Stakeholder information event held for those interested in bidding to operate the new SEN Free School – update visit date added
Representatives from interested trusts and organisations attended the London Borough of Bexley’s stakeholder information event on 23rd April 2019 for its new SEN Free School, which is expected to open in September 2021. The new school will be situated in Halt Robin Road, Belvedere.
At the event, Kevin Taylor, Head of School Place Planning, Commissioning, Admissions, Major Projects, Transport & Facilities Management, and Reinhild Onuoha, Head of SEND and Inclusion, informed the 11 interested parties present that they can put in a bid by 30th September 2019 to operate the new school. They outlined Bexley’s aspiration and vision that all Bexley children should be able to access good quality provision that meets their needs within the borough. They also explained that the school will cater for students with ASD and SEMH, many of whom will be academically able, using a therapeutic approach.
The process for the bidding process will be open and transparent, and as part of this all relevant documents will be published on Bexley’s Strategic Education Partnership website. In addition, all questions taken at the meeting, and any asked of the local authority subsequently, will be gathered and published as Frequently Asked Questions.
Jennifer Gifford, Deputy Head of Advisory Services, New Schools Network, then spoke about the charity she works for which supports those wishing to apply to the DfE to operate a free school. She explained the process that will be overseen by both Bexley and the DfE and highlighted lessons learnt from the first wave of the SEN Free School programme.
Another meeting with the local authority and a site visit has been arranged for the 4th July 2019.
190311 LBB Special Free School Specification Document
190423 SEN Free School Stakeholder Event combined presentations
