St Nicholas School

Education Consultation

To Staff, Parents/ Carers and other interested Parties 14 May 2018

Kent County Council (KCC) wishes to consult you on proposals to make the following changes to St Nicholas School:

 increase the designated number of St Nicholas School from 200 to 285.  create satellite provision for 16 primary aged pupils at The .  create satellite provision for 16 secondary aged pupils at Spires

St Nicholas (Special) School is a day provision providing for 253 boys and girls aged 4 to 19 with Profound, Severe and Complex Needs (PSCN). In addition to the main school building at Holme Oak Close, the school also operates a primary satellite provision at Chartham Primary School. St Nicholas School also has links with a number of secondary schools, as well as with Canterbury College for post 16 students. This provides students with opportunities for integration. Spires Academy is one of the schools currently providing opportunities for integration for St Nicholas’ pupils.

Why do we need to increase the designated number to 285? As the strategic commissioner of school provision, the Local Authority has a duty to ensure that there are sufficient school places for the residents of . This duty applies to special school provision, as well as mainstream settings. Over time, to meet our responsibilities a number of our special schools have been asked to admit additional pupils. In some cases, this has led the schools involved to exceed their designated numbers. This has been the case at St Nicholas School and with the additional places proposed in the satellite provisions at The Canterbury Primary School and Spires Academy, we now need to undertake a consultation to permanently increase the designated number to meet current and future need.

Why Satellite Provisions? Kent County Council does not have enough local specialist provision in mainstream schools and too many children and young people have to go to a Special school too far from home to have their education, health and care needs met.

Following joint discussions between KCC, St Nicholas School, The Canterbury Primary School and Spires Academy, it was agreed that the proposed satellite provisions would be an exciting opportunity to work together to provide additional specialist places in Canterbury district. There is an increasing number of children with an education, health and care plan requiring ASD provision to meet their needs. It is anticipated that the satellite provisions will support pupils with complex learning difficulties incuding Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) rather than the full range of PSCN.

Both schools would host a specialist provision for up to 16 children. They would have their own accommodation within The Canterbury Primary School and Spires Academy which would be staffed by St Nicholas School. Pupils attending the satellite would continue to have access

to the support they need and would be on the roll of St Nicholas School and their education, health and care plans would name St Nicholas School as their school.

These exciting proposals will bring significant benefits as the partnerships will enable staff skills and expertise to be developed by sharing good practice, joint training and observation. Pupils will benefit from inclusive school opportunities.

We propose to make these places available for September 2019 and between now and then staff at St Nicholas School will work closely with parents to identify pupils who might attend the new provision. The pupils’ needs, including their friendship groups, will be taken into account during this process.

How will the children in the satellite provisions be accommodated in the schools? Kent County Council is currently undertaking feasibility work to look at how the schools’ buildings can be reconfigured to provide the space needed to create the satellite provisions. The children would have a class base where they can receive some individual and small group teaching. The class would also provide a base for Specialist Staff who will support the children when they are included in mainstream teaching groups with children of the same age. The children will be on the school roll of St Nicholas School and the specialist teacher and teaching assistant will also be provided by St Nicholas School. A specialist assessment of their needs will identify that they are suitable for mainstream school. The headteachers of the schools will discuss who is most appropriate and should be admitted.

We would like your views on these proposals:

You can have your say by:  completing the attached response form and sending it to Marisa White, Area Education Officer, Brook House, Reeves Way, Whitstable, Kent CT5 3SS. Alternatively, you may hand the form in at the school office.  emailing: [email protected]  attending an informal drop in session at St Nicholas School on Wednesday 6th June from 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm where there will be an opportunity to ask questions and give your views.

The closing date for sending in responses to the consultation is Friday 15th June. All views and comments received will be reported to the Children, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee at their meeting on 10 July. The Cabinet Member will decide on whether we should proceed with these proposals. If he agrees to proceed, KCC will publish a Public Notice for a four week period, which will provide another opportunity to submit any comments.

Yours sincerely

Marisa White Area Education Officer

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Additional Information

 for further information please go to: http://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and- children/schools/school-consultations where you will also find a completed Equality Impact Assessment to see if the plans could affect anyone unfairly. We welcome your views on the assumptions we have made and the conclusions we have drawn.

 You can view our Strategy for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at: www.kent.gov.uk/sendstrategy

 If you want to find out more about the planned increase in school places at St Nicholas School, or the planned satellite provision at The Canterbury Primary School and Spires Academy, you can email your questions to: [email protected]

 You can view the Commissioning Plan for Education Provision Kent 2018 to 2022 at: www.kent.gov.uk/educationprovision

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St Nicholas School Education Consultation Response Form

Please complete this response form and return:

 hand it in at the school office or  send it to: Marisa White, Area Education Officer, Brook House, Reeves Way, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 3SS.

Please return no later than 15 June 2018

Do you agree with the plan to increase the number of places available at St Nicholas school from 200 to 285 Yes No Undecided

Do you agree with the plan to create a satellite of St Nicholas School at The Canterbury Primary School for primary Yes No Undecided age pupils?

Do you agree with the plan to create a satellite of St Nicholas School at Spires Academy for secondary age Yes No Undecided pupils?

Which of the following best describes you? Please delete as appropriate

Parent/Carer / Member of Staff / Governor / Pupil / Other

If ‘Other’, please state interest…...…………………………………...……………………………......

Name ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…

Address …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Kent County Council is a data controller under the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will apply from 25 May 2018 and will comply with the requirements of these at all times. We will ensure that your personal information is processed fairly and lawfully and, in this instance, used only for the purpose of validation, which will enable a fair and just consultation.

Comments:

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