Bradstow School in Broadstairs is set to close for good by the end of the year as owners Wandsworth Council now ‘formally consult’ on the closure “as a last resort.”
The residential special school has supported children with complex learning needs and autism since 1990, when it was inherited by Wandsworth Council.
In November last year, Wandsworth Council proposed closing the school at the end of the 2024/25 academic year. The London authority said the decision was driven by the unwillingness of some councils to pay fees at a level needed to ensure the school remains viable, including Kent County Council which had the most pupil placements.
Since then, Wandsworth Council supported Bradstow School with an academy application to the DfE with the Cygnus Academies Trust to allow it to remain open.
But in August the DfE announced the application had not been approved. A statutory notice of intention to discontinue Bradstow School was pushed by the London council shortly afterwards.
An effort to save the school included a petition featuring 1,700 signatories opposing the closure submitted to the Mayor of Wandsworth.
At a council meeting this week, the Wandsworth authority leader Cllr Simon Hogg confirmed the school, which currently still has 12 pupils, the majority being Kent youngsters, is now in the formal consultation stage for closure.
He added: “The decision to formally consult on closure has come as a last resort. This is following a six month pause to the statutory process to allow the school governors the opportunity to engage with academy trusts to undertake the necessary due diligence to try to secure the future of the school.
“The council supported the school and the Department for Education with attempted academisation every step of the way. With the academisation application being unsuccessful, Wandsworth had to take the difficult decision to reinstate the statutory process and formally consult on closure.
“A decision which has been driven by significant financial challenges—most notably, the refusal of some local authorities, including Kent County Council, to pay fees for their placements at the school and the support their children have and continue to receive.
“Debt held with other councils is currently £5.3m (of which £4.6m is owed by Kent who have not paid for over two years). The consultation has nothing to do with assets or any predetermined plan, but our commitment to effectively manage Wandsworth resources and protect the long-term interests of Wandsworth children and the wider education system.”
The statutory notice says: “It is proposed that the school will be closed with effect from 31 December 2025 further to the statutory process.
“A separate OFSTED process for closing the children’s homes will be initiated and it is proposed that the Children’s Homes will also be closed with effect from 31 December 2025.”
It will make a lovely retirement home or maybe knocked down and flats built .. I’m not fussed either way
Frank -you don’t sound very caring – what about the children and their families?
Why don’t kcc honour their debt? – disgraceful
These children need special support from somewhere.
The detail and the squabbling and the blame shifting are surely irrelevant.
This is one of the richest countries in the world yet ‘we cannot afford’ to give these children the support they need and deserve. What has gone wrong with our values? What kind of people have we become?
Charity should begin at home. It doesn’t. We can’t afford to educate children without problems.we can’t afford The NHS something has got to change I fear it won’t . Everybody else comes first accept our own people.
Another closure. More much needed services gone. The plot will no doubt be turned into luxury flats that no-one local can afford to live in, but foreign investors will buy them up and add them to their portfolio of UK property that they own.
These children require specialist care. What will happen to them?
Put them in main stream school with a class room assistant with them ot will be okay they won’t disrupt the class
Another KCC triumph?
Meanwhile Reform have done diddly squat about anything – probably on purpose , due being thick , falling out with each other for not obeying the dictatorship .Those thick Reform Cllrs not involved are sitting tight , brown nosing creeps enjoying it all , waiting for the Dictator to bestow them rewards for being good dogs – they don’t give a damn about service just perceived power and noses in the trough .
I agree with Carol. The amount of money being used to keep 1000s in hotels and other accommodation, this 1 in 1 out fiasco, and other total mess ups, yet the funding for young people needing very specialised care, and we are not talking about 1000s of people in this case, is not there. Ridiculous.