Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Written Statement of 22 October 2024 on Mainstream Free Schools, UIN HCWS150, if the proposed new special educational needs school in Swanley is one of the schools to have their funding reviewed.

The department is reviewing mainstream free school projects, to ensure that they continue to meet localised need for places, offer value for money and are not to the detriment of the other schools in the local area. The review covers mainstream, centrally delivered projects.

Work on special and alternative provision (AP) free schools is continuing. As with all government investment, special and AP free school projects will be subject to value for money consideration through their development, in line with the government’s vision for the special educational needs system.