The future of Homewood College
Homewood College is a small specialist school for pupils aged 11 to 16 with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.
The school has been in the Ofsted category of ‘inadequate: special measures’ since December 2021 and despite the efforts of school leaders, staff and support from the council, the school has not made sufficient improvement.
We’re now seeking views on the proposal to close Homewood College, following agreement at the council’s Cabinet meeting on Thursday 27 June.
Have your say
Your feedback is vital in helping us understand the potential impacts of this proposal and inform the decision-making process.
We want to hear from pupils, parents, staff and local residents.
This survey is open until Thursday 5 September 2024.
Phases
Analysis, feedback and next steps
Update provided early October 2024:
A consultation on the proposal to close the school ran between 8 July 2024 and 5 September 2024. A total of 8 weeks and 3 days. There were 2 public engagement events to provide an opportunity for discussion about the proposals.
This survey was available on the Council’s consultation portal and 19 responses were received.
There were a total of 19 responses to the Consultation. 10 responses (53%) stated that they did not agree that the Council should close Homewood College. 3 responses (16%) stated that the school should close and 6 responses (31%) stated that they were not sure.
Respondents express concern over the future of Homewood College and its students and staff, with many highlighting the necessity of specialist SEMH (Social, Emotional, and Mental Health) provision that the college offers. Responders highlighted that remaining provision may not adequately address the needs of children requiring specialist education.
Several responses suggest that the decision to close the school highlighted the inability of previous initiatives to address the school’s shortcomings and highlighted the school’s strengths in providing life skills and support for pupils. The school’s closure would leave a lack of a viable alternatives for the pupils who would attend there in the future.
A report detailing the feedback received from the public consultation is provided here. The Cabinet Member for Finance and City Regeneration decided to move to the next stage of school closure, which is the publish a Statutory Notice and begin a formal representation period where anyone is invited to share their views on the proposed closure.
That is being taken forward in a new survey: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/yourvoice.brighton-hove.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/homewood-college-statutory-notice (opens 9am Monday 7th October)
Upcoming and ongoing events
Past events
Event date: July 17th, 2024 from 18:00 to 19:45.
Homewood College
