LANCASTER County Council is conducting a public consultation on its plans to privatise Wennington Hall School amid claims it is no longer financially viable.
It is one of only two special schools of this type - for children with academic, social, emotional and behavioural difficulties - that offers residential places in Lancashire.
After being rated ‘poor’ by Ofsted in 2016 and ‘inadequate’ in subsequent ratings, pupil numbers have been in decline. Of the 80 places on offer at the school, only 55 are currently filled.
As a result, it is running ‘at a loss’, prompting the move toward privatisation.
The school’s most recent Ofsted report showed marked improvements made under the guidance of a new head teacher.
Labour Councillor Phillip Black said: “Private Special schools are notoriously expensive for the public purse. Any new operators would need to make a profit for themselves as well as providing an educational service.”
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