Monday's Cabinet meeting will take the formal decision to move to a statutory consultation on the expansion of Phoenix Arch Special School at St Raphael's Estate to the vacant Strathcona site in Preston. The consultation will take place over just one month, June 29th to July 27th.
This follows an informal consultation that Brent Council say demonstrated support for the proposal.
The Cabinet paper states:
The proposal to expand the school is a response to increasing demand for special school places across the borough for children who present with autistic spectrum condition (ASC). The proposal, that has the support of the Governing Board, would use the expertise at Phoenix Arch Special School to provide for a larger cohort of children than presently.
The Strathcona site was previously used by Roe Green Infants School for primary classes at the time of rising primary school rolls. After closure it was considered as a site for Islamia Primary but this was not popular with parents and Islamia is due to open on the former Leopold site in Brentfield Road.
Phoenix currently has 55 pupils and Strathcona would provide 50 more places, doubling the size of the school. The two sites are some distance from each other and will provide some logistical challenges.
As well as the consultation reported above there was also a public meeting attended by 30 people. The Cabinet paper reports the issues raised by both consultations:
The reasons respondents provided for supporting the proposal include:
That it creates more places in specialist provision for children with SEND, of which there is currently a significant shortage in Brent. This will mean that children with SEND are not left to struggle in an education system that is not tailored to their needs.
That it will provide dedicated spaces for children with complex sensory and behavioural needs which can make mainstream settings unsuitable for these children.
That it will provide for a variety of therapeutic interventions to take place.
That Phoenix Arch School has a proven track record of delivering excellent outcome for students, evidenced by various anecdotal testimonies.
That Phoenix Arch is well-run and has a good understanding of the children it supports.
That it will create jobs and provide opportunities for staff development.
The view that 50 additional spaces was positive, but it may be insufficient to meet need.
The proposal being an opportunity to provide a range of provisions, including sensory calming areas within classrooms; therapeutic spaces outside of classrooms; safe playground equipment in outside space; space for Year 6 students who may not transition to mainstream to get used to changing classes; spaces for assessment and therapy.
Concerns raised, primarily at the public consultation meeting, include:
that the proposal would increase noise levels during school hours which would reduce the peaceful character of the neighbourhood.
that the proposal would lead to an increase in traffic on local roads around the Strathcona site and that the increase in traffic could consequently lead to an increase in air pollution.
that the proposal could lead to a rise in unsafe parking, which could raise risks for pedestrians and other road users.
that access to Wembley Commercial Centre should remain unrestricted 24/7 and that proximity to Wembley Commercial Centre would lead to increased noise levels within the school, which could negatively impact students with additional needs who may be particularly sensitive to their surroundings.
concerns that the satellite site could be expanded further in years to come
The Council's response is documented in the Officers' Report HERE
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