Harrow Council meets today (18 September 2025) to debate a motion from the ruling Conservative group demanding that the Labour Government honours the funding commitment for a new SEND school in the borough. With the Conservatives holding a majority, the motion is expected to pass.
It is important to note that the Harrow project at 265 The Ridgeway has not been cancelled. Instead, ministers are reassessing commitments made by their predecessors against tighter budget forecasts and shifting priorities.
The previous Conservative government committed to funding the SEND school, but that was under different budget forecasts and assumptions. The incoming Labour government may be revisiting large capital or operational commitments made by its predecessor to ensure they are still viable and affordable under current budgets and policy frameworks.
They may be reassessing whether the scale of capacity (292 places, a completely new site) is the most efficient or effective way to meet needs, vs alternatives (such as expansions of existing specialist provision or investing more in mainstream with SEN units).
There may be priority shifts in the new government’s SEND white paper. For example, more focus might be put on earlier intervention, or mainstream inclusion, rather than building many new specialist schools.
Also, the review could be because of reprioritise existing SEND spending across the country or broader cost pressures: high inflation, construction costs, land costs, staffing shortages, or cost escalations might have made the original estimates look less certain or more expensive.
The motion appears aimed more at scoring political points than at exploring how best to use available resources to ensure Harrow children are not forced into disruptive and costly placements outside the borough.
It is important to note that the Harrow project at 265 The Ridgeway has not been cancelled. Instead, ministers are reassessing commitments made by their predecessors against tighter budget forecasts and shifting priorities.
The previous Conservative government committed to funding the SEND school, but that was under different budget forecasts and assumptions. The incoming Labour government may be revisiting large capital or operational commitments made by its predecessor to ensure they are still viable and affordable under current budgets and policy frameworks.
They may be reassessing whether the scale of capacity (292 places, a completely new site) is the most efficient or effective way to meet needs, vs alternatives (such as expansions of existing specialist provision or investing more in mainstream with SEN units).
There may be priority shifts in the new government’s SEND white paper. For example, more focus might be put on earlier intervention, or mainstream inclusion, rather than building many new specialist schools.
Also, the review could be because of reprioritise existing SEND spending across the country or broader cost pressures: high inflation, construction costs, land costs, staffing shortages, or cost escalations might have made the original estimates look less certain or more expensive.
The motion appears aimed more at scoring political points than at exploring how best to use available resources to ensure Harrow children are not forced into disruptive and costly placements outside the borough.
Harrow Monitoring Group 