A special school is earmarked to close, with the council’s new cabinet being asked to approve the necessary statutory consultation process.
Brighton and Hove City Council plans to close Homewood College for good in December – three years after the school was rated inadequate after an official inspection by education watchdog Ofsted.
The council has stopped sending pupils to Homewood College and the school is not expected to have any pupils at the start of the new academic year in September.
The school catered for children with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs and an education, health and care plan (EHCP).
In the current academic year, the school has 35 pupils, with 13 about to move on to post-16 education and the others to be placed elsewhere.
A report to the cabinet, which meets on Thursday (27 June), said that follow up visits by Ofsted, including one last December, found that attendance was poor and staff turnover as high.
The report said: “Despite efforts that have been made over the last two years to improve the provision by school leaders and staff working with council services, some of the problems facing the school are complex and long-standing and the quality of education at the school, as well as attendance by pupils, has been declining.
“With the support of the Department for Education’s regional director for the south east, the Beckmead Academy Trust has been offering support to the leadership of the school.
“However, the trust’s support is only short term and it is not in a position to offer permanent sponsorship to the school.
“Council officers remain concerned that fewer than half the 36 pupils on the school roll have attended the school site this academic year and, for those are who are attending, the quality of education is unsatisfactory and the outcomes for pupils have not been good enough.”
At the end of the 2022-23 financial year, the school had a cumulative overspend of £343,000 – and this is expected to rise to £709,000 at the end of the current school year.
On Thursday, the cabinet faces a public question asking: “Where is the cost-benefit analysis that was promised? This document (the council report) appears to have no costings.”
Green councillor Sue Shanks also plans to ask the council’s cabinet what will happen to the empty school buildings – not just at Homewood but at Hertford Infant School and St Bartholomew’s, in Brighton, and St Peter’s, in Portslade.
Conservative group leader Alistair McNair plans to ask what the likelihood is of the public consultation leading to Homewood staying open and what measures are in place to support current pupils.
Another report to the cabinet asks members to approve alternative arrangements for young people with social, emotional and mental health needs who require a special school place as Homewood is “decommissioned”.
Proposals include expanding the pupil referral unit (PRU), in Lynchet Close, Hollingdean, to provide 12 places for year 7 pupils in September and 12 more in September 2025, giving them a “middle school” to help them move from primary to secondary school.
This seems like another waste of time meeting.
Heads of service have already declared school closed and staff will be redundant in 4 weeks time.
The head has assisted in the closure as was starting to work with old head in place.
Staff and pupils have been demoralized with no support from the council or the so called academy who came in to make good.
Pupils will be shipped out across county at a much higher cost to tax payer than if council supported school to stay open with finding and staffing needed for the young extremely vulnerable.
Staff have been stressed to point of break downs.
Local council have for years been washing hands of the school and other special needs schools.
The school recently had a complete change of governors who could not cope with the stipulations council imposed. The new ones consist of a senior leader of the academy that should of helped the school come out of special measures, instead they have employed the head in place now who seems to have worked for them in the process of closing school so that academy can jump in and take the reins of special education.
My child has been told that staff are not allowed to transfer to new provision and will only spend two days a week being educated and three days by work experience.
His school friend has been told to get a taxi to hailsham each day.
Dear council sort yourself out stop messing around with pupils and destroying them mentally. And then question the ones who have instigated this all
Has the local councillors spoken to staff as I know they haven’t spoken to us parents.
Doubt it very much
Send a reporter in to speak to staff