The proposal that we are consulting on is for Brantridge School to accommodate a co-ed (boys and girls) secondary provision (Year 7 to Year 11) of 80 pupils on the current school site. Brantridge School is a special school that currently provides for boys aged 5 to 11 (Year 1 to Year 6) with social emotional mental health difficulties (SEMH) including autistic spectrum disorder. The School is part of Orchard Hill College Academy Trust (the Trust), a specialist multi academy trust.

The Trust and School work closely with West Sussex County Council to ensure that our offer meets local requirements and complements other local provision. The Council have identified the need for a secondary phase SEMH special education provision due to the general school-aged population in the borough, and because the number of pupils requiring this specialist education is rising. We are pleased to be able to work with the Council on this proposed development.

If the proposal is agreed, West Sussex County Council would undertake and fund the new secondary building to accommodate the expansion. It is proposed that the secondary places would build up over a five-year period to reach 80 places in 2026. From September 2022, there would be a secondary provision offer for the School’s current Year 6 pupils within the existing school building. It is proposed that the new secondary building would be completed by September 2023.

As Brantridge School is an academy, the expansion proposal would need to be approved by the Department for Education (DfE) and we are therefore seeking the views of interested parties through this consultation in order to inform the DfE’s decision-making process to amend the School’s Funding Agreement. The proposed secondary expansion would provide a further 80 places above the school’s current Funding Agreement of 54 places bringing the total school capacity to 134 places by September 2026.