URL: https://westsussex.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=2075

Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Learning and Skills (Cllr Jacquie Russell)

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Purpose: Millais is a girls’ secondary school in Horsham catering for pupils aged 11-16.  The demand for places at the school has been declining at a time when there is a shortfall of places for boys in the wider Horsham area.    In April 2024, the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Learning and Skills approved the launch of a public consultation, in accordance with Department for Education (DfE) guidance, to seek views on the proposals to change the status of Millais School from a single sex girls’ school to a co-educational school, thereby increasing the number of available secondary places for boys in the Horsham area (decision CYPLS03 (24/25) refers).  The changes would mean that Millais would no longer admit only girls as pupils from September 2026 and each year of entry thereafter would be co-educational. There are no changes proposed to have co-educational provision for any of the existing year groups on roll.    The consultation ran from 8 May 2024 to 12 June 2024 and views and comments have been collated from interested parties.  Details of the consultation and the feedback received are set out in section 4 of this report.   The DfE guidance sets out the stages of the process that should be undertaken when considering a change of status to co-educational provision.  Having completed the first stage, the initial consultation, the Cabinet Member is now asked to consider the feedback received and consider whether to approve the progression of the proposal to the next stage of the process – publication of statutory notices.   Should the school become co-educational some refurbishment works to the school site would be required, such as the delivery of adapted changing and toilet facilities.  Therefore, approval is also sought for allocation of the capital funding required to undertake the refurbishment works should it ultimately be determined that the change to co-educational provision should proceed to implementation.

Content: Millais is a girls’ secondary school in Horsham catering for pupils aged 11-16.  The demand for places at the school has been declining at a time when there is a shortfall of places for boys in the wider Horsham area.    In April 2024, the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Learning and Skills approved the launch of a public consultation, in accordance with Department for Education (DfE) guidance, to seek views on the proposals to change the status of Millais School from a single sex girls’ school to a co-educational school, thereby increasing the number of available secondary places for boys in the Horsham area (decision CYPLS03 (24/25) refers).  The changes would mean that Millais would no longer admit only girls as pupils from September 2026 and each year of entry thereafter would be co-educational. There are no changes proposed to have co-educational provision for any of the existing year groups on roll.    The consultation ran from 8 May 2024 to 12 June 2024 and views and comments have been collated from interested parties.  Details of the consultation and the feedback received are set out in section 4 of this report.   The DfE guidance sets out the stages of the process that should be undertaken when considering a change of status to co-educational provision.  Having completed the first stage, the initial consultation, the Cabinet Member is now asked to consider the feedback received and consider whether to approve the progression of the proposal to the next stage of the process – publication of statutory notices.   Should the school become co-educational some refurbishment works to the school site would be required, such as the delivery of adapted changing and toilet facilities.  Therefore, approval is also sought for allocation of the capital funding required to undertake the refurbishment works should it ultimately be determined that the change to co-educational provision should proceed to implementation. The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Learning and Skills has approved:   (1) The publication of formal statutory proposals to change the status of Millais School from a single sex girls’ school to a co-educational school from September 2026. (2) The allocation of £1.5m capital funding from the basic need budget to deliver the necessary works, as detailed in paragraph 2.7 of this report, to enable the school to change status to co-educational provision should it be determined that this should proceed to implementation following conclusion of the statutory proposal period.  (3) The delegation of authority to the Assistant Director (Education and Skills) to determine whether the proposal to change to co-educational provision should proceed, following consideration of any representations received during the statutory proposal period. (4) Should the change to co-educational provision proceed, the delegation of authority to the Assistant Director (Property and Assets) to commission the development of an agreed design for the necessary works and subsequently commence a procurement process to seek a contractor to deliver the required works. (5) The delegation of authority to the Assistant Director (Property and Assets) to submit the necessary planning application and building regulations approval and to obtain any statutory consents, and to enter into a construction contract with the successful tenderer. The Cabinet Member has declared a personal interest as a family member attends Millais School.

Date of Decision: January 16, 2025