Proposed change of Millais Secondary from a single sex girls' school to a co-educational school consultation

Consultation opens as of 19 June 2025

Getting the right decision on the future of secondary education choices for parents and young people across the Horsham area is important to us. Everyone with an interest in that ambition and who wants to have their say is being given another opportunity to do so. The County Council took a decision to approve the proposal in March 2025 after a formal consultation on a published proposal.

We have since reviewed the arrangements and advice surrounding that second consultation exercise and have decided to cancel that exercise and the decision arising from it. There will now be a fresh full consultation which all are invited to contribute to – including those who responded to the 2024 engagement process. We wish to make clear that we will consider or re-consider all responses and representations – including views previously expressed. We have acted promptly to concerns raised about the previous process and want to make sure there is time for everyone to respond before the end of the current school year.

We have today republished the statutory notices seeking views from the public and stakeholders. The four-week representation period runs from 19 June to midnight on 18 July 2025. Once the deadline for providing representations has passed and any feedback received and considered, the designated Cabinet Member will be asked to decide whether to proceed with the change of status of Millais School to a co-educational school. All views and comments will be analysed and considered against the reasons for presenting the proposal following the consultation we carried out last year. A full report will be made public for consideration by the decision-maker within the County Council. We are hoping that their decision will be made before the end of July but that will depend upon the responses we get, and the time needed to consider them fully.

Summary of proposals

Following consideration of the options regarding future admissions to the school, West Sussex County Council are consulting again on proposals to change the status of the school from a single sex girls’ school to a co-educational boys’ and girls’ school. The consultation proposes that Millais school receives the first co-educational cohort, which will be for Year 7 admissions only, from September 2026. All subsequent Year 7 admissions would similarly be for boys and girls.

Why did the Council consult on change

The opportunity for change and a re-organisation of the school arises because the school has not filled all its places for the last four years impacting on budgets and resources and at the same time there is a shortage of places for boys in the area. The change provides the opportunity to build on the current good practice of the school and help to drive up educational standards across the town by offering boys as well as girls access to the high-quality education offer.

West Sussex County Council recognises the pressure for additional secondary places in Horsham locality and a desire to ensure secondary places for all pupils locally. Under s14 of the Education Act 1996 the County Council has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient places to provide education for all children and young people. The school needs to be ready to meet the local needs of an expanding school population. By offering places to boys it will reduce the need for some boys in the Horsham area to be sent to schools in other District and Boroughs away from their friendship groups and involving long daily journeys. The pressure for places is likely to increase in the future.

The proposal

The proposal is to change the status of the school from a single sex girls’ school to a co-educational school. At this stage, it is not intended to change the age range of the school which is currently 11-16. The first co-educational cohort is to enter Year 7 in September 2026. Existing year groups of girls will continue to receive their education at the school until they leave at the age of 16.

Staffing

The Local Authority does not envisage the school changing its ethos and mission. The school provides an outstanding education, with high-quality teaching and a nurturing school ethos that empowers each student to achieve their personal best. Staff are our most valuable resource and it is important that should there be any need for changes these are dealt with fairly and sensitively. The County Council has a Code of Practice on school reorganisation, written with the support of the unions and professional associations, designed to support all staff through the process of change.

Meeting the needs of co-educational year groups

Adaptations to the facilities, the curriculum and pastoral care, are needed to ensure all pupils have equality of opportunity to that which they would receive in other co-educational schools eg. ensuring sufficient new boys' toilets and changing facilities, access to the curriculum for physical education and providing appropriate emotional and social support for boys and girls including those with Special Educational Needs.

Children and Young People Services Scrutiny Committee

The Children and Young People's Services Scrutiny Committee is responsible for the overview and scrutiny of the Cabinet portfolio area of Learning and Skills. The proposal to change the status of Millais school was scrutinised on 11th September 2024. You can re-watch the meeting in the webcast library. The Chair of the Committee is Councillor John Dabell. Home - West Sussex webcasts (public-i.tv) (opens in new window)

Public Consultation and Decision Making

Changing the status of a single sex school to co-educational requires public consultation. It is a two-stage process, initially an informal consultation took place over a four week period (rom 8 May 2024 to 12 June 2024). At the end of this period, and following analysis of the comments received, and review by the Children and Young People Services Scrutiny Committee, the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Learning and Skills, took the decision to publish statutory notices (opens in new window). Statutory notices were published on 23 January 2025 for a formal five-week consultation period until 27 February 2025. The final decision was taken by Jacquie Russell on 25 March 2025 and this came into effect from 4 April 2025. This decision has been cancelled (opens in new window) and we are now opening consultation between 19 June 2025 and 18 July 2025.

-----------------------------------

Alternate formats and accessibility

If you require any of this information in an alternative format, then please contact us by phone 0330 222 3046 or via email at vanessa.cummins@westsussex.gov.uk and we will assist you. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and have BTs Relay UK app (previously called the NGT texting app) installed on your computer, laptop or smartphone, you can contact us on 18001 0330 222 3046.

Please note, you can use the Google Translate function to access this project in a range of different languages. The Google Translate widget can be found at the top left-hand side of the project page, where it sits just above the black West Sussex County Council ribbon.

For more information about the accessibility of this website, please see our Accessibility tab (opens in new window) at the foot of the page.

Survey web browser compatibility

Please use one of the browsers below when completing the survey to ensure it looks and works as it should. These are:

· Microsoft Edge version 86 and above

· Chrome version 86 and above

· Firefox version 78 and above

· Safari version 14 and above