Special needs school opening delayed by a year

A council said plans to open its first dedicated school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health special needs (SEMH) have been delayed by a year.

Luton Borough Council (LBC) previously said the school would be built in two phases, with the first stage accommodating 60 pupils in autumn 2027, and the second increasing the total capacity to 112. Both phases were now set to open in 2028.

The new building in Bishopscote Road would include vocational classrooms, a hydrotherapy pool and games areas.

Nicholas Adams-Nel, LBC's education provision and planning manager, told the scrutiny children's services review group: "There's a cost saving of £3m by doing both at the same time."

The new £18m school, expected to open in September 2028, will cater for nine-to-16-year-olds, and reduce reliance on securing placements at out-of-borough schools.

Around 75 children with SEMH as their primary need are currently educated outside Luton, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Adams-Nel added: "There'll be a larger focus on certain elements of vocational teaching, including salon, hair and beauty, food technology, and construction and motor mechanics, which really engage pupils within the SEMH sphere as we've seen in schools we're partnered with currently.

"The sports hall for community use is still going ahead and will be completed at the same time as the school."

Emergency work at Denbigh Primary School meant its pupils were being taught in temporary classrooms on this site until the summer.

A decision on who will run the new school has yet to be made.

Paul Joghee, LBC's head of improvement, said: "The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 has given local authorities the opportunity to open up their own schools.

"This isn't an easy process. We'd have to put forward our own proposal alongside this competitive process. It would be for the DfE to determine whether it's comfortable for Luton to run it as a maintained school or if it becomes an academy."

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