Lib Dems have welcomed funding which will unlock the long-awaited new special and alternative provision schools to be built at the old Culverhay site in Bath.
The government has announced a capital fund of at least £3bn over the next four years to help create at least 50,000 new places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in schools across England.
B&NES Council has this morning (15 December) confirmed that the announcement includes funding for Green Ways Academy (special school) and Sulis Academy (alternative provision), both due to be delivered on the old Culverhay site in Bath.
The new schools are expected to provide 120 places for children with SEND in Bath and North East Somerset alongside 55 alternative provision places. The project has been on hold for the past 18 months, whilst a government spending review took place.
Speaking at a B&NES Council committee this morning, Councillor Manda Rigby (Cabinet member for Communications and Community) said:
“This announcement strengthens our plans for two new free schools: Green Ways Academy (special school) and Sulis Academy (alternative provision), both due to be delivered on the Culverhay site in Bath.
“These schools will provide much-needed specialist places for children and young people, reducing the need for families to travel out of area for appropriate provision. This will also help manage council finances by lowering transport costs and improving sustainability.
“We very much look forward to improving the provision in our community.”
The government is also looking at providing new places in mainstream schools. Councillor Rigby confirmed the Lib Dem administration’s commitment to moving forward with the Culverhay scheme, commenting:
“This is money that definitely will unlock the possibilities of us being able to do what we have committed to do on the old Culverhay site.”
Lib Dems have been campaigning for the government to release the funds for the new schools. Just last week, Bath’s Liberal Democrat MP, Wera Hobhouse, asked the Prime Minister directly during PMQs how much longer families and children with special educational needs will have to wait for the new school.
Following the news that the funding has now been released, Bath’s Lib Dem MP, Wera Hobhouse said:
“I’m very pleased that the Government has now decided to release funding for this much-needed new special school. Families in Bath have been waiting years for this, and the delay meant children were forced to travel further and wait longer for the support they deserve.
“I’m glad that the pressure we have applied has helped to bring about this decision. Just last week the Prime Minister told me he was determined to fix a SEND system that fails parents and fails children. This announcement is a step in the right direction and a welcome win for families in Bath.
“However, there is still much more to do. I will be scrutinising the Government’s long-anticipated and delayed SEND white paper closely to see whether it delivers the real reforms needed to fix a broken system and ensure vulnerable children are properly supported.”
Welcoming the news, Odd Down ward Councillor Steve Hedges commented:
“Culverhay is very close to the community’s hearts and we are delighted that this brings us a step closer to bringing the site back into use for education. Local residents and councillors have been campaigning for this. The new schools will help reduce the long journeys many children have to take to access specialist education.”
Councillor Paul May, Cabinet member for Children’s Services, added:
“The Liberal Democrat administration gave a commitment to keep an education presence on the Culverhay site, after the closure of Bath Community Academy a few years ago. We have been working hard to lobby the government to fund the new schools, as some of our most vulnerable children have had the challenge of travelling out of B&NES for education. We are proud we have been listened to and will be treating this as a priority.”
