/Finchampstead, previously agreed as part of the Wave 3 of the national Special Free Schools Programme confirmed in 2023.

Alongside other proposals for special school provision developments and expansion within the council’s budgets, the overall number of additional special school places delivered locally are expected to be close to the 240 originally proposed by the DfE.

The proposals mean more SEND children in the borough will have a place to go to school, closer to home, sooner, helping the council save millions in the long term through reduced school placement and transport costs. 

It follows an announcement by the DfE in December for councils to have the option take a one-off payment, in Wokingham Borough’s case £6.48million for each previously proposed school.

Taking control and helping residents more quickly

By pursuing this option, the council is able to take full control of the delivery of its specialist provision, rather than waiting for Government delivery, which may have been many years in the future. 

This enables children and their families to benefit from high-quality, local provision at the earliest opportunity.

Councillor Prue Bray, deputy leader and executive member for children’s services, said: “We need to have a clear plan in place for how and when we intend to deliver these much-needed places and the lack of clarity is not only concerning for the families that rely on these services, but for the council from a financial point of view.

“It has been indicated that we could be waiting for an undefined period of time if we do not opt for the financial settlement, which is not a desirable outcome on all fronts. 

"It would have a substantial financial impact on us, as the delivery of these schools forms a fundamental part of our SEND Sufficiency Statement.

“Families need and deserve to have assurances that places are available to them locally and it is in our best interest to have these facilities to minimise the transport costs of transporting children and young people outside of the borough for their educational needs.”

Decision made next week

The decision is subject to agreement by the council’s executive next week and finalising funding with the DfE. 

If agreed, design work on the new school would begin this summer, with construction set to start in early 2027 and open the school in September 2028.

Ascendancy Partnership Trust were previously appointed to operate the proposed schools in April 2024, with the original intention that they should be delivered directly by the DfE and operational for September 2026.

But these schemes have not been substantively progressed by the DfE since this time and there has been a lack of clarity progressing the projects.

Now the council proposes to take ownership to deliver the places as quickly as possible, with the trust’s support. 

It’s part of the council’s ongoing efforts to ensure local children can access education provision in their local communities, as well as reduce journey times for students and their families. 

Providing the SEND places people need

The number of active EHCPs has risen sharply in recent years, meaning a need for more places of all kinds. 

The council recently submitted plans for a new post-16 SEND hub at the former Wokingham Library on Denmark Street, creating 40 places for that group when it opens in September.

In addition to the new special schools, there are plans for more than 200 additional places new facilities and new provision within mainstream schools like the recently opened Lilypad unit at Radstock Primary School, which forms part of the plans set out in the SEND Sufficiency Statement.

Cllr Bray added: “We need to be mindful that the funding on offer from the government is substantially less than the cost of actually building a school. 

"However, by taking the funding settlement, it puts the power into our hands to do what is needed for local families and have greater assurances about what we can deliver and when.”