Two areas promised special schools have missed out after competitions to find sponsors were unsuccessful.
The Department for Education yesterday approved 37 new special and alternative provision schools to open from September 2022, providing more than 3,000 extra places. (See full list below).
The government had promised to deliver schools in 39 areas to help meet rising demand for SEND places.
But two areas, Bromley and Shropshire, failed to recruit a sponsor to run a school in their region. The government has pledged to re-run the competitions.
Of the schools announced yesterday, two will be solely for pupils who have been or are at risk of exclusion: one run by the YMCA George Williams Academy in Warwickshire, and another run by Rivers of CoE Academy Trust, in Worcestershire.
Three trusts have been given approval to open multiple schools. The Wellspring Academy Trust will run a school in each of north Lincolnshire, north Yorkshire and Sheffield, while the Beckmead Trust and Special Partnership Trust both have two schools.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson said “we need to make sure we are putting our most disadvantaged and vulnerable children first, including those with complex needs”.
“These new schools, adding to the network of excellent free schools around the country, will help level up opportunities for children from all backgrounds so they can receive a world-class education.”
The 37 new schools will add to the 44 special and 47 AP free schools already open and the 49 special and 8 AP free schools in the pipeline, the government said. On completion, it takes the total number of special free schools to 128.
But Schools Week revealed the majority of areas rejected last year for new special schools under this wave were facing secondary places shortfalls.
We also revealed how a lack of state-funded places was forcing councils to spend hundreds of millions of pounds to send pupils to independent special schools.
Here’s the full list:
Region Academy trust/sponsor
| Essex | The Beckmead Trust |
| Newham | Learning in Harmony Multi Academy Trust |
| Norfolk | The Bridge London Trust |
| Suffolk | Paradigm Trust |
| Kingston upon Hull | Humber Education Trust |
| Leicestershire | Community Inclusive Trust |
| North Lincolnshire | Wellspring Academy Trust |
| Sheffield | Wellspring Academy Trust |
| Bury | Shaw Education Trust |
| Halton | Youth Engagement Schools Trust |
| Leeds | Co-op Academies Trust |
| Rochdale | Newbridge Multi Academies Trust |
| Salford | Kings Academy Trust |
| Stockport | Prospere Learning Trust |
| Warrington | The Sovereign Trust |
| Hartlepool | Spark of Genius Academy Trust |
| North Yorkshire | Wellspring Academy Trust |
| Northumberland | Prosper Learning Trust |
| Tees Valley | River Tees |
| Hertfordshire | James Marks Academy |
| Oxfordshire | The Gallery Trust |
| Reading | Maiden Erlegh Trust |
| Bexley | Trinitas Academy Trust |
| Bromley | None |
| Kent | SABDEN MAT |
| Kingston upon Thames | Ambitious About Autism |
| Richmond upon Thames | The Beckmead Trust |
| Cornwall | Special Partnership Trust |
| Dorset | Delta Education Trust |
| North Somerset | Learn @ MAT |
| Plymouth | Special Partnership Trust |
| Somerset | Wave MAT |
| Wiltshire | Reach South |
| Sandwell | Victoria Academies Trust |
| Shropshire | None |
| Solihull | Forward Education Trust |
| Stoke-on-Trent | Manor Hall Academy Trust |
| Warwickshire | YMCA George Williams Academy |
| Worcestershire | The Rivers CoE Academy Trust |
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