Children are “being educated in shacks and a tent” as special school spaces "on back burner"

The Ivel Valley rebuilding expansion “doesn’t seem to be happening, with the loss of 110 places”, its headteacher Joe Creswick warned Central Bedfordshire Council’s schools forum.

The council revealed its plans to create 501 new specialist places by September 2026, with 136 additionally resourced provisions (ARPs) and 365 in special schools.

The Chiltern in Houghton Regis was being expanded, while proposals were at an early stage for 120 more places at Weatherfield Special School in Dunstable, CBC announced last year.

It hoped to open a social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) free school with the Department for Education in 2026, supplying 130 places.

There were 3,321 children and young people in Central Bedfordshire with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) last September, but that figure is expected to top 4,000 by the end of December.

Presenting a deficit management plan (DMP) to the forum, CBC’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) specialist Jo Hedley said: “We’re making progress in most areas of developing a better value programme.

“There are cost avoidance opportunities identified at the beginning of the year. Some of that isn’t materialising at the anticipated pace. Much of that’s because of the increased demand for EHCP assessment.

“We know CBC’s overspend was significant. The number of maintained EHCPs in Central Beds was 3,837, as of July. That’s ten less than what we’d forecast to be at by the end of January 2025.

“Central Bedfordshire has a 5.6 per cent increase compared to 4.6 per cent nationally. This deficit position is creating a critical financial challenge for CBC and most authorities nationally.”

Forum vice-chairman Mr Creswick voiced his concerns around specialist schools place planning, saying: “The Ivel Valley rebuilding expansion has been put on the back burner.

“That’s 110 places which have disappeared. Various staff query whether children can stay being educated in shacks and a tent which is an appropriate question being asked by people.

“If that’s not achievable, there’s no room for the social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) school. So that can’t happen and, if it does, it’ll be late. That has enormous implications for the high needs block. The area’s maintained schools are limited.

“We were told new places would be coming on stream in 2026. ARPs are trying to fill the gap for the SEMH school. There are far fewer placements in specialist settings than required. This will be even worse in 2026, and worse again after that.”

Service director education SEND and inclusion Helen Phelan explained: “Further work is happening on the special school places plan, which is going to overview and scrutiny in January.

“We’re trying to get the right provision in Central Beds. We need to ensure there’s funding to support the desired developments, and what the consequences are if some of those projects don’t go ahead.”

CBC’s assistant director of capital delivery Sarah-Jayne Pizzie added: “There’s no decision to stop working on the current projects in the capital programme. We’re looking at delivering them in a more efficient manner.”