Statutory Notice for Prescribed Alterations to four

schools hosting Specialist Resource Bases (SRBs)

LA Contact Details:Stuart Brunton-Douglas, SEN Strategy Projects Manager Children’s Services, Norfolk County Council, Room 117, County Hall, Norwich, NR1 2DL.

Telephone: 01603 638322

Email:

School details:

Sidestrand Hall Complex Needs School, Sidestrand, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 0NH

Telephone: 01263 578144

Description of alteration and evidence of demand

These changes require a statutory process under the prescribed alterations to special schools guidance as the number of places is being increased by 10% and the age range is being extended to cater for 6th form students.

Notice is given in accordance with section 19 (1) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 that, Norfolk County Council and Sidestrand Hall Complex Needs School intends to:

  • Increase the number of places at Sidestrand to cater for up to 12 learners with high functioning autism/social communication disorder.
  • Increase the age range and pupil numbers to cater for up to forty 6th Form students. It is proposed the 6th form will grow with 16 places in the 2014/15 academic year, a further 16 places 2015/16 and an additional 8 places in 2016/17.

There is a gap in post 16 provision in the north of the County for learners with special educational needs. This capital project will provide specialist capacity to ensure that post 16 learners will have access to high quality specialist provision by establishing a new 6th form for learners with special educational needs.

Complex Needs School provision in Norfolk is full and the level of need and demand for places far outweighs the supply of those available. A number of the learners at primary and secondary age, whose needs could be met by having more local provision are, as a consequence, educated in the non-maintained sector at a greater cost to the tax payer.

Objectives (including how the proposal would increase educational standards and parental choice)

The 6th form will develop the Local Offer, post 16, for both current Sidestrand students and those in local high schools for whom progression is difficult, thus increasing choice for learners and parents/carers. As well as addressing the identified gap in provision in North Norfolk, it could also offer places to Year 11 and 12 students, who are currently educated out of the county, and support their return to Norfolk.

It is hoped that the new sixth form will also help to reduce the number of young people with learning difficulties and disabilities in North Norfolk who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). They will have the opportunity to stay in education for longer and have access to a range of vocational learning.

The extra 12 places at Sidestrand for primary and secondary age pupils will enable more learners who meet the complex needs school profile to be taught closer to their homes and prevent more costly placements in the non-maintained sector. This will provide increased choice for parents, carers and learners by providing much needed provision.

Implementation and any proposed stages for implementation

The school and local authority was successful in submitting a bid for demographic capital growth funding from the Education Funding Agency to fund the 6th form build.The primary and secondary units are being funded by the County Council.

The project is subject to planning application. Should planning be approved, the buildings will be ready in the later part of the 2014/5 academic year.

Whilst this means the new buildings will not be ready for the start of the academic year 2014/5, children and young people who have been admitted to start in September 2014 will start at the school in temporary class rooms until the buildings are ready.

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