Significant Change consultation for establishing a new satellite site, formalising a SEN unit, and increasing pupil capacity number for the Limes College.

Sutton Council has the statutory obligation to ensure that there are enough school places available within the Borough. The Local Authority has experienced a rise in the rate of permanent exclusions since COVID-19. As a mitigation, the council, in a collaborative approach, temporarily approved an additional 40 AP places within the Limes College in 2023/2024 for delivering high-quality AP education within the locality and reduce the need for costly, out of borough placements. Due to the rate of demand remaining consistent post-pandemic, the Limes College is seeking approval to permanently increase the College’s PAN number by 40 places.

In addition, in order to meet the need for vocational qualification and specific courses, the Limes College is seeking to establish a new satellite provision, which will be located in Sunningdale Road and within closing proximity of the College. The satellite site will specifically provide high-quality, vocational courses from City & Guilds, with particular emphasis on construction related courses. Currently in Sutton, there are no registered AP providers offering courses related to wet trade, and our proposed satellite site will provide vocational qualifications to dual registered children from feeder schools as well as The Limes College. The satellite site will be a genuine continuation of The Limes College, replicating the provision’s mission to support students from a relationship and family context, taking into account of their personal background, and using education as a means to empower our children to find their place in the world. Due to the proposed establishment of our new satellite, the PAN for The Limes College will increase by an additional 20 places, increasing the total pupil capacity number by 60 places.

Lastly, The Limes College currently offers specialist education to 14 girls diagnosed with having social, emotional, and mental health needs (SEMH) as their primary designation according to their EHCPs, as well as autism spectrum condition (ASC). Known as BOOST, we seek to formalise this provision as a dedicated SEN unit and continue to provide our vulnerable children with a separate, nurturing environment supported by therapeutic interventions to enable our girls to experience a well-rounded and balanced educational experience.

Why are we running this consultation?

For developing and submitting a Significant Change application for approval, we are required to conduct a three-week consultation exercise to gather feedback and views of relevant stakeholders within the locality regarding the proposed changes for The Limes College. The consultation period for The Limes College will run from 12:00pm 7^th of October 2024 to 12:00pm 28^th of October 2024. As part of this exercise, we will also be hosting a virtual consultation event to provide the opportunity for our attendees to learn more about The Limes College and the benefits of our proposed changes

Submitting your feedback:

In addition to attending our virtual consultation event, we invite you to complete the following short survey as means to gather your views and opinion regarding our proposed changes for The Limes College:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/THPG7GN

SUCCESSES

Over the last 14 years The Limes College, which is the founding provision for Alternative Learning Trust, has developed to become a nationally recognised provision for children unable to access mainstream school.

The school moved from “good” to “outstanding”.

Key successes

• High attainment – consistently above national average for PRUs and AP

• Strong multi-agency partnership working within local area through Local Safeguarding Childrens Partnership and Vulnerable Pupils' Panel

• Strong and experienced staff team, who train and support others

• We have supported other schools, PRUs and AP

• Innovative programmes and support developed to resolve issues behind the behaviours as to why children need alternative provision, including:

  • innovative work with families

  • strong multi agency team developed to enable teachers to teach

  • deliver work for families experiencing domestic abuse

  • use of restorative approach and restorative justice

  • mental health and trauma support work

  • family intervention groups and 1:1 support

  • training and behaviour support work

  • contextual safeguarding

  • number of accolades – TES AP Award, Dallaglio, SEND

• Media articles – The Sunday Times Magazine, The Independent, BBC News, Channel 4 News, Today Programme (BBC Radio 4), BBC Radio London (interview with Vanessa Feltz)

• Emma took part as a witness in the Education Select Committee's inquiry into exclusions, behaviour and alternative provision.  On another occasion Emma appeared with some of The Limes College's students in front of the Parliamentary Select Committee regarding the implementation of the new Domestic Abuse Act and its impact on children.

Media