|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Appendix 2
|
|
|
Consultation Document
Proposal to add additional places to Springwater
School, Starbeck
from September 2025
Consultation on the proposal to add additional school places at Springwater School
6 September 2024 to 11 October 2024
Purpose of this Consultation Document:
This document explains the proposal by North Yorkshire Council to increase the number of places at Springwater School in line with the building programme at the school, and to enable pupil numbers to increase in time as appropriate for the school to manage.
Following discussions with the Governors and Headteacher, Springwater School has been selected to deliver an additional 45 school places. North Yorkshire Council is now asking for your views on this proposal as part of the statutory process which is required before alterations of these kind are made to maintained schools.
Stakeholder Engagement Event
There will be a stakeholder engagement event on Wednesday 2 October at 5:30pm (TBC) at Springwater School, High Street, Starbeck, Harrogate. If you wish to be part in this meeting, could you please let us know by emailing admin@ XXX
Background to the Proposal
North Yorkshire Council has a duty to keep its special education provision under review and ensure there is the right type of provision and enough places to meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
We want all children and young people with SEND in North Yorkshire to;
- have the best educational opportunities so that they achieve the best outcomes;
- be able to attend a school or provision locally, where they can make friends and be part of their local community; and
- make progress with learning, have good social and emotional health and be prepared for a fulfilling adult life.
The Council have developed a specific SEND Capital Investment Programme as part of the Local Area SEND Strategy 2023 to 2026 which aims to increase the availability of specialist places. This will be achieved through expansion of existing special schools, the building of new special schools and investment in mainstream SEN resource bases, known locally as Targeted Mainstream Provisions.
This document explains the proposal that we are consulting on with regard to Springwater School. The Local Area Strategy document can be found here Local area SEND strategy 2023 to 2026 | North Yorkshire Council. We recommend that you read this document before responding to the survey and giving us your views on the individual proposal.
What changes are proposed?
The Council is proposing to carry out the following change to Springwater Special School:
· Permanently increase the number of places the School can offer to pupils, from 112 to 157 from September 2025.
· Expand the school site and improve the facilities available to accommodate additional pupil numbers at the School.
Why do we want to do this? Background:
The School provided 112 pupil places in 2023/24. It provides support for pupils with Speech, language and Communication, Autism, Multi-Sensory Impairment, Physical Disability, Severe Learning Difficulty and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties. All pupils attending the School have an EHCP. Springwater School is rated as a good school by Ofsted.
Evidence of Demand:
There is significant need for more school places in North Yorkshire for children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), both in special schools and Resource Bases in mainstream schools. There has been an increase in the number of children with EHCPs in North Yorkshire by 95% since 2018 from 2606 to c.5100.
North Yorkshire Council is proposing the above prescribed changes, in line with our Local Area SEND Strategy to ensure children who need a specialist setting can access it as close to home as possible.
Why has Springwater School been chosen?
Springwater School:
· Meets the required need for additional places, without causing concern of overprovision.
· Have an Ofsted ranking of Good.
· Has the capacity to provide suitable accommodation within existing internal and external space available and within planning / buildability constraints. The school meets the required need, it is popular and has enough space to accommodate expansion.
How will this affect pupils at the school?
Pupils will notice some changes but those are likely to be limited. The school will grow gradually in numbers and the increase will be phased so the change in pupil numbers will occur over a period of time. School places will be commissioned by the Council in line with the SEN Code of Practice.
All necessary adaptations to the building will be carried out as part of the planned expansion. With the additional pupils, the school might decide to organise the school differently to ensure educational continuity but as always that will be the school’s decision. Please be reassured that the high standard of education and care for your child will remain and it is expected that the capital investment will enhance the facilities available to all pupils attending the school. The alterations will enable existing and future pupils to access high quality learning spaces, improved changing facilities, a training kitchen as well as improved recreational spaces.
How will this affect staff?
Staff will generally be unaffected; however, the investment proposed in the school’s facilities will improve the working environment considerably and support staff to better meet the needs of children. A larger school will also require increased staffing and might also create a greater range of posts over time.
Will there be changes to the school building/school site?
The proposed increase in places means we will have to do some building work at Springwater School and the detail of the accommodation has been agreed with the school’s leaders and governors. The Council owns the school site and the buildings where expansion is planned to accommodate additional numbers at the school.
Details of the new accommodation:
· The aim of the building project is to create a well-designed SEN provision which is fit for purpose and will improve the existing provision in the main school building. Two North Yorkshire Council buildings have been identified for upgrading and re-modelling, these are adjacent to the current school site and further along the High Street: 1) Starbeck Central, 2) Meadowbank
· Within the proposals being developed to improve the school’s facilities and to meet ongoing demand, consideration has been given to parking. Within the constraints of the site available, access improvements have been considered. It is proposed to provide a dedicated drop off andpick up point to alleviate congestion in the school’s main car park.
· It is planned that building works will start in January 2025 and conclude in the Summer Term and in advance of the start of the Autumn Term 2025. There will be limited impact on the main school site during works as Starbeck Central and Meadowbank are separate buildings.
How can I make my views known?
During the consultation period, you have the opportunity to let us know what you think about the proposed enlargement of Springwater School. The issues raised during the consultation will be considered when we decide whether or not to proceed to the next stage of this process. In the meantime, please address any queries to:
XXX
How are we consulting?
This current school organisation proposal is purely about the proposed expansion and increase in numbers at Springwater School, Starbeck.
We are asking you to give your views on the proposals to add additional places to Springwater School. If you would like a paper copy of the survey or an alternative format, please call our customer service centre on 01609 780 780.
You can either complete and return the attached response sheet, or submit an online response at
XXXXXX
What is the timescale?
The closing date for responses is 5pm on 11 October 2024. All responses to the consultation received by this date will be considered by our Executive on 5 November 2024. If the Council’s Executive decides to proceed with the proposal, then statutory notices would be published in the local press on 14 November 2024. These notices provide a further four weeks for representations to be made. A final decision would then be made by the Council’s Executive on 7 January 2025.
Anticipated Key Dates
All dates are subject to approval at each stage.
|
Consultation opens |
6 September 2024 |
|
Stakeholder consultation event |
2 October 2024 at Springwater School @ 5:30pm (TBC) |
|
Consultation closes |
11 October 2024 |
|
Council’s Executive considers consultation response |
5 November 2024 |
|
Statutory Notices published (4 weeks for representations to be made) |
14 November to 12 December 2024 |
|
Final decision by Council’s Executive |
7 January 2025 |
|
Proposed implementation date |
1 September 2025 |
Springwater School
Consultation
We are consulting on proposals to increase the number of places available at Springwater School, Starbeck, Harrogate from 1 September 2025
We are collecting this information for the purpose of gathering views on the proposal. Your personal data will not be published or passed to any other organisation unless a legal obligation compels us to do so.
Reading our Privacy Notice will help you understand how and why we process your personal data please visit: www.northyorks.gov.uk/privacy-notices
Do you have any comments about this proposal?
(Please do not disclose any personal data in your response)
Interest/Status ........................................................................................
e.g. Parent/Governor/Teacher/Community/Other
Other please state …………………………………………………………………………………………….
Name of School (if applicable)...................................................................
|
To confirm your proximity to school and to prevent duplicate responses, we are asking you to provide your name and address. This information will be removed from any analysis or reports. |
|
|
Name:
|
|
|
Address:
|
|
|
Postcode:
|
|
To help us assess whether we have provided clear information, please let us know whether you found this consultation easy to understand? YES/NO
Do you have any suggestions for improvement to this document?
……………………………………………………………………………………..……………
Please send this response sheet to the following “FREEPOST” address. You do not need to use a postage stamp.
FREEPOST RTKE-RKAY-CUJS
Springwater School
Strategic Planning
North Yorkshire Council
County Hall
NORTHALLERTON
DL7 8AE
Online responses may be submitted by following this link:
XXXXXXX
To be received by no later than 5pm 11 October 2024