Council moves to dispel rumours about Sleaford free school decision

In December, the government announced it had decided not to move forward with a planned SEND ‘free school’ in Sleaford.

Instead, it would provide funding for new SEND hubs, offering enhanced facilities, smaller class sizes and specially-trained staff within mainstream schools. Church lane school will benefit from funding for one of the extra units.

Following this decision, the county council says the Department for Education (DfE) made it clear that it would only accept further representations on the special school decision that included new and materially relevant information that had not previously been submitted or considered. The council says it had already provided all relevant information in the original business case, meaning there was no realistic basis on which to reopen the decision.

In a statement released today (Wednesday), the council said officers met with the DfE in January to discuss the issue. “They made it clear that they did not accept the decision or agree with the loss of the free school, but acknowledged that there was no additional information available to submit to challenge the decision.”

However, the authority adds: “In recent weeks, the council has become aware of public comments inaccurately claiming that it had ignored a government request for further information, and this had led to the project’s cancellation.”

Heather Sandy, executive director for children’s services, commented: “I want to be clear that this was a government decision, and we made it clear to the Department for Education that we did not agree with it, when we met in January.

“It’s wrong to suggest that there was any realistic way for the council to reverse their decision, and we want to be clear on such an important issue. We hope this clarification will help prevent these inaccuracies being shared again in future.

“Our focus is now on delivering a network of new SEND hubs across Lincolnshire. This approach will create more places than the planned free school, and they will be available much sooner, given the school wouldn’t have been completed until 2030.

“We know that many pupils will do much better if they remain in a mainstream school, as long as they get the extra support they need. With their additional facilities, smaller classes and expert staff, that is exactly what the hubs will achieve. They will also mean not having to travel long distances every day to a special school, with pupils remaining within their local community with their friends. Ultimately, that will bring much better outcomes for local families.”