By Local Democracy Reporter Charlotte Lillywhite
Wandsworth Council has now officially approved the decision to shut Bradstow residential school in Broadstairs.
The school, described as a lifeline for autistic children, will be shut by December 31 despite last-ditch pleas to save it.
Wandsworth Council’s cabinet agreed the closure after hearing this was the “only option” left due to its financial challenges.
The council had delayed shutting the school to allow governors more time to secure its future by turning it into an academy, but the Department for Education (DfE) rejected these plans and advised the authority to move ahead with closure. Council officers recommended its closure after completing a public consultation in September, which the cabinet agreed on Monday (November 3).
Call for more time
Polly Benton, Bradstow’s business manager, claimed the school would have been financially viable if it had been allowed to admit new pupils this year, given recent cost reductions. Speaking on behalf of Bradstow’s principal and governors, she asked the cabinet for more time “to make an informed decision about academisation”.
A total of 12 children still attend the school, including one child from Wandsworth and two from Kent.
Ms Benton said: “Bradstow School has for generations been far more than a school. It has been a lifeline, a place of safety, understanding and hope, for some of the most vulnerable children and families in our community.”
She added: “Over the past two years, decisions on Bradstow’s behalf have too often overlooked the best interests of the children. Many have been placed miles from their families, some now living in children’s homes without education, others receiving only a few hours of teaching each week and families uprooted simply to stay close to their child.”
Only option
But Ana Popovici, executive director for children’s services, said the council had explored every option to keep Bradstow open and none could ensure the welfare of the children or long-term financial stability of the school. She said its closure was now “the only option, the responsible course of action”.
Ms Popovici said: “The situation is not a reflection of the quality of care or education provided, neither is it a reflection of the dedication of our staff. It’s symptomatic of the structural and financial realities that make our continued responsibility for the school, simply put, untenable.”
She added: “This decision is about doing what is right for Wandsworth children and families, focussing our resources and investment in our specialist provision locally. This will enable us to uphold the standards we deserve and keep many more children closer to home and within their communities to benefit from the support they absolutely need and deserve.”
Wandsworth inherited the school in 1990, after the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) was abolished. While many local authorities have used the school over the years, most of the students have typically been from Kent. It provides accommodation during term time for autistic children with complex needs aged between five and 19 years old.
Transfer to KCC
A report by council officers said Wandsworth had been working with Kent County Council to explore transferring the provision since November 2021, but Kent decided not to proceed with this option last October.
Although KCC has not commented on why talks to take over the Bradstow site were unsuccessful, it is understood there are a number of concerns about the condition of the property and costs of making it ‘fit for purpose’ alongside the concerns raised earlier this year about care provision and social care and police investigations into medication errors at the school.
The London council said it was left with no other choice but to propose closure due to the school’s financial challenges, with other councils unwilling to pay the fees needed to ensure it remained viable.
Deficit
The school has an overall deficit of nearly £1million and holds further debt with other councils of £5.3m, according to the report, including £4.6m with Kent. The council has started legal proceedings to recover these fees from Kent.
Part of the contention is around a hike in fees of up to 75% and disagreement over how services should be delivered.
Because councils are the commissioners and need to agree the charges, especially with regards to inflationary uplifts or changes in prices for existing placements, Wandsworth says its ability to set prices is constrained.
Labour councillor Judi Gasser, cabinet member for children, said: “Hand on heart, I can’t recommend to cabinet that we keep underwriting Bradstow’s losses. My responsibility is to Wandsworth children.
“I truly feel for the families from other areas who must be concerned about moving their child and I feel for the staff team. We will do all we can to help you find new jobs, but it is my duty to keep Wandsworth money for Wandsworth children.”
The school has around 100 staff and Wandsworth says redundancy costs are estimated to be circa £1million.
The cabinet agreed to shut the school at the meeting, which will come into effect on December 31.
‘Disputed’ increases
A spokesperson from Kent County Council (KCC) said: “We are working closely with the London Borough of Wandsworth to review and agree the fees related to Bradstow School.
“We have not refused to pay any fees that are properly due, our focus has been on understanding the details of the charges and ensuring that all payments are accurate and agreed.
“As part of this process, we have identified some elements of the fees that are disputed such as increases or charges that were not previously agreed with KCC.
“We remain committed to resolving these matters constructively, so the right funding is in place to support young people’s education.”
Shrinking school roll
In January of this year there were 32 pupils on the roll. By the start of the academic year in September, there were just 12 children – two pupils from Kent, 2 from Medway, 2 from Newham, 2 Havering, and the remainder from 4 other local authorities including Wandsworth, with 1 placement each.
A Wandsworth Cabinet report says: “It is currently forecast that there will only be 9 fee paying children of the 11 on roll on 31 December 2025. Kent Country Council continues not to pay for their two pupils still on roll at the school…Wandsworth has continued to subsidise the placement for Kent’s 2 current children.”
The report adds that Bradstow has been approached by local authorities for new placements in the current academic year but says “given the uncertainty of the school’s future, with no current viable alternative to closure secured, it would not be appropriate to allow these additional admissions.”
Scaled back provision
Last September a decision was made to reduce provision at the school to operate five smaller 38-week homes and cease the 52- week provision in response to the significant safeguarding concerns across the care provision, specifically in relation to the management of medication, and the leadership response to allegations made by children.
News of the planned closure came after The Isle of Thanet News revealed last June that back up plans to move children out of Bradstow School were being made by Kent County Council.
The ‘parallel’ plans came on the heels of Ofsted inspections of social care provision at Bradstow School that initially resulted in a restriction of accommodation notice, preventing further children from being admitted to the home.
At that time, KCC listed a number of concerns and revealed there was a social care and police investigation into medication errors at the school.
Other concerns included:
- Medication management with practices that “are not effective” and have inconsistencies with information as well as avoidable mistakes made when administering medicine to children
- Unexplained accidents and injuries to children who should be in 1-1 or 2-1 care with some youngsters needing hospital treatment
- Incidents of children leaving the premises ‘undetected’
- Children left alone for long periods without staff supervision
- Police, social workers and parents not always being notified of significant incidents
- Lack of staff and use of agency staff
- Concerns over records not being available
- Concerns over the condition of one of the bungalows
The restriction was lifted after a follow-up inspection last December but a rating of ‘requires improvement’ remained. This applied to the residential operations, the education provision at the school has been rated Outstanding by Ofsted.
The residential rating has since been upgraded to Good.
Potential sale
In February 2024, The Isle of Thanet News reported that an internal document drawn up by consultants and focusing on asset management at Wandsworth Council listed potential sale of several properties including Bradstow School.
An asset management document published by the authority listed Bradstow School as a “very high value site for alternate use.”
At that time one parent said they feared that with “a financial deficit, a recent restructure and the document hinting at the potential sale of the site” there could be a huge impact similar to the 2015 demise of the Royal School for the Deaf in Margate.
