Warwickshire County Council expects a new alternative provision school in Warwick will be delayed by more than a year – if it even happens at all. 

An update for councillors on the Talenton Academy, a new free school for up to 60 secondary students in Warwick which was originally due to open in September 2025, revealed no further progress on a project being led and funded by the Department for Education (DfE). 

In November 2024, the council reported that delays meant the project would be at least a year behind schedule and cast doubt over its future. 

The latest performance update says: "Following the change of government we still have no confirmation as to whether the scheme will proceed.

"Given the current position, the September 2026 starting date would be compromised even if a scheme was approved during January 2025."

Alternative provision is for students who are unable to attend mainstream school due to factors including exclusion, health needs, behaviour or other needs, including some special education needs and disabilities (SEND).

It can be provided through a number of different settings such as pupil referral units, further education colleges, sixth form centres and special schools and is generally considered a short-term intervention, meaning the 60 places would likely help up to triple that number across a school year. 

The county's director of education Johnny Kyriacou described the school as something "that we really need" but added that work was still going ahead to secure the capacity required. 

"It has been delayed for many years and at the moment, we cannot see when it is going to happen," he told councillors on the county's children and young people overview and scrutiny committee.

"It is outside our control and a DfE matter but we are not going to wait. We are looking at our alternative provision strategy and there is a workstream to look at a different approach, a more locality-based model.

"We are about to open a small alternative provision called the Coleshill Pod which will cater for around 16 young people and provide an outreach service. 

"We hope to build on that model, looking at potentially extending it around the county. The advantage to the localised model is greater efficiency with transport costs, which is quite a big barrier to putting these provisions in place, but also that investment in the outreach, having a team to go out and support with integration. 

"We are not waiting around for the DfE to get the project going, we are moving forward."