The Department for Education approved Harrow Council’s bid for a new 292-place special educational needs school last year
A North London council has hit out at the Government over funding delays for the borough’s first special needs school in 20 years. The Department for Education (DfE) approved the bid last year but the local authority claims the delays mean children risk missing out on opportunities and it “will affect them for the rest of their lives”.
Last May, the DfE approved Harrow Council’s plan to convert The Ridgeway site, which is owned by the local authority, into a 292-place special educational needs (SEN) school for pupils with severe learning difficulties and autism.
However, progress on the school has been paused since the new Government took power in July of last year and funding for the new provision has been put under review. In the meantime, many SEN students are being placed out of the borough, which the council describes as “very disruptive” for the children and “incredibly costly” to the local authority.
Speaking at a recent Full Council meeting (September 18), Harrow Council’s Conservative Leader, Cllr Paul Osborn, said: “This can’t wait. This is an urgent thing for the children of Harrow. People are losing opportunities that will affect them for the rest of their lives.
“Every single month this is delayed is a month that those children lose in a good, local special needs provision.”
The demand for SEN school places is growing nationally and Harrow is no exception. Currently, there are four special schools in the borough, with just under 500 places between them. However, between 2019 and 2024 there was a 55 per cent increase in the number of young people with education, health and care plans (EHCPs), according to council figures, resulting in a shortfall of available places.
As the demand has soared over the past few years, the council has been left struggling to fulfil its legal requirement to provide enough places, ultimately leading to greater strain being put on mainstream schools.
The limited places mean some children with additional needs currently have to attend special schools outside the borough. The average cost of placing an SEN pupil outside of the borough is an estimated £70,000 to £80,000, depending on the complexity of their needs, compared to around £32,000 in the borough, according to the council.
The council has said that having a new SEN school within the borough will be “positive to SEN children’s educational attainment and emotional wellbeing”, as well as reducing the financial pressure on the local authority.
Cllr Osborn said: “The financial case is so strong that we think we can do it [without money from the Government] and actually save some money providing we get through the first few years of the build – when it would have a negative revenue implication.
“Then it starts to have a positive revenue implication because of the amount of money we would save both on the cost of placements [and] the special needs transport.”
The Labour opposition acknowledged that families “have waited too long” for additional local SEN provision and said it is vital to deliver it for children who need specialist support. However, it criticised the administration for “playing politics” with the issue.
Cllr Stephen Hickman said: “We have to be honest about the reality that the Labour Government has inherited. The Conservatives left behind the worst set of public finances in living memory [and] the new Labour Government is right to carry out a full review of SEN provision and funding.
“That review is not about dithering, it’s about making sure families, children, and councils get a fair and sustainable settlement for the long-term. We want Harrow to have a new SEN school, we want that to go ahead, and we will work constructively with the Government to make sure that happens.”
In the meantime, Harrow Council is set to use the hall at The Ridgeway site for civic functions including public meetings, council events, a register office, and citizenship ceremonies to “save money from hire costs”.
On the delays, a Government spokesperson said: “This Government inherited a SEND system left on its knees, which is why we are looking at changes through our plan for change to improve support for children and stop parents having to fight for help while bringing about financial sustainability for councils.
“We will set out our full plans for reform in the autumn, including our approach to supporting councils with their deficits, to deliver excellence everywhere for every child.”
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