Purpose

Millais is a girls’ secondary school in
Horsham catering for pupils aged 11-16. 
 
In April 2024 the Cabinet Member for Children
and Young People, Learning and Skills
approved the launch of a public engagement, in accordance with

Department for Education (DfE) guidance, to seek views on the
future of Millais school and the proposals to change the status of
the school 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, the publication
of formal statutory proposals to change the status of Millais to a
co-educational school (decision
CYPLS19 (24/25) refers).
 
In March 2025, after a consultation process,
the Cabinet Member approved the proposals to change the status of
Millais School from a single sex girls’ school to a
co-educational school for year groups from September
2026. 
 
The process which led to the March decision
was the subject of representations and review which concluded that
the consultation arrangements immediately prior to the March
decision could be perceived to be flawed by having placed limits on
the submission and consideration of representations previously
presented and considered as part of the engagement exercise in
2024. The March decision was therefore set aside and a fresh
consultation begun in accordance with
Department for Education (DfE) guidance. 
 
The
statutory proposals were published for a four-week period from
19th June to 18th July 2025 and this provided the opportunity for
all interested parties and the public to submit any comments about
the proposals.

Decision

(1)That the Leader has
considered this report including the analysis of all
representations and comments received during the informal and
formal consultation stages and the advice and guidance provided in
the report and the attached appendices.
 

(2)That the Leader is
satisfied with the advice and guidance
and that the Leader approves 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 for
the year groups admitted that year and subsequently.