‘It’s an absolute mess’: building work seriously delayed on 33 new special schools in England

Promised provision, particularly for autistic children, was announced a year ago but few schools will open on time

Plans to deliver thousands of new special school places by 2026 are falling seriously behind, with experts branding the building programme a mess", the Observer can reveal.

The news calls into question the only announcement on schools the chancellor made in last week's budget - a commitment of 105m towards 15 additional special schools.