Academy trusts are drawing-up plans to open their own private special schools to solve the SEND places crisis, including tapping-up wealthy donors to foot building costs.
Five trusts are working with consultants Premier Advisory Group, the government’s free-school support contractor, on the proposals aimed at “driving down prices” in the costly for-profit sector.
Last month, Schools Week exposed how firms backed by private equity investors were making millions of pounds in profit from private special schools as the government failed to open enough state school to meet soaring demand.
“The heart of this is to get a better deal for children and parents by disrupting a market that is not functioning for the good of the sector or those it needs to serve,” said Tim Legge, PAG’s managing director.
