Commons Sense

House of Commons · Adjournment Debate

Education Provision South Buckinghamshire 2025-01-14

14 January 2025 · 5 other contributors

Opened by Joy Morrissey Con Beaconsfield

Education

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Joy Morrissey raised concerns about education provision south buckinghamshire 2025-01-14 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about lack of secondary school educational provision in Burnham, south Buckinghamshire since 2019
  • Campaigners and MPs have pushed for a new secondary school site to cater to special educational needs
  • Minister acknowledged importance of local educational provision and readiness to consider new SEND school placement in south Buckinghamshire

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Joy Morrissey Con Beaconsfield

I am grateful to have secured this debate on the lack of secondary school educational provision available to my constituents in south Buckinghamshire, particularly in Burnham. The closure of the Burnham E-Act Academy in 2019 has left families with no nearby comprehensive secondary school option, forcing children to travel long distances at significant cost and impact on their mental health and wellbeing. Since then, there have been ongoing efforts by local campaigners and MPs from both parties to address this issue, emphasising the need for a new secondary school site in Burnham that can also cater to special educational needs (SEND) provision. The campaign highlights the growing population of south Buckinghamshire and the housing expansion targets, making it urgent to establish adequate education infrastructure to support future demand.

Other contributors (5)
  • Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi Lab Slough

    Congratulates Joy Morrissey on securing the debate and agrees that closing the non-selective secondary school was a mistake. Emphasises the importance of local, quality education for children.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Commemorates the debate and stresses the importance of having nearby secondary schools to support character-building and after-school programmes.

  • David Simmonds Con Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner

    References an example from Hillingdon where a secondary school site was used for both mainstream comprehensive education and SEND provision, suggesting this model could be applicable in Burnham.

  • Dhesi Lab Slough

    The hon. Member for Slough raises concerns about a high population increase in Slough and south Bucks, including high need for SEND provision, asking if the Minister will factor these considerations into their determination over a new school in Burnham.

  • David Simmonds Con Wycombe

    The hon. Member for Wycombe asks the Minister to commit to working with colleagues in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to review the impact of home-to-school transport rules on the situation.

Government Response

Catherine McKinnell

The Minister acknowledged the importance of local educational provision and highlighted ongoing efforts to improve special educational needs (SEND) support across Buckinghamshire. She noted the previous Department for Education's commitment to establishing a new SEND school in Buckinghamshire, expressing readiness to consider placing it in south Buckinghamshire. The Minister emphasised the need for cross-party collaboration among local authorities and schools trusts to address demand effectively. While no specific funding was announced, she committed to working with the Department and local stakeholders to explore solutions and make decisions based on comprehensive data analysis. The Minister acknowledges the importance of ensuring sufficient school places and highlights that Buckinghamshire has been allocated £11.3 million to support the provision of new mainstream school places, with an additional £740 million in high needs capital announced for 2025-26. She emphasises the Department's home-to-school travel policy, which aims to ensure no child is prevented from accessing education due to a lack of transport. The Minister also discusses legislative changes aimed at fostering greater co-operation between schools and local authorities on admissions and place planning. Furthermore, she mentions that 98.5% of children in Buckinghamshire were offered a place at one of their parents’ or carers’ top three preferred primary schools in 2024. The Government will continue to work with local authority colleagues, providing funds through the basic need grant and continued support through pupil place planning advisers.

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