Campaigners demanding a new secondary school for children with special needs in Medway are being used as “political pawns,” according to the man in charge of education.

Families of youngsters at Abbey Court School in Strood held a silent protest on Thursday, ahead of a council meeting largely dominated by the fight to have a new secondary built to increase capacity.

Samantha Devere, whose seven-year-old daughter Millie suffers from an acquired brain injury and complex epilepsy, was one of those taking part in the action.

She said: “Abbey Court is the only school in Medway which caters for profoundly disabled children.

“As it stands, there’s no funding for them, meaning they will be forced out of the borough and possibly placed in residential care for schooling.

“We believe this shouldn’t be the case, they should be schooled in their home borough where they’ve been born and raised – they need to stay close to their families.”

A secondary school was expected to be built on the same site as the new primary, but work has not started due to a lack of funding.

Campaigners claim there will be a shortage of secondary places at Abbey Court in September 2019 – something which is strongly denied by Medway Council’s portfolio holder for children’s services.

Cllr Andrew Mackness (Con) told the meeting: “To be misled, to be managed by individuals as political pawns, to campaign when they’re not informed correctly. There are sufficient places across Abbey Court until 2020 – fact.

“We will continue to do a detailed piece of work responsibly with consideration for all special schools. There are a range of alternatives that will be considered in the future, and we will not be rushed into any decision.”

Medway Labour called for the council to be “more transparent” and “account for its position” by the end of the month, but the motion was voted down by Conservative councillors.

The authority is currently working on a document which will outline future plans for special educational needs in the Towns, including in mainstream schools.

Cllr Mackness added: “A substantial piece of work is already under way to inform the pupil provision requirement from September 2020 onwards, covering all children in Medway.

“This analysis will also be used to lobby government to highlight any lack of funding – which clearly there is – to ensure we try to get in place (and) to seek any required additional funds moving forward.”

According to Cllr Barry Kemp (Con), the work will be completed “in the autumn”.

Responding to political attacks from the other side of the chamber, Medway Labour’s deputy leader Cllr Teresa Murray said: “This campaign is about parents and teachers who care about the future of children.

“As it stands, they don’t know what is going to happen to them when they go to secondary school because you (Conservative group) won’t tell them.”