Proposed Specialist Support Centre at Buckingham Park Primary School

Summary of proposals

To create a Specialist Support Centre (SSC) at Buckingham Park School. The SSC would provide specialist provision for 12 pupils aged 4 to 11 years with social communication differences. This is known as a Soc Comm SSC.

Background

Buckingham Park is a 3 form entry school that is reducing to a 2 form entry school over the next 5 years. Therefore, the school has surplus space that, with adaptations, can be turned into a suitable environment for an SSC.

Need for Change

There is an ongoing shortfall of specialist places in West Sussex and an urgent requirement to provide additional places. This is in line with what is being seen nationally - see Support for children and young people with special educational needs - NAO report (opens in new window). The County Council has a statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for all children who need a place.

In West Sussex there has been a significant growth in the number of children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). The county currently maintains over 10,000 EHCPs. Whilst we would expect most children and young people with an EHCP to be supported within a maintained mainstream school setting, there is increased demand for specialist provision and approved place numbers of all the Council’s maintained special schools have been exceeded.

Increasing provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) through the creation of additional places, will assist with the aim of enabling children to attend school locally. Consequently, this will reduce the number of children and young people with SEND moving from maintained schools and academies into costly education provision in the Independent and Non-Maintained Special School sector.

The creation of an SSC in the Adur area has been prioritised by the Service to support the overall creation of more specialist placements within West Sussex.

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 follows a national framework on school reorganisation called Making significant changes ('prescribed alterations') to maintained schools (opens in new window), and will work with those involved to support all staff through the process of change. The school would require an increase in staff numbers to accommodate the higher staff to pupil ratios associated with an SSC.

The proposal

Buckingham Park Primary School is a West Sussex maintained mainstream school. The proposed SSC will accommodate 12 pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. The leadership team and governing body of the school will not change as a result of the creation of the SSC.

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