'Smack in the face’: Parents refused meeting over scrapped Northampton secondary school plans
Parents who bought new homes in Northampton expecting new schools to be built have been dealt ‘a smack in the face’ after a council education boss refused to meet them over plans being scrapped, a councillor has said.
Councillor Sally Keeble has called on West Northamptonshire Council's (WNC) education portfolio holder to meet with parents angry over the decision to axe plans for new schools at the major Dallington Grange development.
The Labour group leader and Dallington Spencer councillor says families moved to the area expecting a secondary school and two primary schools to be built as part of the huge 3,000-home development.
But plans for the new secondary school have now been dropped, while one of the two proposed primary schools has also been scrapped.
A WNC spokesperson said the decision not to proceed with the planned free secondary school in the Kings Heath (Dallington) area was made by the Department for Education (DfE).
Councillor Keeble said the refusal of the council's education portfolio holder to meet with her and parents was ‘a smack in the face for parents who have expressed perfectly reasonable, well grounded aspirations for their children’s education’.
She wrote to Reform councillor Michael Stratton, WNC’s portfolio holder for children, families and education, in July asking for a meeting about the scrapped plans. However, Councillor Stratton declined the request, Councillor Keeble said.
Councillor Keeble said: “People have uprooted their families and invested all their finances to buy houses at Dallington Grange in the expectation that a secondary school and two primary schools would be built on the estate as indicated in the plans.
“There is no secondary school anywhere else in the ward, and children are dispersed to schools over a wide area. There no buses from the housing estate and existing secondary schools are well outside reasonable walking distance. And recent approval of new housing plans will only increase the pressure.”
Parents have been told their children could instead attend schools elsewhere in Northampton, with existing schools expanded to provide more places.
Councillor Keeble says some children could face walks of more than two miles a day to reach alternative schools, with no bus services from the new housing estate.
The secondary school had been planned as a 900-place free school in the Kings Heath area, known as Dallington Park School.
It was expected to welcome its first pupils in 2027, initially providing 180 places before eventually growing to accommodate 900 students.
However, the Department for Education cancelled the scheme following a national review, with WNC being told of the decision in December 2025.
Responding, a WNC spokesperson said: “The decision not to proceed with the planned free secondary school in the Kings Heath (Dallington) area was made by the Department for Education (DfE).
"The council had previously shared information with the DfE regarding local school place planning and there was no new evidence available to submit as part of an appeal process.
“Current forecasts show there is sufficient secondary school capacity across West Northamptonshire, including available places at nearby schools. Families in the area will continue to have access to a range of secondary school options and school admissions will continue to be managed in line with statutory requirements.
“The council remains committed to ensuring there are enough high-quality school places for local children and will continue to plan for future housing growth through basic need funding and developer contributions, including exploring a range of options to meet longer-term demand.”