Councillors agree to begin consultation on the closure of Homewood College

Councillors agreed to go ahead with a consultation on the proposed closure of Homewood College at the council’s cabinet meeting on Thursday 27 June.

The next step is to carry out a statutory consultation with the parents and carers of children at the school and the wider school community. The consultation will open on 8 July and run until 5 September.

Following the consultation, a further report will be presented to the Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet member for Finance and City Regeneration in late September detailing the responses and making recommendations about the next steps.

The council has consulted with parents and carers of Homewood College pupils and school staff about the decision to stop admissions to the school, and has discussed alternative educational placements for the pupils currently attending.

Parents and carers have been fully involved in planning alternative arrangements for their children. The council is committed to ensuring the educational needs of every child on roll at Homewood are fully considered.

As Homewood College is expected to have no pupils attending in September, councillors have agreed to begin the formal process to close the school by the end of December 2024.

Homewood College

Homewood College is a small specialist school for secondary pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.

The school is maintained by the local authority and has a governing board responsible for its day-to-day running. The council has a role in commissioning placements for pupils with Education, Health and Care plans.

Homewood College was rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted in December 2021. Despite the efforts of school leaders, staff, and the council, the school has not made sufficient improvement and remained ‘inadequate’ in the 4 subsequent monitoring visits.

The school has also been subject to an Academy Order since February 2022. Unfortunately, no Academy Trust has been identified to sponsor the school.

No places have been commissioned at the school from September 2024. Any pupils who are currently on roll at the school and who would have been in Key Stage 3 and 4 in September will be moved to more appropriate SEMH provision in line with their needs.