Decision details

To facilitate the decision to change Downland Special school from Single sex (boys only) to co-educational.

Following consultation I give notice that I have made the decision set out in the attached report for Downland Special School to become coeducational,

This decision was published on 14 September 2016 and will come into force on 22 September 2016.

The decision therefore becomes effective from 31 October 2016 with the school being able to admit girls by September 2017 at the latest.

Intention Reason

a.    Meet the needs of the growing number of girls who have social emotional and mental health needs (SEMH)

b.    Support the social, emotional and wellbeing of the boys at Downland school

Decision Reason

The feedback has been reviewed and it has been concluded that it is the right move for children and young people in Wiltshire with SEN, in and particular social emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, that boys and girls be given equal access to Downland Special School. Wiltshire Council is therefore making the decision for Downland Special School to change designation from single sex to coeducational.

This will come into effect from the 31st of October 2016 when a process of adaption, development and planning will take place to enable both girls and boys to attend Downland School by September 2017 at the latest.

Intention Options

a.    To remain single sex school (boys only)

b.    To change the designation of the school to coeducational

Decision Options

a.    To implementthe decisionas per the original proposalfromthe1st ofSeptember 2016.

b.    To implementthe decisionwith effect fromthe 31st of October 2016 with the schoolbeing readyto admit girls in September 2017at the latest.

As per the guidance laid out in line with Department of Education’s publication “School Organisation – Maintained schools” (April 2016) a four week consultation period was undertaken between the 13^th of June 2016 and the 13^th of July 2016 (see attached documents). Information was made available to key stakeholders regarding the proposals and the background behind these proposals. Stakeholders were encouraged to respond by filling in a consultation reply form which was made available, by post and email and via the Wiltshire Council and Local Offer Websites[1].

In addition, three meetings were held with parents, governors, staff, pupils and interested parties. The Head of Commissioning and Joint Planning, Susan Tanner, led the meetings with staff and Governors and parent/carers. A Voice and Influence officer led the consultation with the pupils supported by staff from Downland School.

25 staff and governors, 6 parents/carers, and 9 pupils (2 groups; 4 from key stage 3 and 5 from key stage 4) attended the meetings.

There were 5 written replies to the consultation, of these 0 were from parents and 4 were from members of staff and there was a collective response from the Downland School Governors.

Consultation meetings

Key areas of questioning and debate were around how having girls in the school would change the dynamic of the school. All of the three consultation sessions noted both positive and more challenging aspects of coeducational education. All three groups raised concerns around introducing only 1 or 2 girls such that they felt isolated or vulnerable. However the boys themselves and both staff and parents also noted that a coeducational school would offer the boys a broader socio-emotional education. The Governors noted that in principle they were in support of the proposal, provided the implementation plan met the need to ensure that girls did not experience an isolated start. Notes have been kept from all three consultations. Key areas of discussion:

Written Feedback

The written replies were on the whole less positive, although no replies were received from parents. Of the 4 staff who replied to the 3 choices (in favour, not sure and no) 3 noted they were “not sure” and 1 chose “no”. Key concerns were around:

·         Being able to manage the physical redevelopment of the build during term time

·         Concerns about the vulnerability of a small numbers of girls attending

·         Concerns about the upheaval and change particularly for a vulnerable group of boys.

Respondents were also asked to identify other options. One respondent suggested using an alternative Special School in Wiltshire. While this is an option, this has been put aside as the other Special Schools in Wiltshire do not have SEMH as their primary designation and have limited opportunities to offer girls the significant range of academic options that are available at Downland.

The Governors concerns were about the process. They felt that an implementation plan should have been written prior to the end of the consultation and the lack of one meant that, while they supported the proposal in principle, they were unable to fully support the proposal at this time without the implementation plan in place.

The Local Authorities response

None of the issues raised by the parents, pupils or staff are unexpected. The consultation document supporting the delegated decision does identify these same concerns. Therefore the decision to become coeducational should be made with a firm commitment to:

·         The development of a comprehensive implementation plan co-produced by Downland School and the Local Authority covering the time prior to the first girls arriving and the initial years when girls are in a significant minority. This will particularly include issues around safeguarding.

·         If at all possible, ensuring that rather than introducing individual girls, that a small cohort of girls started together

Local Authority Officers have responded to the Governors’ issues directly in writing to reassure them of our commitment to the implementation process, noting that it would have been inappropriate to complete an implementation plan prior to the completion of the consultation as this would have undermined the consultation and pre-empted the decision.

Subsequent correspondence from the Governors noted that they felt that the lack of an implementation plan undermined their ability to support the proposal and that at the end of the consultation period they felt that they had to note that they were not in favour of progressing the proposal until such time as the implementation plan reassured them that the process of becoming coeducational was not detrimental to the school.

In response the Local Authority is proposing to move the introduction of the coeducational designation from the 1st of September 2016 to the 31st of October 2016 to give the school additional time to develop the implementation plan.