Date published: 2026-03-13 | Category: Children's Services, Delivering for local residents, Focusing on prevention
Ambitious council plans for two new schools to benefit children needing specialist education in Bath & North East Somerset have taken a step forward.
The number of children and young people in B&NES needing support with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) has been steadily rising. To help address increased demand and to reduce expensive out-of- area placements the council has confirmed its next steps to invest in high-quality provision for children and young people with SEND and those vulnerable pupils requiring Alternative Provision (AP).
The council wants to see a 120-place special free school based on the Culverhay site, in Bath. It is also asking for funding for an Alternative Provision free school, based at Abbot Alphage School in Lansdown.
Currently there are 28 secondary students receiving Alternative Provision education at the Lansdown school site and if the scheme goes ahead the number would increase to 55 covering both primary and secondary-age pupils by September 2027.
It is applying to the Department for Education, following a request from the DfE to councils nationally, for two free schools. Free schools are state-funded, non-profit, independent schools that are free to attend but not controlled by a local authority.
Keeping children and young people educated within Bath and North East Somerset wherever possible is a key priority for the council. Local provision not only delivers better outcomes for children and their families but also reduces the need for costly out-of-area placements, helping to manage pressures on council budgets while improving stability and continuity of care.
Welcoming the decision, Councillor Paul May, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “Providing a local specialist school as part of wider work to transform SEND support in Bath & North East Somerset, not only avoids long distances for children and their families to have to travel but also in the longer term reduces costs to the authority.
“We have put the Culverhay site forward to the DfE for development and as part of that we also want to expand Alternative Provision at our Abbot Alphage school which has the capacity to take more students rather than as first proposed on the Culverhay site.
“However, we are realistic about the challenges ahead. Special school places are urgently needed, and while we welcome DfE progress, we remain cautious about the timescales involved. We will continue to press the DfE for clarity and pace so that families see the benefits as soon as possible.”
The council has now submitted its decision to the Department for Education and is awaiting confirmation from the Secretary of State for Education on whether the plans will be approved and when delivery of the special free school can move forward.
The council has written to residents, parents and stakeholders and will keep them updated as soon as further information becomes available.