URL: https://westsussex.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=2465

Decision Maker: Service Director (Education and Skills) (Claire Hayes)

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Purpose: St Anthony’s is a special school in Chichester offering Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision for children and young people with moderate learning difficulties aged between 4 and 16. There is a need to increase the number of places at the school to meet rising demand. A feasibility study and initial design work has been undertaken to expand St Anthony’s into vacant school buildings situated on the same site as the special school (these were previously occupied by Jessie Younghusband Primary School). St Anthony’s expansion into these school buildings would create up to 50 additional specialist school places, increasing St Anthony’s planned place numbers from 264 to 314.   The Department for Education (DfE) guidance sets out the process that should be undertaken when considering expanding a special school which consists of a number of stages.  In December 2023 approval was given to launch an initial public consultation to seek views on the proposal to relocate Jessie Younghusband from its shared site with St Anthony’s School, to a new primary school on the housing development west of Chichester, known as Minerva Heights. As part of that consultation views were also sought on the proposal to expand St Anthony’s into the Jessie Younghusband Primary School site once vacated. The process related to the relocation of Jessie Younghusband school progressed with the move to the new school buildings happening to enable opening on the new school site in September 2025.   After considering the feedback from the consultation relating to expanding St Anthony’s in September 2025, the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learning approved progression to the next stage of the DfE process, the publication of formal statutory proposals to expand the school by 50 places. The Cabinet Member also delegated authority to the Service Director (Education and Skills) to determine whether the proposal should proceed following consideration of any representations received during the statutory consultation stage.   The statutory proposals were published for a four-week period during October and November 2025 and this provided the opportunity for all interested parties and the public to submit any comments about the expansion proposal.   94.7% of those who responded supported the expansion and further details of the representations received during the statutory proposal period are set out in section 4 of this report.  Following consideration of the representations received it is proposed to proceed with the expansion of St Anthony’s School.

Content: St Anthony’s is a special school in Chichester offering Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision for children and young people with moderate learning difficulties aged between 4 and 16. There is a need to increase the number of places at the school to meet rising demand. A feasibility study and initial design work has been undertaken to expand St Anthony’s into vacant school buildings situated on the same site as the special school (these were previously occupied by Jessie Younghusband Primary School). St Anthony’s expansion into these school buildings would create up to 50 additional specialist school places, increasing St Anthony’s planned place numbers from 264 to 314.   The Department for Education (DfE) guidance sets out the process that should be undertaken when considering expanding a special school which consists of a number of stages.  In December 2023 approval was given to launch an initial public consultation to seek views on the proposal to relocate Jessie Younghusband from its shared site with St Anthony’s School, to a new primary school on the housing development west of Chichester, known as Minerva Heights. As part of that consultation views were also sought on the proposal to expand St Anthony’s into the Jessie Younghusband Primary School site once vacated. The process related to the relocation of Jessie Younghusband school progressed with the move to the new school buildings happening to enable opening on the new school site in September 2025.   After considering the feedback from the consultation relating to expanding St Anthony’s in September 2025, the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learning approved progression to the next stage of the DfE process, the publication of formal statutory proposals to expand the school by 50 places. The Cabinet Member also delegated authority to the Service Director (Education and Skills) to determine whether the proposal should proceed following consideration of any representations received during the statutory consultation stage.   The statutory proposals were published for a four-week period during October and November 2025 and this provided the opportunity for all interested parties and the public to submit any comments about the expansion proposal.   94.7% of those who responded supported the expansion and further details of the representations received during the statutory proposal period are set out in section 4 of this report.  Following consideration of the representations received it is proposed to proceed with the expansion of St Anthony’s School. The Service Director (Education and Skills) has approved the expansion of St Anthony’s School by 50 additional specialist school places, increasing St Anthony’s planned place numbers from 264 to 314, with effect from September 2027. None declared.

Date of Decision: July 1, 2026