Purpose

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.

Decision

The Cabinet Member for Children and Young
People, Learning and Skills has approved the change of status of
Millais Secondary School from a single sex girls’ school to a
co-educational school (for girls and boys) from September 2026.
 
Update: 13 June 2025
 
The attached decision by West
Sussex County Council taken on 25 March 2025 (ref: CYPLS25 (24/25))
is abandoned with effect from this day 13 June 2025 and shall be
treated as revoked and without effect.
 
The decision hereby revoked was
taken by the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Learning
and Skills.  All relevant persons have been consulted and the
revocation is authorised by the Executive Director Law, Assurance
and Insight.
 
The decision was informed by a
consultation process related to the publication of a statutory
notice authorised by decision
CYPLS19 (24/25). The arrangements made
for that consultation exercise have been reviewed and the Council
has concluded that information linked to the consultation was
incorrect and misleading. The Council has determined that the
consultation process and its outcome should be disregarded and the
decision arising from it revoked. A new consultation process will
be undertaken to inform fresh consideration of the statutory
proposal leading to a new decision.