A Kent school looks set to close amid financial pressures after a council’ “refused to pay” almost £2 million it owes to help keep children safe.

Bradstow School in Broadstairs, which supports children on the autism spectrum with severe disabilities, is projected to plunge £1.7 million in the red by the end of the financial year.

Cash-strapped Wandsworth London Borough Council (WLBC), which maintains the Dumpton Park Drive site, has announced it could be forced to shut next August.

The authority says the decision was made while Kent County Council (KCC) refused to pay £2 million for services the school provided.

A recent report states: “Kent County Council have the largest number of children placed at the provision.

“They are refusing to pay in the region of £2m of fees owed, a combination of not accepting inflationary uplifts nor paying for extra support required to ensure that their children can be supported safely.”

Opened in 1990, following the abolition of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA), the school consists of five children’s homes, two boarding homes and a special school.

It has 33 youngsters with intellectual disabilities alongside emotional and behavioural challenges on its books aged between five and 19.

Of these, 27 are boarders and six are day pupils.

In total, 15 local authorities use the school for pupils with KCC accommodating 14 of them.

A further two learners fall within Medway Council’s remit and WLBC has placed four.

But WLBC’s children’s overview and scrutiny committee recently voted in favour of the closure after an official report revealed a projected deficit of £1.7m by the end of the 2024/25 financial year.

The papers state if the school remained open the financial black hole would continue to grow.

It means the local authority is now proposing to close for Bradstow by August 2025, pending a comprehensive consultation process.

Following an approach from the Department for Education (DfE), and because the majority of placements at Bradstow are from on behalf of KCC, a proposal was underway to potentially transfer the school as a maintained provision to KCC for more than two years.

This would have meant no change of circumstances for pupils as provision would have continued as normal.

WLBC states KCC was also offered the full ownership of the land, property and buildings as part of the transfer discussions.

But on October 15 KCC notified Wandsworth it was not interested in pursuing this option despite discussions being on the cards since November 2021.

This is said to be due to the financial investment required to make the building fit for purpose and the significant resourcing and risk it would take to sustain the school.

Further information in the report said: "The decision to consult on the closure of the school was not taken lightly and has come as a last resort.

"Bradstow School operates within a challenging financial landscape and the unwillingness of councils to pay the levels of fees needed to maintain the quality and financial viability of the school has forced WLBC to look at other options.

"The consultation, proposed to commence in January 2025, prioritises transparency and inclusivity, giving families, staff and the wider community extensive opportunity to engage with the process and provide feedback.

"This will allow WLBC to carefully consider all views before a final decision is made, and, if the decision to close the school goes ahead, it will work with school leaders and families to plan a smooth transition for each child.

"Because Bradstow is so complex, both operationally and financially, it has been so far an unattractive proposition for academisation.

"Debt levels are accumulating and will materially impact the overall council’s finances if they are allowed to continue to grow.

"At present, Wandsworth continues to operate the provision while holding all the safeguarding, operational and financial risks."

The council, though, says it remains determined to help children across its own local area.

It added: "Wandsworth Council is committed to supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) locally, keeping them educated and cared for within Wandsworth or as close to their homes as possible.”

The report states the authority has invested £41m in expanding special educational needs provision (SEND) in its own borough creating over 271 places since 2021.

A total of £34m has been spent on a purpose-built expansion of Paddock Secondary and Sixth Form School to improve local provision for children with needs and complexities - similar to many children supported at Bradstow.

East Thanet MP Polly Billington (Lab) has urged KCC to change its decision in a bid to prevent attendees from missing out on "a high-quality education".

The 57-year-old Labour representative, who won the seat during July's general election, explained: "We are asking you to step in and take ownership of the facility so the brilliant and dedicated teachers can continue to deliver world class care to whose who need it most.

"KCC owes Wandsworth over £2 million in unpaid bills for the care they are providing to Kent children - who make up over half of all students at the school.

"You will be aware Wandsworth has offered to transfer ownership of the school over to KCC - including all land.

"I implore you to do the right thing and allow this transfer to happen and keep the school operating.

"You will be well aware we already have a crisis in SEND education capacity within Kent. This is particularly acute in east Thanet, where Bradstow School is based.

"Closing this school will only exacerbate this crisis and deny children the right to a high-quality education."

A petition amassing almost 750 signatures has since been created in an effort to prevent Wandsworth ceasing its consultation process and closing Bradstow School.

Those wishing to partake can do so here.

An Ofsted rating in June last year saw Bradstow scoop an 'Outstanding' grade.

However, the school was given 'Requires Improvement' for leadership and overall in May this year, while maintaining its ‘Outstanding’ score across all other categories.

KCC has been contacted for contact about the money owed.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson said: “KCC is working to find alternative educational provision for the pupils currently attending Bradstow School.

“Individual plans for each student will seek to minimise the disruption to young people and their families arising from the transition.”