Chailey St Peter’s CE Primary School specialist facility consultation

Overview

We want to hear from pupils, parents/carers, staff, governors and stakeholders about a proposal to establish a specialist facility at Chailey St Peter's CE Primary School.

East Sussex County Council is proposing to establish a specialist facility with a designation of Autistic Spectrum Disorder at Chailey St Peter's CE Primary School.  The facility would accommodate up to 12 pupils with autism and associated needs.

Why your views matter

Why do we need to establish a specialist facility at Chailey St Peter’s CE Primary School?

Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient school places for all pupils, including for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).  East Sussex County Council’s (the local authority) SEND forecasts provide clear evidence that we will continue to see an increase in the number of pupils with SEND in the coming years.

The overall numbers of children and young people aged 4 to 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) has been rising steeply.  In 2023/24, the number of school aged children (aged 4-18) in East Sussex with an EHCP stood at 3,989. There were also 482 young people aged 19-25 who need continued support to transition to adulthood.  Over the next four years, the local authority forecasts that overall numbers of school aged children with EHCPs will grow, by around 34%, to nearly 5,400.

Chart 1: Overall Numbers with EHCPs – Age 4-19 years

The number of children and young people identified as autistic is growing year on year and is translating into rapidly increasing numbers of EHCPs issued with a primary need classification of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There are no signs of this trend reducing, and autism diagnoses look like being the biggest driver of rising EHCP numbers in the coming years.

Chart 2: EHCPs by Primary Need Group

Over the last few years, the local authority has been implementing its strategy to develop more places for SEND pupils.  This includes the development of more specialist facilities in mainstream schools.  The local authority would like to establish a facility with a designation of ASD at Chailey St Peter’s CE Primary School as the latest phase in its strategy.  The new facility would accommodate up to 12 pupils with autism and associated needs.

What are specialist facilities?

Specialist facilities are located within a mainstream school and provide specific support to a limited number of pupils with an EHCP naming a specific primary special educational need.  Pupils within the facility are on the roll of the mainstream school and are in addition to the published admission number.  The school receives additional funding from the local authority to support the child.  Placements are determined by the local authority according to clear criteria and may be drawn from a wider geographical area than the school’s usual catchment.

Specialist facilities promote an ethos of inclusion and help integrate their pupils into the mainstream school for as much of their learning time as their needs allow.  Specialist facilities also provide access to a base within the school for more intensive learning and support when required.  The expertise of staff within specialist facilities provides significant benefits to the rest of the school and other schools in the local area to support all pupils with a special educational need and create a fully inclusive learning environment. 

Pupils in the facility have their special educational needs reviewed regularly in discussion with parents/carers and professionals to ensure that the facility remains the most appropriate placement to meet these needs.

What will be the impact of the new facility on other pupils in the school?

We would expect the new facility to have a positive impact on provision at the school.  Specialist staff would work with pupils in the new facility and also work with teaching staff across the school to develop skills and expertise in responding to special educational needs and creating an inclusive environment.

Will building work be required to establish the new facility and, if so, how will this be funded?

The school and the local authority have identified the former dining room building on the school playground as suitable to accommodate the new facility.  Some adaptation work would be required to the building which the local authority would fund from its approved capital programme.  The local authority would work closely with the school to ensure these are completed in time for the facility to open.

How can I give my views?

The consultation period runs from 25 April to 23 May 2025.

To comment, click on ‘Online Survey’ below or email your comments to School.Consultations@eastsussex.gov.uk

All comments must be received by 23 May 2025.

Next steps

Following the consultation period, a report on the outcome of the consultation will be considered by the Lead Member for Education, Inclusion and Special Educational Needs and Disability at a meeting likely to be held in July 2025.  The Lead Member will decide whether to proceed with the proposal.  If approved, a statutory proposal would be published on the local authority’s website, probably in July 2025, which would be followed by a representation period lasting four weeks when further comments or objections to the proposal could be submitted.  Following the representation period, the Lead Member would consider any further comments or objections received before making a final decision on whether to approve the proposal at a meeting likely to be held in October 2025.

Privacy information: This survey is anonymous, although we do ask you to complete an optional 'about you' section at the end. Please ensure that any comments you make don't include any names or personal details of you or anyone else. For more information about why we collect ‘about you’ information and how the data will be stored and processed by East Sussex County Council please click here.

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If you need support to take part or need the survey printed and posted to you, in large print or on coloured paper, or in another format please get in touch using the contact details provided.