Concerns grow over closure threat to special schools

Brighton and Hove City Council is proposing closing Patcham House School, the Cedar Centre and Downs Park School in a major overhaul of special educational needs facilities.

Unions warned the closures would lead to job cuts and claimed the council was ignoring consultation results which showed considerable opposition to the move.

Councillor Dan Chapman, children, young people and skills committee chairman, said the move was not about cost cutting and would provide improved support.

The council plans to invest £5 million expanding facilities, including at Homewood College in Moulsecoomb which would become the city’s sole site for pupils with mental health issues with the pupil referral unit in Lynchet Close and the Connected Hub in Tilbury House closing.

The authority said the moves would increase the number of special school and pupil referral places in the city with Hillside and Downs View special schools being expanded.

In 2013 previous plans to close Patcham House were dropped by the Green administration in the face of opposition from parents and Labour councillors.

Elly Sargent’s 30-year-old son Oscar went to Patcham House for six years and he campaigned in 2013 to keep the school open.

Elly said: “It is very sad to hear because it was such a lovely school. It was smaller but some kids need a smaller environment. It was perfect for Oscar, who has Asperger’s, and he has done really well since.”

Unison branch secretary Sue Beatty said the council had allowed Patcham House to become unviable by allowing pupil numbers to decrease – the same tactic the authority used to justify the closure of Tower House Day Centre.

She added: “There are likely to be redundancies for Patcham House staff and these will impact on remaining staff because of low morale around losing colleagues.

“Parents of children at Patcham House are feeling let down.

“It is our view the council is ignoring the results of the consultation, which is sadly, not unusual in our opinion around such consultations.”

Cllr Chapman said: “This is about making best use of resources to deliver better services. It’s not a cost-cutting exercise, all the money involved will still be spent on children with SEN and disabilities.

“We will ensure that the needs of our vulnerable children will continue to be met.

“Consolidating these different services at the three proposed new hubs would make a big and very positive difference to the overall level of care and education we can provide.”

Cllr Alex Philips, Green spokeswoman on children, said it was important any merger would lead to wider choice, better resources and higher support for pupils and not just “streamlining” of services.

Cllr Vanessa Brown, Conservative lead for children, said: “We have considered these proposals for reorganisation very carefully over a long period and are supportive of what the council is trying to achieve.”

The plans will be discussed at the children, young people and skills committee on Monday.

WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED: THE FULL FACTS AND FIGURES

What is being proposed?

Brighton and Hove City Council is planning to reduce the number of special schools in the city from six to three.

It would mean that the Cedar Centre in Lynchet Close would close with Downs View School in Warren Road becoming an “integrated hub” for pupils with complex learning difficulties.

Downs Park in Foredown Road, Portslade, would also close and Hillside School in the same road would become the western hub.

Homewood College, in Queensdown School Road, Brighton, and Hove Pupil Referral Unit in Lynchet Close and The Connected Hub in Tilbury House, Florence Road, would form an integrated hub for social emotional and mental health.

Patcham House School, in Old London Road, would be replaced by a new special facility based in a mainstream secondary school.

So why is the council doing this?

For a number of good reasons according to council officers.

The city currently has more special schools than similar authorities and also smaller schools than the national average.

By “consolidating provision” on fewer sites, the council believes it will run more efficiently and have a more sustainable future.

The hubs will be better value for money with greater economies of scale, allowing more effective use of resources.

Larger schools would make recruitment easier while specialist staff would be affordable for a larger school.

Pupils would get access to a broader and more exciting range of curriculum opportunities and there would be wider options for how pupils could be taught.

The move would “slightly increase” the number of special school and pupil referral places available in the city.

Is this a money saving move then?

The city council said the review is not a cost- cutting exercise as all money remains ring-fenced to children with special educational needs and disabilities.

But the proposals will lead to considerable savings and could generate more revenues if obsolete school sites are later sold.

Over the last five years, the council has splashed out more than £1 million on financial protection on the city’s special schools with the largest spend, £580,000, on Patcham House School, which currently costs more than £600,000 a year.

In total the proposals would eventually save £700,000 from a £2.9 million budget.

Why does the council want to close Patcham House School?

Council officers say historically the school has been a valuable asset to the city but it has become “very small” and requires considerable subsidy.

From 47 students and capacity for 50 students in 2012, the school now has 22 places and 20 students, reducing to ten next year and two when it closes in summer 2018.

Opponents have argued the council should reinvest in the school to increase its size and make it financially viable.

But the city council said because the Department for Education has limits on the number of special school places it is prepared to fund within each area, it would mean removing places from other more popular special schools in the city and causing them to reduce in size.

The authority said neither of its counterparts at East or West Sussex County Councils has expressed an interest in collaborating to keep Patcham House open.

Patcham House has also historically catered for children with long term physical health needs but such schools are no longer commonplace and most children are now taught in mainstream schools.

What has the response to the plans to close Patcham House been like?

Not particularly supportive.

A two month consultation found 38 per cent in favour and 50 per cent against with opponents including staff, pupils and parents.

Consultees were also concerned that pupils would miss out on the “creative and varied curriculum” offered at Patcham House .

But council officers said every special school in the city offered an array of opportunities.

Are any jobs under threat with the closures?

The council said hopefully not but unions say it is very likely.

The authority said it hopes to retain the expertise of skills from Patcham House and other closed schools as far as possible and once the period of consultation is over, all staff will have individual meetings to discuss their futures.

Special school heads have agreed to give priority to Patcham House staff when vacancies arise and the secondary school successful in winning the contract for the new facility will also give priority to staff.

What will happen to the site?

Because of the reduced number of pupils at Patcham House, unused classrooms have been used to offer temporary accommodation for the post-sixth form pupils.

But in the longer term, the site may become surplus to requirements and could be sold.

What will happen to pupils?

Under the proposal, Patcham House School would close in August 2018 which would enable all the current Key Stage 4 pupils to complete their education.

The very small number of pupils at the school who are currently in Year 9 would be found alternative placements.

How long will all this take?

The previous Green administration dropped plans to close Patcham House in July 2013 in the face of mounting opposition.

The council then began a review of its provision for children with special educational needs in 2014.

In November 2015, the go ahead was given for an “engagement process with key stakeholders” to integrate education, health and care provision in special schools and pupil referral units.

If councillors agree the Patcham House closure, residents will be given four weeks to comment or object with a final committee decision made within two months of the consultation.

The closure of Downs Park and Cedar Centre would also be subject to consultation.