Jeremy Hunt is being warned by the chair of the Education Committee that the government's £105m offer to deliver 15 new special free schools falls short of the sum needed to support children.
The funding offer was announced in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Spring Budget but could be more than £34,000 short for each place at the schools for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), warns Walker.
Conservative MP for Worcester Robin Walker says the funding offer “seems to me a very challenging one” as it gives a cost of £52,000 per place, which is down on government calculations made three years ago of £86,666 per place at special schools.
The 15 free schools aim to deliver up to 2,000 specialist SEND places nationwide. Locations are set to be announced in May this year.
