Homewood College to close at the end of December

At the Cabinet meeting on Thursday 14 November, councillors agreed to close Homewood College at the end of December. 

Homewood College is a small specialist school in Queensdown Road, Brighton for 11- to 16-year-olds with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. 

The school has no registered pupils, with former pupils moved to more appropriate SEMH provision in line with their needs from the beginning of this school year.

Ofsted has rated Homewood College ‘inadequate: special measures’ since December 2021 and despite the efforts of school leaders, staff and the council, the school has not made sufficient improvement.

Consultation and engagement

A statutory consultation took place in the summer regarding the proposals to close Homewood College, which included 2 engagement events for pupils, parents and carers, staff and local residents.

Following the consultation, a statutory notice on the proposed closure of Homewood College was published between 7 October and 4 November. The 4-week representation period gave residents a final opportunity to comment on the proposals to close the school.

Next steps

Homewood College has been subject to an Academisation Order since February 2022, but no Academy Trust was identified to sponsor the school. The Department of Education have agreed to revoke the Academy Order, allowing us to formally close Homewood College. 

As there are currently no pupils attending or staff working at Homewood College, the school will officially close at the end of the year. 

Duty of care

Councillor Jacob Taylor, Deputy Leader of the Council, said: “We are committed to building a better future for children and young people in Brighton & Hove. We have a duty of care to ensure that all of our children and young people receive a good quality education that meets their social, emotional and mental health needs.

“Despite the tireless efforts of school leaders and staff to improve Homewood College, the school was unable to make sufficient progress. As such, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to close Homewood College. 

“Throughout this process we’ve worked closely with parents and carers of children who attended the school, and I’m pleased to report that all former pupils are now attending new placements that better meet their needs.”