Public Consultation – Significant Change Process to admit 5-11 age SEND young people
Charlton Park Academy Trust wants to publicly consult with a wide range of stakeholders about our proposal to widen the age range of young people to be able include places for Primary-aged students aged 5-11 years with effect from 1st April 2024, subject to formal approval.
We believe that having more local specialist school choice for families and carers with young people with complex SEND in where to choose to send their children is in the public and best interests of young people. Charlton Park Academy has a wide range of suitably trained specialist staff, accommodation and facilities that are modern and purpose built to meet complex SEND needs. We have been a secondary aged specialist provider since LA reorganisation in 2000.
For many years, we have declined parental and SEND local authorities’ applications for primary specialist places. The impact of this is that some pupils have had to wait until they are secondary age before being able to attend Charlton Park, which we believe is not in the child’s best interests. This has meant that many young people must remain in mainstream primary schools for longer periods of time than may be best for them. Our sister school Willowdene is over capacity, full and maintains a lengthy waiting list and are unable to admit. Early intervention and access to specialist teaching and resourcing is recognised as having significant positive impact upon SEND young person wellbeing, lifelong learning and their development.
Our Trust is applying to the DfE for a planned significant change and small expansion of capacity of 230 students to accomodate 10 new primary places from April 2024.
Our formal consultation process begins at midday on Wednesday 21st June 2023 and ends at midday on Friday 21st July 2023.
Please return any comments in regards to this public proposal by email to Gianni Silvestri-Clerk (gsilvestri@charltonparkacademy.co.uk marked “Charlton Park Academy Consultation”
Consultation responses must be emailed so that they are received by no later than 12.00 noon on Friday 21st July 2023.
We would also like to invite you to a consultation event about the proposals.
- Face to Face Consultation Event – Mulberry Tree House Centre Thursday 22nd June 2023 3.30pm – 4pm (other consultation events will be arranged on demand)
At this meeting, there will be an opportunity to speak to senior leaders and to ask questions about this proposal. The consultation event will be held on site in Mulberry Tree House, at Charlton Park Academy, Charlton Park Road, SE7 8HX.
If you would like further information about Charlton Park Academy, please visit our website: www.charltonparkacademy.com where you will also find the consultation paperwork, including an electronic version of the response form.
The Trustees of Charlton Park Academy Trust will inform you of the outcome of the overall consultation by email and via the Charlton Park Academy website.
I hope that you are able to attend our event, however in any case please feel free to contact any of us via the school email, if you would like to discuss this in further detail.
Lynda Hage / Graham Harknett/ Mark Dale-Emberton / Niall Fallon
