Brompton Hall 2^nd consultation responses

8 respondents – 5 Parents, 1 School staff and 2 Community

Date	Respondent	Role	Do you have any observations or suggestions on our proposal?	Response
15.7.22	Online	Parent	The County Council consulted under the Children and Families Act 2014 in February and March 2022 on proposals to change special educational provision at Brompton Hall School. This first consultation included stakeholder events for parents and professionals. The responses from this first consultation have been considered in the decision to consult on these proposals. - As a parent of one of the affected boys I have not received the outcomes of the first consultation, why is this? It is apparent that this transition was and inevitable however there does not seem to have been any thought on how the boys would be affected who would be in the middle of exams at the time of the transition. Having SEND and Emotional, Mental Health (SEMH) needs requires structure and routine and there seems to have been very little credence paid to the affect this reclassification of venue will have on those boys! I as an affected parent have seen how well my son has progressed at this school and already the talk of him having to leave is causing anxiety and changes in his behaviour. I have been informed that there was very little discussion if any with the boys, their views have not been sought or considered. The teaching staff again have informed me that there has been little consultation with them! I will be seeking a Freedom of information request to ascertain the financial spends and unconsidered/considered spend to relocate these boys and their ongoing educational needs.	Thank you for taking the time to respond to the consultation. During the first consultation the concern was raised about the impact on those boys who will be affected in any way particularly those completing exams if the proposals are implemented following the decision making process.  Consideration was given to this as part of the consultation. As discussed during the online event, there have been several opportunities during both consultations for stakeholders, including staff to share their views. School staff have been offered multiple opportunities to attend stakeholder engagement sessions both in school and online as well as engaging with the online survey to provide their views. The school have been offered support from the SEND Hub to support students in the school with regards to their needs and the various changes, or potential changes, including the change of leadership, staffing changes and future provision changes at Brompton Hall School.
15.7.22	Online	School staff	Do you have guarantees that you can provide equal opportunities for girls at school - mixed curriculum to suit all needs. Can staffing levels be increased significantly and sufficiently to cover the increase in capacity of another c20 pupils? Staff are currently stretched / stressed /off sick looking after the current 34 pupils who regularly attend out of c50. Will there be mixed or single sex units for pupils to retire to after learning has finished (3-5pm) Can you guarantee the provision of an extended day to 7pm for more pupils? What will happed to the years 7-8 boarders who should still be attending in Sept 2024. As the only SEMH in North Yorks how will you accommodate pupils needing this specialist provision, living more than 45 mins to Brompton who cannot commute daily? Will Venn be fully resourcing the THRIVE and Nuture elements of learning at school, with less emphasis on main stream curriculum and more on achieving positive outcomes against SEMH needs. Is it proven that pupils are better off living with a family member or carer/guardian than in a residential unit? Will these plans ensure the viability of the school as for most children this is their last chance of an education. It need huge resources to make the setting safe, constructive, supportive for current pupils. Can you guarantee that Venn acknowledges the enormity of the challenge and will back the school appropriately for it to succeed and give its pupils some life chances. There is no current proactive leadership (or team of leaders to support Head), little delegation or obvious strategic, actionable plan for this school currently (that I am aware of) My question is how is this all going to work in practice. Where is that reassuring information available to get staff buy in? NYCC and Venn may have no staff left to transition post consultation.	Thank you for your response. Whilst the council itself do not decide upon staffing structures and ratio’s in schools any increase in places will generate additional funding to recruit suitably qualified staff to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum for all students. Specific decisions on staffing numbers and structure will be made by the governing body of the school. This consultation does not include any proposals about extended day provision at the school. Consideration has been given to those who may still be in residential in Sept 2024 during the first consultation, individual discussions are taking place with families affected, supported by the council’s SEN Team to explore appropriate provision to meet the individual needs of those children.
15.7.22	Online	Parent	Increased class sizes will not benefit any child. Serious detrimental affect on children who already have residential places. Placements lost due to residential been removed. No support for children an families while this consultation is on going . Can not keep information from children as that is not a person centred approach. All the information is widespread on social media platforms and in local newspapers. An absolute shambles and no accountability taken by the persons at NYCC for the mess they have made from the very start.	Thank you for your response. Any increase in the number of pupils will be supported with appropriate funding to ensure staff to pupil ratios are maintained and are consistent with other special schools across the county. During the consultation period the school has had additional support from an SEMH Specialist to be deployed to support children and this has been made available as directed by the school leadership team. In addition, those pupils who will remain at the school beyond the proposed residential cease date have been offered support via the council’s SEN Team to proactively plan and consider future provision requirements for their assessed needs
15.7.22	Online	Community	I agree with the proposal to end boarding and create extra provision for girls. The boarding unit space can be utilised as classrooms etc to facilitate this. Brompton hall only has 8 students staying in overnight at present. That is not financially manageable due to the size of the building and the few people staying there	Thank you for your response, it has been noted.
15.7.22	Online	Community	I think residential provision gives stability and structure to many students. They benefit from various activities provided they would not otherwise receive. They develop numerous essential skills such as social skills	Thank you for your response, it has been noted.
15.7.22	Online	Parent	Brompton Hall School has provided invaluable support and education for boys over many years. For our son the residential aspect has given him the guidance, stability and support to become a productive and constructive member of his family and the wider community. As a family, due to health issues, we were unable to provide the support and help our son needed. By attending Brompton Hall social services were no longer needed. Our son received the support and education he needed. I am against the withdrawal of the residential provision the school offers as for many families it means social services can be freed up to help those other families that need them. Also you will find the many of the children will then need foster care and families will need respite. This will cause a drain on resources that I'm sure social services and other agencies will not be able to meet. As far as making the school mixed I am again utterly opposed to such an idea. To allow the school to become mixed will allow it to become like many other mixed school and will lose the unique focus it has in meeting young boys needs, emotionally, educationally and physically. Rather than changing the whole provision the school now offers you would be better to establish new schools, based on the same model as Brompton Hall, for girls and also the same for non binary and transgender students. These three types of schools could then provide the unique emotional and educational needs in a focused and constructive manner. I know NYCC will be worried about funding but if you go ahead with the changes proposed it will be a retrograde step which in the short and longer term cost a lot more in so many ways including financially.	Thank you for sharing your feedback to the consultation, all of your comments have been noted. We will consider the comments given around the impact on individual pupils and will work with families to ensure any transitions that are required are well supported. Families are being supported to proactively consider future provision requirements via the council’s SEN Team. There are restrictions on any Council opening new schools and therefore your suggestion for two new schools is not possible. Co-educational provision is well evidenced to work effectively both in mainstream and specialist settings across a range of needs. The proposals put forward in this consultation were developed following a full review of present and future needs with the requirement for residential provision decreasing rapidly. As part of the review senior colleagues from children’s social care services also considered the evidence. Given the low numbers of children with a professionally assessed need for care provision it will not place a significant additional burden upon foster care placements.
15.7.22	Online	Parent	Brompton hall has been a well established school with residential provision for many decades, our son has developed into a well rounded young person because of the combination of schooling and residential element. They work hand in hand which each other. To prepare pupils for their future, by removing the residential provision I feel it will deny future generations or young boys the education and emotional and social need they desperately need, our son has done so well here I feel if you integrate girls and bigger class spaces this will effect his education as he can not work In big groups, the size of the classes now are just right, by integrate girls Into school I feel it will cause a major distraction to the boys as the school is rightly focused on their emotional and mental well-being. I feel it will effect his education massively. I feel you should support the school alot more in keeping it a residential for boys and as a boy school, you have shown to me that stopping residential boys places, you have already decided on the outcome of this school. I feel you should open up another school just for girls, there is schools already for boys and girls and non binary to mix. I feel you are making a big mistake and closing residential and changing the whole school set up In my eyes. I think you should be thinking more about the boys that are attending there now.	We will consider the comments given around the impact on individual pupils and will work with families to ensure any transitions that are required are well supported. Families are being supported to proactively consider future provision requirements via the council’s SEN Team. There is no proposal to increase class sizes. Co-educational provision is well evidenced to work effectively both in mainstream and specialist settings across a range of needs. The proposals put forward in this consultation were developed following a full review of present and future needs with the requirement for residential provision decreasing rapidly. At this stage, these are proposals, and until a decision is taken there is no guarantee that they will be implemented
11.8.22	Paper copy posted	Parent	My son who attends this school lives over 50 miles away, so if the boarding provision is removed, what will happen. If a taxi continues to pick up on a morning then drop after school his school day will be horrendously long. And with his behaviours I don’t think he will deal with this. Then you will probably not find this where as I can neither afford this. I understand there is not enough of these provisions for others who live in the area but nor is there in my area. Hence why my son has to travel over 50 miles so they will have to too. Also, the boys at the school are very challenging and boys are naturally stronger than girls, therefore I worry for the welfare of the girls attending and being hurt/bullied. This school has helped my son come on leaps and bounds, yes there has been some areas that have needed extra prompting, however I cannot thank them enough for the support and what they have done for my son. I will be in a situation where my son can not attend if these changes happen.  It took many years to get him in this school, after many challenges to be at a school he is liking and doing well.	Thank you for your response. If the proposals go ahead all appropriate options will be discussed with yourself and the council will continue to ensure appropriate provision is made available based upon his assessed needs. Co-educational provision is well evidenced to work effectively both in mainstream and specialist settings across a range of needs. The council will work closely with the school to ensure that any transition to a co-educational model is well planned and support offered to current and future pupils to ensure their welfare in this educational setting.

To help us assess whether we have provided clear information, please let us know whether you found this consultation easy to understand?

Yes – 86%                            No – 14%

Date	Respondent	Role	Do you have any suggestions for improvement?	Responses
15.7.22	Online	Parent	I believe the affected boys need to be heard and this must be done through a structured and considered consultation with them. Parents and teachers must also be heard and the discussions, concerns and resonating should be published for all stakeholders to assess and scrutinise.	The local authority has completed a comprehensive consultation process which was open to all stakeholders including students. The school was offered support from the SEND Hub SEMH Specialists to support young people throughout the consultation period. This support was directed by the school who have the greatest understanding of needs and secure relationships with young people.
15.7.22	Online	School staff	Not my place or area of expertise to suggest management improvements. All I can offer up is my concerns, from an administration perspective.	Your response has been noted.
15.7.22	Online	Parent	Counselling support for all children while the consultation is ongoing. All boys to keep residential placement until they have completed their schooling. All the children to have a voice and their views taken. All staff and parents views to be taken not just a few. Some idea and proposals of what can happen or be expected if this goes ahead. A full internal investigation into why none of this was addressed when the consultation first started . That there needs to be a serious investigation in to the factual lack of communication between NYCC and parents. To address the fact NYCC want to provide a school in Kirbymoorside which is 18 miles away in the same council with 12 residential placements and then affectively knowingly destroy the education of present residential boys at Brompton. To read and understand all the boys EHCPs at Brompton and to understand what these boys have already gone through . To provide information on how many times Brompton residential placements where offered over the last 3 years along with how many children required a provision within NYCC area. NYCC to provide all support and provide help to Brompton hall school over the last 3 years and explain why NYCC have not helped the school . An instead of fixing problems just decided to go to consultation. To explain that staff at NYCC brining the consultation u sweat and exactly the serious consequences this is causing the boys and then explain their understanding of emotional abuse and why they have caused it.	Thank you for your feedback to the consultation, all of your suggestions have been noted and will be considered as part of the consultation process. The consultation process has been open to all interested parties, including students, families and school staff. There was an offer of support for the students from the SEND Hub, including that of a SEMH specialist. In addition the LA have also implemented an Interim Executive Boards (IEB) to replace the former governing to improve the school and support available to the pupils who attend. The proposal for Welburn Hall was a change to the residential provision, not the introduction of one.  The needs of the cohort at Welburn is very different to those at Brompton.
15.7.22	Online	Parent	I feel you should have been more open from the beginning with when the girls would be going if this plan gets agreed, not making use think it was all going to be sep2024	Your concern has been noted, a proposed date for the possible addition of girls was not initially set, as the proposals are fluid and will therefore change as they develop and if and when they are implemented due to demand for places.