Letter to Secretary of State for Education: Development of Lakeside School (SEND)

Recipient: The Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP, Secretary of State for Education 

Dear Bridget,

I am writing to request an urgent update on the proposed development of the former Lakeside Primary School site on Alphington Avenue, Frimley, GU16 8LL, into a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school, alongside the wider delivery of special school provision in Surrey.

The school was originally expected to open in 2027¹ for pupils aged 11 to 19, delivered through the Department for Education’s Special Free Schools Programme with part-funding from Surrey County Council. A recent BBC report² indicated that Surrey County Council now requires significant additional investment from central Government to deliver new specialist schools and create around 500 extra school places. This reflects a recognised shortage of specialist provision in Surrey — a situation that many education leaders and professionals attribute to Surrey County Council’s decisions over recent decades to close specialist schools.

As a result, the shortage of suitable provision for children with SEND has forced councils to rely heavily on private providers, with some placements costing more than £100,000 per pupil each year. Such dependence has not only opened the door to profiteering but has too often failed to improve the life outcomes of vulnerable children. According to The Times³, Surrey County Council’s expenditure on private sector placements rose sharply to £86 million in 2023, compared with £48 million in 2018.

Currently, children in my constituency are often required to travel up to 35 miles, with some journeys reaching as far as West Drayton or Dorking, to access appropriate SEND provision. With SEND school placement already difficult to secure, such distances place enormous strain on families. Many parents are left with no choice but to reduce working hours or leave employment entirely in order to care for their children, which affects both their wellbeing and their ability to contribute economically.

The scale of demand for SEND provision in Surrey is irrefutable. Surrey has around 46,000 children with SEND, including 16,871 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), more than double the 2018 figure and a further 10.5% increase since 2024. This rapid growth underscores the urgent need to expand provision, enabling more children to access education locally while ensuring statutory EHCP commitments are fully met.

In light of these pressures, I would be very grateful if you could confirm the current status of the Lakeside SEND school project and the expected delivery timetable. Parents urgently need clarity and reassurance that this school will proceed.

Further to your Department’s answer to my Parliamentary Written Question⁴, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with a member of your frontbench team to discuss both the timetable for new special schools and the broader challenges of delivering high-quality SEND provision in Surrey Heath.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your swift response.

Dr Al Pinkerton MP