The Government has cast doubt on the future of a key agreement to expand specialist school places in Surrey, as the Department for Education puts funding on hold for three new Free Schools that were a central commitment of an arrangement with Surrey County Council.
The programme, known as Safety Valve Agreements, was agreed under the last Conservative Government to help Councils reduce unsustainable deficits in their High Needs budgets. Surrey’s deal rested on building three new Free Schools to expand local specialist provision and reduce reliance on expensive independent placements.
With that funding now paused, Surrey faces an estimated shortfall of 500 places. That gap is expected to drive more children into independent settings, at a cost of at least £26.5 million a year to the High Needs budget, and risks making the entire agreement undeliverable. Surrey County Council has already warned that, without the promised schools, it cannot meet the targets required by the Department for Education.
Gregory Stafford, Member of Parliament for Farnham and Bordon, has written to the Education Secretary to demand answers. He is calling on Labour ministers to explain why the funding has been put on hold, what bridging support will be offered, and how vulnerable groups will be prioritised.
Gregory said:
“Labour ministers have chosen to kick away the very foundations of their SEND agreement with Surrey. These schools were promised, agreed, and essential to balancing the High Needs budget. By putting funding on hold, the Government is leaving families in limbo and the Councils unable to deliver. Labour must come clean and give Surrey the clarity it deserves.”
Surrey's Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Jonathan Hulley, added:
“While Surrey County Council's investment in building new specialist school places is significant - exceeding £200 million – we are reliant on Government for funding to build much-needed specialist schools in Surrey, including the three new Free Schools to deliver a further 500 school places. But this funding has not been forthcoming and now may never see the light of day.”
The Department for Education’s own evaluation, published in July, already highlighted mixed results across the Safety Valve programme. Critics warn that Labour’s decision to stall projects agreed under the previous Government will deepen uncertainty for families, inflate costs to taxpayers, and erode trust in the system.
