A BID to open a specialist school for children with educational needs in Bradford has been rejected by Government.

Bradford Council had applied to open an SEND free school in the District through the Department for Education’s Special Free School Programme.

It would have had space for 150 pupils.

But earlier this month the Council were told that the bid had been unsuccessful.

Government policies prevent new schools from opening unless they are free schools or academies.

Local authorities are no longer able to open new schools.

The Council says the SEND school would have catered for autistic spectrum disorders including communication and interaction needs/challenging behaviours and social and emotional mental health needs.

Details of where the new school would have been based have not been revealed.

But it was not one of the 33 successful schools selected by Government. 53 other bids were unsuccessful.

A Council spokesman said: “The council’s bid clearly evidenced the rising numbers of children and young people in the district with SEND, the strain this is putting on existing schools, and that it means many children will have to travel to schools outside of the area because there are not enough specialist places within the district.

“Of the 33 successful applications across the country, 25 are for schools with fewer places than would have been provided by the new school in Bradford District. This has left leaders dismayed that Bradford’s greater need has been overlooked.”

Councillor Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for education, employment and skills, said: “Considering we are the youngest city in the country with more children than other local authority areas this is bitterly disappointing.

“The children and young people of our district deserved a new, state-of-the art, fit for purpose special school to meet their complex needs.

“It is particularly frustrating that our bid appears to have failed because of our continued hard work of creating additional specialist places.

“We have been punished for our creativity in creating new places and for our SEND budget not being as overspent as other local authorities.

“We will now refocus our continued efforts to create much-needed additional provision across the district for all our SEND children and young people in the most creative manner within the capital constraints.

“We feel our bid for a SEND free school was strong, robust and deserving of support. We have increasing demand for SEND school places in Bradford District and we are a Priority Education Investment Area so the fact we have not been successful is hugely frustrating.”

The issue of SEND places in the District was raised at the last meeting of Bradford Council.

Council bosses had been asked for an update on how it aimed to provide more specialist spaces.

Members were told that there are currently a number of schemes to provide specialist places that have either been approved or are mid development.

They include;

  • 12 spaces for primary age children with communication and interaction needs at Appleton Academy
  • 24 secondary school places for children with communication and interaction needs at Bingley Grammar School
  • 12 secondary places for children with communication and interaction needs at Co-Op Academy Grange
  • 40 places for secondary pupils with ASD, SLD and PMLD at Co-Op Academy Southfield
  • 12 places for secondary pupils with communication and interaction needs at Ilkley Grammar School
  • 12 secondary school places for pupils with communication and interaction needs at Parkside, Cullingworth.