The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Sean Gaul, approved the closure of Ace Nursery and the education specification for a new special school in Didcot. The meeting also agreed to begin the process of finding an academy sponsor for the new Didcot school.

Proposed Closure of Ace Nursery

The Cabinet Member approved the recommendation to close The Ace Centre Maintained Nursery School in Chipping Norton. The decision follows a period of significant challenges for the nursery, including a sustained reduction in pupil numbers, which has impacted its financial and educational viability. The report noted that there are more nursery places than needed in the Chipping Norton area, with a declining birth rate expected to further reduce demand. The nursery has already temporarily closed to children from January 2026, with families successfully finding alternative places. The formal closure date is set for 31 August 2026. Despite 24 out of 25 responses to a pre-publication consultation opposing the closure, and four objections during the statutory consultation period, the council concluded that alternative early years provision is available and sufficient locally.

Didcot Valley Park Special School - Education Specification and Approval to Start LA Presumption Process

The Cabinet Member approved the education specification for a new special school to serve the Didcot area. This new school will cater to children with Profound & Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD) or Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) and associated needs, with an age range of 2-19 and a planned capacity of 120 pupils. The decision also authorises the launch of a competitive process to identify an academy sponsor to run the school, as Oxfordshire County Council will not operate it directly, in line with the 2011 Education Act which mandates new schools to be academies or free schools.

The need for this new school arises from the lack of special schools in the Didcot area, forcing children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to travel long distances for education. This results in increased transport costs for the council and a greater reliance on expensive Independent Non-Maintained Special School (INMSS) placements. Didcot is experiencing significant housing growth, which is expected to increase the demand for special educational provision.

The process for selecting an academy sponsor will involve inviting applications from interested academy trusts, assessing them against the approved specification, and making a recommendation to the Department for Education's Regional Director. The new school is anticipated to open in 2028. The specification was informed by a public consultation, which received 14 responses, with 11 expressing clear support for the proposal. Some feedback suggested the school should not be too large, should serve ASD/SEMH needs, and should offer after-school clubs and more nursery places. The council noted that a separate special school for ASD/SEMH needs is also being progressed for the Didcot area.