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Critics Slam Abu Dhabi Funded School's SEND Exploitation

1/30/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Hilden Park School in Tonbridge is owned by Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund.
It charges between £90,000 and £104,614 annually for 25 pupils with special educational needs (SEND).
Ofsted rates the school outstanding.
Critics, including Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson, say firms exploit the SEND system, diverting funds from public education, and council spending on private SEND has grown to about £2.2 billion.

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Story summary

Hilden Park School in Tonbridge is owned by Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund.
It charges between £90,000 and £104,614 annually for 25 pupils with special educational needs (SEND).
Ofsted rates the school outstanding.
Critics, including Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson, say firms exploit the SEND system, diverting funds from public education, and council spending on private SEND has grown to about £2.2 billion.