A specialist school with small classes has been granted planning permission to open in Brighton.
Hove Micro School has been given planning permission to convert a large shared house – or house in multiple occupation (HMO) – at 10 Carden Avenue, Brighton, into a small-scale independent school.
The independent school supports children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), particularly those experiencing emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), pathological demand avoidance (PDA), autism and anxiety-related needs.
Seven people wrote to Brighton and Hove City Council to support the application, with many sharing experiences from family members with SEND.
An anonymous supporter, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “I have a younger brother who is autistic and I genuinely feel that an environment like this could have really benefited him during his education.
“Smaller, more specialist settings can make a huge difference for children who struggle in mainstream schools, both academically and socially.”
The second site, in Carden Avenue, would help the school to respond to demand for places from families and councils.
The school currently has a single site in Manor Hall Road, Southwick, and is rated “good” by Ofsted with “outstanding” elements.
The school’s founder Rachael Ammari said: “We’re absolutely delighted that planning permission has been approved.
“This is a really significant milestone for Hove Micro-School and means we can move forward with creating a permanent home for many more children who have found it difficult to thrive in mainstream education.
“The support we’ve received from families, professionals and the local community throughout the process has been overwhelming, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who took the time to support the application.
“Demand for specialist school places continues to grow, and our expansion will allow us to increase our capacity from 22 to 50 pupils, extend our age range to include key stage 4 and provide a nurturing, therapeutic learning environment for more autistic children and young people with SEND across Brighton and Hove and the surrounding areas.
“We’re excited about the next chapter and look forward to welcoming prospective families to our future open mornings once work on the new site progresses.”
Conditions attached to the planning permission restrict the school’s use to between 8am and 5.30pm on Mondays to Fridays.
A car park layout plan and details of secure cycle parking facilities need to be submitted and approved in writing by the council before the school can open.
