Worcestershire Special Free School

Worcestershire Special Free School

New special school for children with Autism to be built in Malvern.

Update - March 2026

The Department for Education (DfE) has accepted the Council’s recommendation to continue with the Enterprise Academy, which is being developed in partnership with MacIntyre Academies. The school will provide much-needed specialist autism places for children and young people in Worcestershire.

The DfE will now work with the Council and MacIntyre Academies to agree updated delivery timelines. While these are being finalised, partners are focused on ensuring the school is delivered as quickly as possible. The Council will continue working closely with partners and are keen to clarify the revised timeline with the DfE and keep families and stakeholders updated.

The decision to continue with the Enterprise Academy forms part of Worcestershire’s wider work to improve support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Overview

In 2023 the Department for Education invited applications from proposer groups to open a new special free school in Worcestershire. In October 2023, the Council were notified the bid had been successful.

The specification for the school

The school specification document sets out the key factual details about:

  • the rationale, context and need for the school
  • details on the commissioning of places, including the involvement of any other local authorities commissioning places
  • a brief description of the existing provision in the area
  • future expected growth in pupil numbers
  • how the local authority expects places within the school to be filled

Download:

The Department for Education are responsible for the delivery of the new school.

Next steps

Autumn 2023: Assessment of Trust applications by Department for Education and the Council.

January 2024: Interviews of Trusts by Department for Education and the Council.

March 2024: The Council Cabinet – requested to approve the site and lease (read Cabinet papers in full)

Spring 2024: Successful Trust announced

Mid-November 2024:  site surveys and feasibility stage complete

Summer or Autumn 2025: procurement of contractor to develop design for planning application

2026 to 2027:  construction of the new school

September 2027: New school opens

If you have any questions or would like any further information about the new school, please email: spp@worcestershire.gov.uk

Running of the school

The Department for Education have announced that MacIntyre Academies has been chosen to run the new autism school in Malvern. The Secretary of State for Education has written to confirm that the application from MacIntyre Academies to establish Enterprise Academy should proceed to the next stage of the free school’s process – the “pre-opening phase”.

Working closely with the Council, Enterprise Academy will offer specialist education for 120 pupils aged 5 to 19 with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The final decision to open any free school depends on the Secretary of State entering into a funding agreement (a legally binding contract which contains the terms and conditions upon which a free school is funded) with the academy trust proposing to set up the school.

Engagement events for potential sponsors'

Engagement events for potential applicants were held on 6 and 8 June 2023. 

The slides from the event, and a Questions and Answers document, are available below:

Download: Video transcript (PDF)

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