Proposed new special free school in West Northamptonshire

Tender description

West Northamptonshire Council has identified the need to provide additional specialist school places for children and young people, preferably to the south-west of Northampton, within reasonable travelling distance of Towcester, Daventry and Brackley. The need is for places for pupils with autistic spectrum conditions (ASC), speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and severe learning difficulties (SLD). To address these needs, the council is conducting a procurement exercise to find an academy trust to open and run a new special free school providing up to 250 places from September 2024. To comply with section 6A of the Education and Inspections Act, 2006 (the 'free school presumption') the council must, in the first instance, seek proposals to establish a free school from appropriately skilled, experienced and successful academy trusts. Under the free school 'presumption' route, West Northamptonshire council is responsible for funding the proposed new school and providing a suitable site. WNC has identified land on St. John's Road, Tiffield. This is near Towcester. Capital totalling about ?15.5m is available to support the creation of 500 new specialist places between 2022 and 2024, with the other 250 places being provided through new and expanded resourced places in mainstream school and expansions of existing special schools. The council will consider any additional capital funding required through its capital planning process. There are many steps to take before the proposed new school could open including further periods of consultation once a sponsor has been selected. However, the key milestones are as follows: Date Key milestones 17 June 2022 Full free special school specification published for prospective sponsors; 29 July 2022 Application window closes 15 August 2022 Council 'preferred bidder' decision communicated to the DfE August/September 2022 DfE confirmation of the appointment of a sponsor Late 2022 Planning / construction starts September 2024 School part-opens