Consultation on the proposed closure of Homewood College
We’re seeking views on the proposal to close Homewood College, following agreement at the council’s Cabinet meeting on Thursday 27 June.
Homewood College is a small specialist school for pupils aged 11 to 16 with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.
The proposal to close the school is part of a range of changes coming in to improve the educational offer to current pupils for the remainder of their schooling.
This includes introducing a new model of provision for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, which was agreed at the same cabinet meeting. This model will offer more flexible and more inclusive option for pupils with SEMH in the city.
Homewood College
Homewood College has been in the Ofsted category of ‘inadequate: special measures’ since December 2021 and despite the efforts of school leaders, staff and support from the council, the school has not made sufficient improvement.
Following consultation with parents and carers of pupils and school staff earlier this year, no further places have been commissioned at the school from September 2024.
As part of that process, we’ve been working with parents and carers to find more appropriate SEMH provision for pupils from September.
Have your say
When a local authority proposes to close a school, it must carry out a period of statutory consultation.
We want to hear from pupils, parents, staff, and local residents. Your feedback is vital in helping us understand the potential impacts of this proposal and inform the decision-making process.
The consultation is open until Thursday 5 September 2024.
As part of the consultation, we're holding an online consultation event on Monday 15 July from 12 noon on MS Teams. Anyone wishing to take part can join using the link on the Your Voice platform.
We are also holding an in-person consultation event at 6pm on Wednesday 17 July at Homewood College, Queensdown School Road, Brighton BN1 7LA.
Following the consultation, a further report will be presented to councillors in late September detailing the responses to the consultation and making recommendations about the next steps.
Providing the best possible education
Council Deputy Leader, Councillor Jacob Talyor, said: “Our priority duty is to make sure we’re providing the best possible education to meet the identified social, emotional and mental health needs of all pupils.
“While proposing to close a school is a difficult decision, this is part of the work to improve the educational offer for pupils with SEMH in the city, and follows the decision this year to stop placements at the school.
“Since then, we’ve been working to find alternative placements for pupils and have extra support in place to make that change as smooth as possible.
“There has been a lot of hard work by staff at the school and the council to try to overcome the difficulties Homewood College faces. We are very sorry that the school has not been able to make the improvement needed.
“We do welcome your comments on the proposals, so please share your views through our online survey or at either of the consultation events.”