Cumbrian MP asks Prime Minister to step in to create more specialist school places
Carlisle MP Julie Minns has urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to take action to address the severe shortage of specialist school places in North Cumbria.
During Prime Minister's Questions on February 12, 2025, Ms Minns highlighted the urgent situation facing James Rennie School, a specialist school in Carlisle, which she said is already exceeding capacity.
She told the Prime Minister: 'James Rennie is an outstanding specialist school in the heart of my Carlisle constituency.
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'Having converted every spare corner into classrooms, exceeded its published admissions numbers and already having 43 applications known for this September, it is literally bursting at the seams.'
Ms Minns warned that the school has no room left to expand and made a direct plea for government intervention, saying: 'It cannot expand any further, and what is clearly needed is a new specialist school for North Cumbria.'
She called on the Prime Minister to prioritise children's needs over politics, asking: 'What assurances can the Prime Minister give my constituents that his government will put children before ideology and allow local authorities to tackle the shortage in SEND provision?'
In response, Sir Keir acknowledged the importance of the issue and said his government is working on improving provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
He replied: 'I thank my honourable friend for raising this vital issue.
'It is not the first time it has come up.
READ MORE: Cumbrian autism charity highlights issues in 'financially unsustainable' SEN system
'We are supporting mainstream schools to increase SEND expertise while also establishing dedicated SEND units, because we need to make sure that special schools can also cater for those with the most complex needs.'
He added: 'We are working on this.
'It has come up time and again, but we are taking those vital initial steps.'
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