Issue details

Millais is a girls’ secondary school in Horsham catering for pupils aged 11-16.  The demand for places at the school has been declining at a time when there is a shortfall of places for boys in the wider Horsham area. 

In April 2024, the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Learning and Skills approved the launch of a public consultation, in accordance with Department for Education (DfE) guidance, to seek views on proposals to change the status of Millais from a single sex girls’ school to one for girls and boys.  After considering the feedback from the consultation, the Cabinet Member approved progression to the next stage of the DfE process (decision CYPLS19 (24/25) refers).  This led to the publication in January 2025 of the proposal to change the status of Millais School from a single sex girls’ school to a co-educational school from September 2026. 

The proposals were published for a five-week period from 23 January to 27 February 2025 and provided the opportunity for the public to submit new or substantively different comments. 24 representations were received, 19 objected to the proposals, 4 were in support and one was neither for nor against. Following analysis, some new or substantively different comments were noted, particularly questioning the impartiality of the process. The comments are set out at paragraph 4.4 and responses to them at 4.8 of the report. Following consideration of the feedback at both stages of consultation, from the public, education stakeholders and the Children and Young People’s Services Scrutiny Committee meeting on 11 September 2024, approval is sought to implement the proposals, as published.