Our School
13 Mar 2023
Wightwick Hall School Consultation Document
Increased Pupil Numbers
What is being proposed
Wightwick Hall School (‘the School’) is proposing to increase its number of places and available capacity for SEND places. This is an exciting opportunity to allow us to grow our school community and to support more children access education in a way that best meets their needs.
Why it is being proposed
The increased capacity number is being proposed due to the increased demand for special placements at the School. Our good work and standard of delivery is valued by SEND officers seeking to place children assessed as needing a special setting. The various local authorities that we work closely with have expressed a clear desire to work further with us and to assist them in ensuring their respective Local Offers are robust and meeting demand.
We have the fortunate position that we have physical space to occupy and a desire to help more children. Our expertise allows us to grow and to support more children as they continue their journey through education with the correct support.
How it may change the school
It is expected that the School may be able to offer 160 places (including those already attending) if the proposed increase moves ahead as planned. The areas identified for the expansion are all internal to the school site and will not require large scale capital works which could result in disruption to our current pupils.
The School would benefit from the improved facilities and learning environment for pupils across all key stages. Additional facilities would support improved delivery of education and wellbeing services to pupils, as well as helping pupils progress and achieve their targeted outcomes.
The increase in the present capacity number will not dilute the school experience for existing pupils, and indeed the expansion of our offer and additional resources should enable a higher quality experience for all pupils at School. Our increased capacity number will require additional staffing resource which will add to our strong team and the experience we can draw down on to keep ahead of pace.
The School will also be recruiting to meet the increased needs that come with additional pupils as supported by their respective education, health and care plans. This ensures we are building on our capacity and not reducing our available resource. Preliminary steps have already been taken to commence the recruitment process to strengthen our teaching resources in readiness for our plans for growth.
When is it proposed that the changes will be made/work will commence?
It is anticipated that the proposed increase in capacity will allow us to start take an increase in number from September 2023. Where there is pressing need to support children we may accept pending applications we are already working with local SEND teams on subject to permission being granted by the Advisory Board.
Responses
Should you have any feedback or questions that you wish to raise arising out of this consultation, please submit them to [enquiries@wightwickhall.staffs.sch.uk] or you may post the responses to [Mrs J Haynes], Wightwick Hall School, Tinacre Hill, Wolverhampton, WV6 8DA.
All feedback and questions must be received on or before 14th April 2023. The Trust will endeavor to publish its responses to matters raised within 2 weeks of the consultations closure. These responses will be published on our website for ease of access to stakeholders.
Yours faithfully
Ceri Rowley
Headteacher
08 Sep 2023
Dear Parent/Carers,
I am delighted and honoured to have been appointed as the new headteacher for Wightwick Hall School, and I’m very keen to get to know all our pupils, parents, carers and staff.
From my experience of being in education for more than 20 years, I know that a successful and happy school is dependent on all of us working together. Starting my career in North Wales, I became a lead practitioner in supporting students with their social, emotional and health needs, before qualifying as a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator and taking up a SENCo role in a mainstream school in Shropshire. More recently, I have been a Deputy Headteacher in an alternative provision in Dudley.
Wightwick Hall School has a history of excellence; recently demonstrated in a ‘Good’ Ofsted grading. It is the hard work and dedication of the school community that has allowed this to happen, and I am looking forward to learning more from all its stakeholders to ensure that any changes we make in this new chapter are supported by the whole school community.
As parents and carers, you make an important contribution to your children’s achievements, and I’m excited to build on the relationship between you and the school for everyone’s benefit. I will be available to meet or speak to parents and carers in the coming weeks, and invite you to arrange a time to meet by expressing interest using the slip below. These meetings will take place in a number of different formats and different times of the day and week in the hope that as many families as possible will have the opportunity to attend. Once all feedback has been collected, I will be in touch to arrange a time
Yours faithfully,
Mrs Ceri Rowley
Headteacher