Girls’ school to become co educational?
A public consultation has been announced over proposals to change a major Horsham secondary school from all-girls to co-educational.
West Sussex County Council has drawn up a report on switching Millais School from all-girls following a decline in demandforplacesattheschool in recent years and a subsequent shortage of secondary school places for boys in the Horsham area.
Last year dozens of families were devastated on being told that their children would have to travel to school in Burgess Hill before places at more local schools were eventually foundforthem.ItfollowedForest School changing from allboys to co-educational.
Now, in a report proposing aconsultationislaunchedinto changing the status of Millais School, West Sussex County Councilassistanteducationdirector Claire Hayes says: “This shortage of places for boys in Horsham was particularly evidentforthoseapplyingforsecondary places for September 2023 entry, with 34 not receiving one of their three preferences.
"Following successful appeals and moves of some pupils into independent schools, by September 2023, all of the 34 boys were able to attend a school of preference.
“For September 2024, seventeen families with boys in the Horsham area have not receivedoneoftheirthreepreferencesandsohavebeenoffered alternative schools. This may change as happened in 2023 but is not considered to be a sustainable position.”
The report points out that “it is acknowledged that co-educationalschoolsarecurrently more popular than single sex schools.
“The school [Millais] has not filled all its places for the last three years which impacts on budgets and resources, as school budgets are mainly based on the pupil head count.
“Moving from a single sex school to a co-educational school will lead to a broader range of curriculum subjects that will bring wider choice and diversity for all pupils.
“The proposal to offer another co-educational school in Horsham will provide parents with greater choice when applying for school places for their children.”
If it goes ahead, the earliest thefirstco-educationalcohort could enter Year 7 would be from September 2026. Existing year groups of girls would continuetoreceivetheireducationatMillaisuntiltheyleaveat the age of 16.