Keir Starmer faced tough questions about the government’s frozen funding for a desperately needed special school in Bath. Bath MP Wera Hobhouse highlighted how families have been “left in the lurch” after funding for a new 120-place special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) school on the Culverhay site was agreed but has now been frozen for 18 months.
Hobhouse stressed the urgent need: “Families in Bath have waited years for this school. The plans are ready, the need is clear, and the community is united behind it. Yet, the government has halted the funding crucial to its construction. If the government truly wants to fix the broken SEND system, it must immediately release this funding.”
She added, “Every delay forces children to travel longer distances, wait longer, and miss out on essential support. Vulnerable children in Bath cannot be expected to suffer due to government inaction.”
READ MORE: Yeovil Town Aims to Shine in FA Trophy Third Round Clash
READ MORE: Police Close Taunton Shop Selling Illegal Tobacco, Counterfeit Goods, and Illegal Vapes
During Prime Minister’s Questions on December 10, Hobhouse asked, “How much longer must families with children who have special educational needs wait for this vital new school, especially when funding has been frozen for nearly 18 months without explanation?”
Starmer replied, “We are keen to move this forward and I will ensure ministers provide updates on this specific case. Our commitment to fixing the SEND system remains strong. That’s why we’ve launched a national conversation to place families at the heart of lasting reform. We’ve already invested in extra school places, language support, and best start family hubs launching from April.”
Bath and North East Somerset Council has retained the Culverhay site since Bath Community Academy closed in 2018, intending to use it again for education. They plan to transfer the cleared site to the Department for Education, which has committed to building two new schools there under the Free Schools Capital Programme.
In addition to the 120-place special school, a 55-place alternative provision school will be built to help children and young people transition back into mainstream schooling or employment. Currently, a severe shortage of SEND spaces in Bath results in children being transported to schools as far away as Somerset, Bristol, and Wiltshire.
Paul May, the council’s cabinet member for children’s services, emphasized the urgency: “This school is desperately needed. Every month of delay causes distress to vulnerable children and their families. When children must travel long distances for special education, the entire family feels the impact.”
May also noted that the Liberal Democrat council has increased children’s service budgets by nearly 50% over recent years and that alternative, not-for-profit service options might reduce costs by around 20%.