Plans for 900-place school in Northampton dropped by government after national review determines 'not enough long-term need'
Plans for a 900-place free school in Northampton, which was due to welcome students next year, have been dropped by the government.
Dallington Park School would have created 180 extra secondary school places in 2027, eventually increasing to 900, in the Kings Heath area.
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) said it was notified by the Department for Education (DfE) that the project had been cancelled in December last year.
Members of a West Northants Schools Forum committee, held on Tuesday February 3, heard that the project would have cost £30 million and that no additional or replacement funding has been provided by the government to offset the loss of the free school project.
The cancellation formed part of a wider £3 billion investment over the next four years in creating new SEND places, moving funding away from several planned mainstream schools.
Speaking to the LDRS, Dallington Spencer councillor and Labour group leader Sally Keeble said that the authorities “urgently need to make sure that there’s enough school provision” to cover the new residential estate.
“The buildings are going up at pace and everybody is very concerned about making sure that infrastructure is there, health services are there, and there is a pressing need to make sure there’s a school there,” she added.
Council must manage ‘higher pressure’ with no extra funding
A WNC spokesperson said: “The Department for Education (DfE) informed West Northamptonshire Council on December 11, 2025 that it will not go ahead with the planned free secondary school for the Kings Heath (Dallington) area. This followed a national review and was based on data showing there is not enough long‑term need for a new 900‑place school in this location.
“Although this particular school will not go ahead, we are expecting more housing in West Northamptonshire in the coming years, which will increase demand for school places.
“However, it is important to note that no additional or replacement funding has been provided to offset the loss of the free school project. West Northamptonshire will therefore be expected to accommodate future growth within the standard national Basic Need allocation, which does not increase simply because local demand rises.
“This means the council must manage higher pressure on school places without receiving any extra Government funding specifically linked to this cancelled scheme.
“Despite these challenges, West Northamptonshire Council remains committed to ensuring there are enough good‑quality school places for local children now and in the future.”
Dallington Grange is a major residential development with outline approval for around 3,000 homes. The new school would have been part of the Northampton Free School Trust, which also operates Wootton Park School. It entered the ‘pre-opening phase’ in 2021 and was already accepting registers of interest for the 2027 academic year.