|
Groups to
assess
|
What do you
know[9]?
Summary of data about your service-users
and/or staff
|
What do people tell
you[10]?
Summary of service-user and/or staff
feedback
|
What does this
mean[11]?
Impacts identified
from data and feedback actual and potential)
|
What can you
do[12]?
All potential actions to:
· advance
equality of opportunity,
· eliminate
discrimination, and
· foster
good relations
|
|
Age[13]
|
Proposals will primarily impact on primary
school age children who currently attend the school or may have
wished to attend the school, these will be children currently born
between 1/9/2018 and 31/08/2014.
Proposals will affect parents of children born
between 1/09/2019 and 31/08/2020 who are due to start school in
September 2024 and those born between 1/09/2020 and 31/08/2022 who
would be due to start the nursery.
St Peter’s school received 11 pupils
allocated on National Offer Day to start reception in Sept 2023, 22
pupils to start reception in Sept 2022 and 13 pupils to start
reception in Sept 2021.
These proposals will have a disproportionate
impact on children in the current Year 5 as they will have to move
to a new school for Year 6 and then secondary school in Year 7
consequently attending 3 different schools in 3 years.
Children in the current Reception class will
have only just settled into schooling and may find the transition
to a new school difficult.
St Peter’s School has a teacher led
nursery provision attached which would be lost if the school
closes. In the Autumn term there were 21 children on roll. Those
children attending in Autumn 2023 are all due to start school in
September 2024.
Staff who are close to retirement age may find
new employment difficult to gain.
The age profile of staff is:
Age 21 - 30 = 10%
31 - 40 = 27.5%
41 - 50 = 27.5%
51 - 60 = 35%
|
Regarding adults, the consultation on school
closures received 467 responses of which there were 313 responses
in relation to St Peter’s, through the consultation
portal. 53.7% of responders provided their age with the
youngest being 18 and the oldest over 75.
Out of these responses provided 11% were under
30. 32% were aged between 30-39; 35% aged between 40-49; 15%
were aged between 50-59 and 7% were 60 or older.
A number of parents with siblings attending
the school in different year groups have raised concerns about all
siblings attending the same new school and perceived lack of
available places at alternative local schools.
Concern about loss of affordable nursery
provision and longer hours availability.
The consultation responses indicated the
benefits of the nursery provision at the school being teacher led,
affordable and offered for hours that supported working parents. Of
the children enrolled in the nursery eight are of working parents -
two of these take their extended entitlement in another setting,
not at the school.
The nursery provided children who moved on to
the school a good start in their education and families wanted
younger siblings to experience what their other children
experienced.
|
Regarding adults,
respondents to the consultation aged between 30 and 59 accounted
for about 82% of the responses.
Children in Year 5
may be disproportionately affected by having to move school for
Sept 24. Children currently attending the school will be affected
by having to start a new primary school.
Younger children
may find settling into a new school more challenging than older
children.
Children currently
in the nursery who are moving to Reception in September 24 will no
longer have St Peter’s school as an option and may need to
look elsewhere.
|
Ensure that
vulnerable children who would be particularly affected by moving
schools are identified and supported with the change of
schools. Appropriate support provided by Brighton & Hove
Inclusion Support Services (BHISS) and Schools Mental Health
Service to assist with the transition for identified pupils. The
Council will operate a Transition Board and individual action plans
may be appropriate for certain children.
Receiving schools
to be made aware of impact of transition on these groups of
children so appropriate support can be provided.
Council’s
school
admission team to
be aware of the issue with siblings and to work with families to
facilitate them attending the same school where possible.
School admissions
team will work with families who have expressed a preference for St
Peter’s for Reception in September to ensure they know about
the closure proposal and can seek alternative preferences.
Those who cannot
apply for a school place online can contact the school admissions
team for support.
We can ensure
there is a school place available for each child in each
chronological year group. The school admissions team is available
to work with families to meet their preferences.
We can ensure
there are nursery places available for anyone displaced from St
Peter’s for those children starting at the nursery from
January 2024 not due to start school in September 2024. Family Hubs
and the early years team will support families to find early years
provision which meets their needs throughout the city. Our 2023
Childcare Sufficiency Assessment did not find a shortage of early
years places overall.
|
|
Disability[14]
|
Children with Special Educational Needs and
Disabilities (SEND) who have an Education, Health & Care Plan
(EHCP) would be placed in school under the SEND code of Practice by
the SEN team.
From the October 2023 School census St
Peter’s had 7 pupils on roll with an EHCP and 24 students
receiving additional educational support.
There is no data available about the number of
children at the schools whose parents have a disability.
Identifying details on the profile of
staff’s disabilities relies on staff entering information
into the Council’s management information system and must be
treated as sensitive data.
The school has an Education Mental Health
Practitioner, and access to Schools Mental Health Service.
|
Regarding adults, from the responses through
the consultation portal, 11% who provided an answer identified as
having a disability. 76% did not consider themselves to have a
disability and 13% preferred not to say.
All but one responder who stated that they had
a disability strongly disagreed with the proposal to close the
school.
There will be an impact on neurodiverse pupils
if they must move schools due to change presenting additional
challenges to some of these pupils.
Respondents felt that small class sizes meant
pupils received the attention and support that respondents felt
would not be possible in a large class.
We heard from families who were concerned
about their physical ability to walk further distances to a new
school. Families expressed concerns about other schools being able
to meet need.
We heard from families who have caring
responsibilities for other adults in their households, restricting
their ability to take more time to travel to other schools.
We’ve heard from families that the
process of proposal and of consultation has exacerbated existing
conditions, eg anxiety, and created new concerns.
|
Children with EHCPs will be supported with
their school moves. This will ensure that the school that
they are moving to will be able to provide the provision identified
in their EHCPs and that the school will have the relevant
accessibility and adaptability requirements in place so that their
access to suitable education is not harmed by the move in
location.
There may be some need to adapt physical
environments to cater for disabilities and many schools in the city
have experience of doing so.
Staff with disabilities may need additional
support to apply for new roles.
Consideration under the council’s
transport policy will be given to those parents/carers with
disabled children or who have a disability themselves may not be
able to travel a distance to take their child to a school place.
Some parents have chosen to send their
children to these schools due to their small size however the
number of pupils at the school has contributed to the reason for
the proposals for them to close because most of the funding a
school receives is on a per pupil basis and means small classes are
not financially viable on the funding provided by the
government
We recognise that this proposal may
mean the need for additional support services for
children with additional needs due to this being a significant
change in their circumstances.
|
Schools will be encouraged to identify
families who need additional support to secure a new school
place.
There needs to be sufficient school places
within a reasonable distance of families including those families
who have someone with a disability living with them.
BHISS & the SEN Team will provide support
for children with EHCPs to ensure that they move to an appropriate
school that can meet their identified needs arising from
disability.
The council will support parents to identify
schools which they feel are able to meet their children’s
needs.
We will look to meet the access requirements
of pupils by ensuring that any funding for supporting SEND pupils
left at the end of the school year will follow the children to
their new school.
All children with EHCPs will have an annual
review.
All children currently in the process of an
EHC assessment will have their assessment completed as usual.
All B&H mainstream schools should be able
to meet needs of children without EHCPs, albeit sometimes with
additional support or resources.
The Council will continue to set out its
expectations to other schools in the city on this matter and ensure
new children are received with welcome.
Families with disabilities who may need
assistance with travel will be able to apply for transport
assistance, subject to the Council’s criteria.
See cumulative section for more on the
transition support available.
|
|
Gender
reassignment[15]
|
We have not yet identified any
disproportionate impacts on this group because the data available
about parents/children’s gender reassignment is
inconclusive.
We know that parents/carers may not want to
disclose information about gender reassignment for reasons such as
the perceive lack of support, fear of discrimination, personal
choice.
|
Schools in the city work closely with Allsorts
to understand the complex needs of gender diverse children and
young people.
4 responses to the consultation were received
from those who did not identify as the sex they were assigned at
birth.
The issue of the impact upon children with
this protected characteristic has not been raised as
part of the anonymous consultation process.
|
All schools in Brighton and Hove are invited
to refer to the detailed guidance provided by the City Council
known as the Trans Toolkit, and parents and children can be
signposted to voluntary organisations who specialise in supporting
families of children who are transitioning, or questioning their
gender .
|
A package of support is provided to the
schools via Brighton & Hove’s Trans Toolkit, which will
be used to identify and meet the individual needs of children and
young people.
If individuals indicate that they need further
support and assistance, then they will be signposted to the
relevant support or community group that they can contact for
additional assistance.
If this characteristic is identified as an
issue when considering a transfer to a new school by a pupil the
council can assist to ensure that every situation is dealt
with compassionately and fairly and that bespoke assistance is
available if individuals request this.
|
|
Gender
reassignment[16]
|
We have not yet identified any
disproportionate impacts on this group because the data available
about parents/children’s gender reassignment is
inconclusive.
We know that parents/carers may not want to
disclose information about gender reassignment for reasons such as
the perceive lack of support, fear of discrimination, personal
choice.
.
|
Schools in the city work closely with Allsorts
to understand the complex needs of gender diverse children and
young people.
Regarding adults, 3 responses were received
from those who did not identify as the sex they were assigned at
birth.
This matter has not been raised as part of the
anonymous consultation process.
|
The needs of any impacted within this cohort
will be taken into consideration using Council policy and the
School Trans Toolkit, which can be used by schools.
|
A package of support is provided to the
city’s schools via Brighton & Hove’s Trans Toolkit
which will be adapted to meet the individual needs of children and
young people.
If individuals indicate that they need support
and assistance, then they will be signposted to the relevant
support or discriminatory community group that they can contact for
additional assistance.
We will take this into account and ensure that
every situation is dealt with compassionately and fairly and that
bespoke assistance is available if individuals request this.
|
|
Pregnancy and
maternity[17]
|
We do not hold data about pregnancies of the
parents/carers in the cohorts of pupils that are affected by the
closure.
However, we are aware that parents/carers may
be in situations where they are on maternity/paternity leave or
caring for younger children and may not have time or energy to
engage with a school closure and the issues associated with
it.
In the Census 2021 it was revealed that
Brighton & Hove’s population profile had fewer children
& young people aged 0 to 19 (20.5%) compared to the South East
(23.1%) and England (23.1%). There was a 22% drop in children aged
0-4 living in the city in the 2021 census compared to the 2011
census.
Future or newborn children could be affected
with an older sibling changing school as it could affect where they
go to school and may impact on parents’ decisions about which
schools to apply for.
Staff who are new parents may find it
difficult to get flexible working arrangements agreed at a new
school.
|
Parents who are pregnant or on maternity leave
may find it difficult to get older children to school.
Staff on maternity leave would need to be
involved in a redundancy consultation.
Families have reported concerns about
travelling to a new school with young pre-school children or when
pregnant.
|
There needs to be sufficient places within a
reasonable distance from families where there is a pregnant adult
or an adult on maternity leave.
Pregnant people could find it harder to access
different school communities which are distances from their
home.
Pregnant staff may need additional support
from their employer during closure process and redeployment.
Staff on maternity leave would need to be
involved in a redundancy consultation. We will take this into
account and ensure that every situation is dealt with
compassionately and fairly and that bespoke assistance is available
for any individuals where this could be a problem.
|
Consideration needs to be given to ensuring
that there are enough school places within a reasonable distance
from families where there is a pregnant adult or an adult on
maternity leave.
We will work with the schools to accommodate
any bespoke needs and provide support to all those where we are
aware that their circumstances mean that they require additional
support.
HR advice can be provided for pregnant school
staff.
The risk assessment tool is available to
support pregnant staff.
|
|
Race/ethnicity[18]
Including
migrants, refugees and asylum seekers
|
The data available for pre-school pupils
indicates an increasing percentage of Black and Racially
Minoritised children for the city in general.
There is no comprehensive race/ethnicity data
available for the cohort due to start school in September 2024.
In January 2023, 30% (9,469) of pupils in
Brighton & Hove schools who supplied their data identified as
an ethnicity category other than White British. This is an increase
of 377 pupils since January 2022. The national figure is higher, at
34.5% of pupils.
33% of late school applications were submitted
by Black and Racially Minoritised families and for a further 19%
there is no ethnicity information.
76.4% of Black or Racially Minoritised
families who applied received their first preference school
compared to 82% of white British families.
In January 2023 St Peter’s had 31.3% of
pupils identified as Black or Racially Minoritised.
Whilst we do not hold exact figures we are
informed that there are a number of families with pupils attending
St Peter’s who are migrants/refugees, and are therefore
likely to already have experienced trauma and significant change
and upheaval in their lives.
Families from a Black or Racially Minoritised
background may have experienced previous trauma and / or racism
– upset around this may have been reignited by these
proposals and by needing to move school e.g. those who have settled
in the UK as asylum seekers.
|
Regarding adults, from the consultation, 19.5%
of those who responded by providing details identified as other
than white British and 80.5% identified as white British. 118
respondents did not answer this question or did not want to specify
their ethnicity and therefore this is a substantial proportion of
the 300+ responses to this proposal.
Feedback from EMAS in relation to admissions
consultations indicates that parents from Minority Ethnic groups
who speak English as an Additional Language find consultation
confusing even with translation or interpreting assistance.
Understanding the weight of impact of the proposals and relevance
to their situation is very challenging to assess for them.
Regarding adults, there were no requests for
consultation documentation in alternative formats however some
translated materials were provided in liaison with the school.
|
In some allocation years a higher percentage
of pupils from Black and Racially Minioritised communities apply
late or are directed to a school that was not a preference.
Interested parties from other race/ethnic
groups could find it harder to access community resources in the
new school area and could experience discrimination.
It could be that migrant/refugee families
attending the school and the subsequent community built around the
school may be their first experience of community in this country.
There may be added fear in having to start again after already
having to start again in a new country. The added impact of having
to move school could have a wider impact on those who have already
come to this country in difficult circumstances.
The sense of community some have found at St
Peter’s is at risk by this proposal and the dispersal of
students to other schools.
Children who have experienced racism may need
additional support to settle into a new school.
Children’s academic outcomes may be
impacted as a result of previous experiences of racism, upheaval of
schooling situation and other cumulative factors discussed in the
cumulative impact section.
|
Offer proactive support to ensure all families
can understand the need and be supported to apply for a
school place by Easter break to ensure they are allocated new
school places for September, by way of the measures identified
below
Important to ensure that there are sufficient
surplus places in local schools for any late applicants for a new
school place. Those schools will need to ensure they offer a
welcoming and understanding approach to Black or Racially
Minoritised families, including those families where English is not
their first language, or families with experience of trauma which
has required them to seek asylum.
Future pupils need to have enough places
available.
Continue to advertise the admissions dates and
the process that families need to follow.
Provide language support for families that
need to apply for a new school place should the school close.
EMAS service to continue to reach out to
communities to communicate the potential impact on their community
and signpost to resources which will support families.
An interpreter can be sourced upon receiving
confirmation and consent from those who would need it.
Ensure that any new school that pupils will
move to have the appropriate cultural provisions for that family in
place (i.e. multi-faith rooms, dietary requirements etc.).
If children or parents/carers indicate that
they are experiencing discrimination, there will be signposting in
place to ensure that they have the relevant support that they need
or access to a relevant discriminatory community group that they
can contact for assistance.
Strong message from the Council to
Headteachers in the city about receiving and welcoming displaced
pupils. Some pupils will have already experienced upheaval and
trauma in their lives as a result of their families having to seek
asylum from their parent’s country of origin. These pupils
and families may need additional support and reassurance to
transition to a new school or feel confident that there are other
schools in the city which will welcome or understand the needs of
their children. Part of the role of the Transition Board indicated
below will be to promote receiving schools to consider how best to
address this, and to ensure families are offered the information
and assistance they need to be reassured about their child’s
future education and school experience.
Current schools and EMAS to continue
supporting migrant/refugee families to understand the implications
of the decision, to assist families to apply for a suitable new
school place and work with the new schools to support the
transition. The continuation of working with this service will
offer families a degree of continuity in the support they receive
to manage any transition to a new school or a change in plan as to
the school they will apply for. EMAS will be expected to assist
parents advocate for what their children need to maximise their
educational opportunities going forward.
The Council will operate a Transition Board
and individual action plans may be appropriate for certain
children.
Anti-Racist Education Strategy" that is now in
its third year. There includes a comprehensive package of training
and support available for schools. Where a school has not engaged
yet in the full training offer, we can be proactive in offering
this as a priority for all staff and provide additional support
from our seconded team of teachers to ensure each setting is taking
appropriate steps. Whilst we are not complacent, many of the
schools well placed to take children are already engaging with the
strategy and will have a foundation of knowledge and practice upon
which we can build.
All schools are expected to deliver a rich
curriculum suitable to all pupils who attend the school. Schools
are expected to celebrate the experiences of families in the city
and from other areas. We expect the school's to demonstrate
understanding of lived experiences of migrants and asylum seekers,
and we are committed to supporting schools in further developing
their understanding and making reasonable adjustments to ensure
curriculum is accessible to all.
See cumulative section below for further
detail on transition support.
|
|
Families with
English as additional language
|
In January 2023, 15.5% (4,861) of Brighton
& Hove pupils were exposed to a language other than English in
their home. This is an increase of 263 pupils since January 2022,
but lower than the latest national figure of 19.5%.
St Peter’s Community Primary and Nursery
School had 33.9% of pupils where English is an additional language
and families speaking 16 different languages.
There is relatively high deprivation amongst
many of the Families with English as additional language who have
pupils attending these schools.
EMAS have directly
supported three Bengali, one Polish, one Brazilian Portuguese, one
Ukrainian and three Arabic speaking families to understand and send
in responses to the consultation. EMAS also supported two Black
African parents who are English speakers to register their children
for reception in September.
|
Based on previous experiences and the
technicality of the subject matter, families with English as an
additional language may struggle to understand admission
arrangements in the city and the provision available in a new
school and the process of closure.
There will be a disproportionately high number
of pupils with additional languages impacted by a school move.
Families with English as an additional
language also have a number of intersectional vulnerabilities.
|
Families with pupils who have English as an
additional language are proportionally more likely to apply late
which significantly reduces their change of being offered a place
at an oversubscribed school.
The higher number of families with English as
an additional language applying late in the main admission rounds
could result in these families not applying for a new school place.
This will mean that a new school will be allocated to these pupils
which may not be the parent’s preference.
Families may not comprehend the implication of
the proposals or which year they take effect and be able to relate
this to their own circumstances.
Families with English as an additional
language could find it harder to respond to the various stages of
the consultation and then the allocation process.
Children may struggle to settle into a new
school, especially if their parent have EAL – becoming part
of the new school community may prove difficult for some.
Interested parties from other race/ethnic
groups could find it harder to access community resources in the
new school area and could experience discrimination.
It could be that migrant/refugee families
attending the school and the subsequent community built around the
school may be their first experience of community in this country.
There may be added fear in having to start again after already
having to start again in a new country. The added impact of having
to move school could have a wider impact on those who have already
come to this country in difficult circumstances.
The sense of community some have found at St
Peter’s is at risk by this proposal and the dispersal of
students to other schools.
Children who have experienced racism may need
additional support to settle into a new school.
Children’s academic outcomes may be
impacted.
|
Ensure good support is provided to enable
families to apply for school places.
Important to ensure that there are still
surplus places in each planning area so late applicants and pupils
moving mid-year can be offered a place at a local school.
Greater emphasis needs to be made to reach
these families and make them aware of the school admissions
applications process.
This group may be unfamiliar with the school
admissions process and timescale, so additional steps would be
taken to engage these families with this consultation.
EMAS already work within both schools and
support a number of families in each. The service will continue to
support these and other families through the process of moving
schools.
The Council will operate a Transition Board
and individual action plans may be appropriate for certain
children.
An interpreter can be sourced upon receiving
confirmation and consent from those who would need it.
Challenge from the Council to schools to
ensure an appropriate welcome for children starting at a new
school.
Further steps taken to translate documents
related to a statutory notice process and ensure materials online
can be translated using a webservice.
See cumulative section below for further
detail on transition support.
|
|
Religion or
belief[19]
|
There are only Church of England and Catholic
faith schools within the city. These schools can prioritise
children of the faith above other children.
In October 2023, 22.5% of primary school
pupils in Brighton & Hove attend a church aided school and
77.5% attend a secular school.
This proposal is about closing a community
school and the next nearest school in the city is a Catholic
school. This proposal reduces the amount of secular education
available in the city.
22% of first preference applications for
September 2023 were for church aided schools and 78% expressed a
first preference for secular schools.
There is no data available on the
religion/beliefs of parents or pupils attending this school.
|
There is little information on this. Some
parents will seek a secular education for their child whilst others
will want their children taught in line with their religious
belief.
Regarding adults, 74% of responders to the
consultation indicated they have no particular religious belief,
did not answer the question or preferred not to say.
94% of responders who stated they were
Christian tended to or strongly disagreed with the proposals. Which
is relevant when consideration is given to the next nearest south
Portslade schools being a church school.
Some families do not want their child to
attend a faith school and are concerned about losing secular
places
|
Some parents/carers will want there to be
church school provision so that they can achieve their preference
for their child’s education.
Some parents/carers will not want to access a
religious curriculum and will want to have access to a provision
that supports a secular delivery of education.
Some families may have to travel further to
gain a place at a school that is suitable for their needs.
|
The council will need to ensure that there are
sufficient secular and church school places available for pupils
who require one within a reasonable distance of the school.
When looking at the timetable for closure,
consideration will be given to observance of religious days of
significance to ensure that there is enough time outside of these
to ensure parents/carers are able to engage in any necessary
processes.
|
|
Sex/Gender[20]
|
There are no single sex, maintained schools in
the city. Admission arrangements do not take into consideration the
gender of the child.
In January 2024 St Peter’s had 62%
female pupils and 38% male pupils.
We are aware that parents/carers may be in
situations where they are on maternity/paternity leave, are single
parent families, and/or from same sex or non-binary families. This
doesn’t directly impact on school admissions
arrangements.
Most roles at risk at the school will be
filled by women.
Additional burdens due to the cost of living
could have disproportionate impacts on women due to the nature of
their employment types and barriers to employment for those with
sole childcare responsibilities.
Women are more likely to take on childcare
responsibilities so may be impacted by further school journeys,
reducing their employment options. The closure of the nursery
provision may impact on women’s opportunity to seek
employment.
There may be children that identify as
non-binary who may have additional needs.
|
Regarding adults, 51% of responses to the
consultation were submitted by females and 13% by males. 35%
did not answer or preferred not to say.
We’ve primarily heard from women
throughout the consultation where issues have been raised about
childcare and concerns about travelling to another school. We have
heard from some families where the childcare provider parent does
not have access to the family car during the school day.
|
Families could find it harder to access
community resources in the new school area and could experience
discrimination.
This proposal could impact on women, with
pre-school children, ability to seek employment.
|
If we are aware of any circumstances were
individuals need support, we will ensure that this group is
supported and that the school is also supported in using the
school’s trans toolkit.
If children or parents/carers indicate that
they are experiencing discrimination, there will be signposting in
place to ensure that they have the relevant support that they need
or access to a relevant discriminatory community group that they
can contact for additional assistance.
Assistance with transport will be provided in
line with our policy.
We will work with the schools to accommodate
any bespoke needs and provide support to all those where we are
aware that their circumstances mean that they require additional
support.
|
|
Sexual
orientation[21]
|
We have not yet identified any
disproportionate impacts on this group because the data available
about parents/children’s sexual orientation is
inconclusive.
|
Regarding adults, 69% of the 226 respondents
who provided details on their sexual orientation were submitted by
heterosexual respondents. 7% by gay/lesbian or bisexual
respondents. 24% did not answer or preferred not to say.
|
We are not aware of any identified
disproportionate impacts because the data is not available.
However, we are aware that discrimination against sexual
orientation remains a prevalent issue.
|
If we are aware of any circumstances were
individuals need support, we will ensure that this group is
supported and that the school is also supported in guiding people
through to resources and signposting support.
Voluntary sector organisations are available
for support for children and families regarding their sexual
orientation in the city.
Redeployment of the school staff must not take
this into account.
|
|
Marriage and civil
partnership[22]
|
We have not yet identified any
disproportionate impacts on this group because the data available
about parent/carer marital or civil partnership status is
inconclusive.
|
No data is collected on this matter in
relation to parents/carers.
This did not come up as an issue or
consideration in the consultation.
|
There may be discrimination around civil
partnerships and gay marriages and families may find it harder to
access community resources in the new school area and could
experience discrimination.
|
If we are aware of any circumstances were
individuals need support, we will ensure that this group is
supported and that the school is also supported in guiding people
through to resources and signposting support.
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Community
Cohesion[23]
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St Peter’s Community Primary and Nursery
School has 1% of pupils within the 10% most deprived areas of
Britain and 33% of pupils within the 20% most deprived areas of
Britain.
The schools with available spaces for these
pupils to move to could be serving different communities in this
country.
Migrant/refugee families attending the school
and the subsequent community built around the school may be their
first experience of community in this country.
There may be added fear in having to start
again after already having to start again in a new country. The
added impact of having to move school could have a wider impact on
those who have already come to this country in difficult
circumstances.
High numbers of SEN children being dispersed
from St Peter’s.
A high proportion of families attending the
school live in the West Sussex area.
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House prices surrounding popular schools can
be inflated, due to increased demand on accommodation close to
popular schools.
Parents from some socio-economic groups are
better able to use resources available to them to support change
e.g. with travel or moving house.
The school will no longer be available as a
community resource such as the school hall being used for community
activities.
We’ve heard much about the air raid
shelters at the school – these are a valued community
resource/landmark.
Families and other responders to the
consultation have reported a sense of south Portslade (where the
school is located) being different to other parts of the local
area.
Concern has been raised about the nature of
the journey to other schools and the need to cross what are
perceived to be dangerous and large roads.
Some families living in the community may not
be in receipt on public funds and are reliant upon the support
offered and signposted of the school.
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Can have an implication on the pupils offered
a place at these schools as families who cannot afford to move
close to oversubscribed schools are unable to obtain a place
there.
Classroom and school dynamics may change with
new arrivals.
Pupils may be negatively impacted by a loss of
friendships and support networks.
Some families may struggle with informal
childcare e.g. relying on friends and family members with children
at the same school
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As above the Council can work proactively with
other Headteacher’s and governing bodies about welcoming
pupils to new schools. Especially where there are places
available.
Support needed for class teachers to manage an
additional influx of children mid-year or at the start of Sept
2024.
Current schools and EMAS to continue
supporting migrant/refugee families to understand the implications
of the decision, to assist families to apply for a suitable new
school place and work with the new schools to support the
transition.
Schools may need to seek additional advice,
support and guidance around the intake of children with needs and
experiences the receiving have had little or no experience in.
See cumulative section below for more details
on transition support.
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Children in Care and
Care Experienced Young People
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That Children in Care and Care Experienced
Young People are likely to face discrimination.
There are 332 children and young people in
care, and 381 children and young people previously in
care.
41% of 19-21 year old care leavers are not in
education, employment or training, compared to 12% of other young
people the same age.
There are 66% with SEND and 35% have an EHCP,
compared to 12% of the general population. 50% of children
and young people in care have a diagnosable mental health
condition.
St Peter’s have 2 children with a social
worker, both on Children in Need plans. None are currently in care.
It is not known whether any parents of children attending the
school or likely to have chosen the school are care leavers.
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Brighton & Hove City Council have adopted
Children in Care and Care Experienced Young People as a protected
characteristic. As Corporate Parent, there is a collective
responsibility and demonstrable commitment to ensure that children
and young people with care experience are enabled to have the same
opportunities as any other child or young person.
5% of responders who provided information have
been a Child in Care or Care Experienced Young person. 85% had not
and 10% preferred not to say.
All but one of those who had been a child in
care disagreed with the proposal to close the school.
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We need to ensure that the profile of children
and young people accessing school places are not discriminated
against and have the opportunity to access school provision.
We recognise that care experienced children
are likely to have experienced trauma and this process could
reignite those negative feelings.
It can be expected that parents who were
themselves care experienced may also re-experience the trauma that
was present earlier in their lives.
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Brighton & Hove City Council have adopted
Children in Care and Care Experienced as a protected
characteristic.
Children in care and previously looked after
children have the top admission priority when applying for school
places.
The virtual school has a responsibility to
support children in care and those known to a social worker.
Support will be provided to any relevant child displaced from St
Peter’s and to the school that they will be attending.
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Cumulative
impact[24]
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The public consultation ran between 7 November
2023 and 22 December 2023. There were 5 public meetings and 313
responses to the online consultation were received. In addition,
there were 15 direct responses to the council’s school
organisation email account about the proposals.
Approximately 150 people attended the four
non-specific public meetings, not including Council officers or the
core school leadership.
That number will include some repeat attenders
and some school staff and governors.
The Council also received letters and comment
from children who attend the school.
A range of steps were taken to enable people
to engage with the consultation process.
Information from the online consultation
events was available after the event.
We know there are a number of families with a
number of intersectional characteristics who will be affected by
these proposals. The change to the established schooling and
community support offered at St Peter’s will affect families
with children at the school.
We are aware that there will be people who may
be impacted because of multiple protected
characteristics.
Multi layered impacts on certain people may
exist which could severely impact their ability, desire, or access
to engage with both the consultation and any future engagement
around school closures and applying for new school places.
The lived experience of many families may mean
they may not want to engage not have time or energy to engage with
a school closure and the issues associated with it.
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We’ve heard from families who have
reported they will be negatively impacted and disadvantaged by the
closure of the school.
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With approximately
100+ pupils on roll at the school in October 2023 and the staffing
levels in the school it can be expected that 313 responses are a
proportionate response compared to the overall number of people
affected and that results are therefore reliable.
Families may fear discrimination throughout
the application process to secure a new school place and transition
to the new school.
A school move for those who have added
socio-economic issues and those arising from a history of
discrimination or needing to seek asylum may add an extra layer of
stress to those families.
Families may continue to experience
retraumatising with this closure.
Children and families are worried that they
may not receive the same support in a new setting.
We recognise the feeling of loss that a long
established and well-loved school closure brings to a
community.
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If we are aware of any circumstances were
individuals need support, we will ensure that this group is
supported and that the school is also supported in guiding people
through to resources and signposting support.
Where there are multi layered impacts, we are
willing to assess this on a case-by-case basis with bespoke
resources and support to address these barriers.
As above, we will have a transition oversight
board meeting regularly to consider individual, collective and
intersection needs arising from planned transition activity. This
will include SEN, Inclusion Support, EMAS, School Admissions, and
the Schools Mental Health Service and individual action plans may
be appropriate for certain children.
We have additional funding agreed with the LA
for these support services.
Pupil led funding allocations will divert to
the receiving schools on the closure of St Peter’s.
The Council will work with schools who receive
pupils from St Peter’s Community Primary and Nursery School
to develop their school travel plans to seek to mitigate against
the need for increased car use.
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Assessment of
overall impacts and any further recommendations[25]
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Reducing the
number of surplus school places is necessary to safeguard the broad
range of schools in the city and to reduce the risk of financial
difficulties as pupil numbers continue to reduce. The
proposed closures are part of this strategy along with reducing the
PANs of larger schools. Without a reduction in school places
there is the real possibility that some schools become unable to
operate in a financially efficient way with implications for the
quality of education provided and the council’s own
budget.
By not reducing
the number of surplus places in the city in the longer-term school
occupancy rates will not increase meaning that school budgets will
remain lower and this may make more schools less viable. As schools
are more likely to be able to balance their budgets if operating
with full, or close to full, forms of entry.
Pupils currently
attending this school will need to apply for and move to a new
school by September 2024. Support and understanding will be
needed for many of the groups with protected characteristics in
order to ensure that they understand the processes in order to
secure a new school place that is suitable for the family’s
requirements.
Staff will be at
risk of being made redundant and may need to seek alternative
employment. Where staff are impacted due to protected
characterises, the employer will need to ensure additional steps
and support are taken where necessary. Some staff have had long
associations with the school and may therefore be
disproportionately affected by the decision to close the
school.
Every person
across all protected characteristics is likely to be negatively
impacted by the closures and requirement to move schools due to the
emotional toll, mental toll and upheaval involved. This will be
more severe for certain groups of people on top of the protected
characteristics already assessed. Some families and staff affected
will have more than one protected characteristic and the additional
stress for them needs to be recognised.
The schools and
staff will need to be supported to identify families and children
requiring additional help with this transition process and for
these children to be able to move to a new school which can support
them appropriately. This is particularly relevant where
English is an additional language and for Black and Racially
Minoritised global majority families as there are a high percentage
of these children in the school.
The turnout of
responses to the consultation does not match the numbers of
signatures to recent petitions but does appear to match the numbers
of staff and families affected by the proposals. There is some gaps
in data on the protected characteristics of those who would be
affected by these proposals but the most prominent issues have been
captured in the public meetings and responses including those
facilitated by colleagues in EMAS.
We recognise that
whilst the consultation reached many, there will be some
we’ve not heard from directly. We will continue to publish
the consultation arrangements in the next phase and factor that in
to the transition oversight board, that there may yet be further
needs not yet fully identified and recognised.
The council has
undertaken a public consultation on proposals to close St
Peter’s Community Primary School and Nursery on 31 August
2024. The vast majority of replies stated their disagreement with
the proposals and concern for how pupils who attend the school will
be supported by other schools should they need to move. In
addition, there is concern that by closing the school its nursery
provision, which is affordable, meets the needs of working parents
and is highly regarded, will be lost. The school is currently
operating with 69 pupils and this is the smallest primary school in
Brighton & Hove. The school is expected to receive a very low
number of first preferences for a place at the school in September
2024. The school is anticipating ending the financial year with a
£203,000 deficit. The low numbers of pupils still attending
the school and the absence of a credible financial plan that shows
the school coming out of deficit means any alternative to closure
would need additional support from the Council. The council’s
view is that a medium to long term strategy to maintain the school
though a reduced number of pupils onsite is not a viable approach
with pupil numbers still expected to fall in future years and
parental preference being a mainstay of government policy. In
recommending that the school closes the council is committed to
supporting all pupils to find an alternative school place, be
supported to attend that school if their circumstances mean they
are entitled to transport assistance and to work with the receiving
schools to meet the needs of the children. The Council has put
additional resources in place to provide teams with dedicated time
and staff to oversee transition arrangements and will clearly state
its expectations of receiving schools so as to minimise the impact
of children having to attend another school. The Portslade planning
area is expected to have 90 or more unfilled places in 2025 through
to 2027. The council’s statutory duty is to ensure sufficient
school places for pupils living in Brighton & Hove and wanting
a place in a city school. With sufficient school places in the area
and an indication that West Sussex County Council also have
sufficient school places to meet the need of families who live in
close proximity to St Peter’s Community Primary and Nursery
school, it is recommended that the school closes on 31 August
2024.
If the
recommendations in this report are agreed, a statutory
representation period of four weeks will run between 23 January
2024 and 20 February 2024 during which any person may make further
comments on the proposal. Once any further comments are considered
a further report will be brought to a special meeting of the
Children, Families & Schools Committee on 29 February 2024. In
the event that closure is recommended, a final decision will be
made by Full Council on 4 March 2024.
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