Norfolk County Council say government delays in releasing funding for Downham Market special school are having ‘negative impact on children’

Delays in opening a “much-needed” special school, which was supposed to open next year, are having a “negative impact” on children.

It was first announced in July 2023 that the new facility would be built at Downham’s Ryston End to relieve pressure from the two other primary schools in the town.

The school would offer around 100 places to children aged between five and 18 with communication and interaction needs.

However, funding for the school has yet to be released from the Department for Education (DfE) - meaning any progress with the project has now come to a halt.

Norfolk County Council is now urging the Government to release the funds, saying that several children are facing a negative impact from the delay.

The council initially hoped that the school would be up and running by September this year. However, this is now looking unlikely.

Norfolk County Council said it is “unable to make progress” while the DfE reviews its policy and any capital allocation

The Eastern Learning Alliance Trust was appointed as the future school’s trust in April last year.

Downham currently has two primary schools, Nelson Academy and Hillcrest Primary School. It also has Downham Academy, the town’s secondary school.

The school comes as part of a submitted proposal by Norfolk County Council to the Department of Education (DfE) as part of its £100million six-year Local First Inclusion special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) improvement programme.

Cllr Penny Carpenter, cabinet member for children’s Services at Norfolk County Council, said: “We urgently need the government to release the capital investment for the two schools, which were approved nearly two years ago.

“We want children with additional needs to be able to go to schools as close to their homes as possible.

“This delay will have a negative impact on some of our children with the highest needs because they may have longer to wait for the right school place, or have to travel further to access a special school.

“These schools are key to our Local First Inclusion programme, providing 270 new places in communities where they are most needed. The delay is not only impacting on our children, but is having a significant financial impact on our SEND budget, which is already in substantial deficit. It means we will be faced with increased costs in the independent sector and additional travel costs that weren’t budgeted for in our funding agreement with the government.

“We acknowledge that the DfE is currently undertaking a major review of all aspects of SEND policy at the national level and that this is complex work, but we are frustrated that this process appears to be holding up these agreed proposals and that they have not been proactive in communicating with us so that we can plan locally.

“Whilst we agree that mainstream inclusion should be a key priority, we also need to have sufficient state special school places for children with the most complex needs.”

Norfolk County Council’s plans also come with a 170-place complex school in Great Yarmouth, which is now also delayed.