The Cabinet Member for Children, Families, and Lifelong Learning approved the proposal to expand Woodland School onto an additional satellite site at Cranmeria Primary School. The expansion will provide 28 specialist places for primary-age children with severe learning difficulties and associated needs, including autism. The Cabinet Member approved the proposal without modification, noting the demand for specialist school places in East Surrey and deeming the consultation exercise sufficient.

Woodland School Expansion at Cranmeria Primary School

The meeting's main focus was a proposal to expand Woodland School by establishing a satellite site at Cranmeria Primary School. The plan involves providing 28 places for primary-age children with severe learning difficulties and associated needs, including autism.

Mike Singleton, service manager responsible for education place planning, explained that the satellite site would utilise four classrooms at Cranmeria Primary School, ensuring separation from the primary school, and would include a separate outside space. Woodland School staff would run the satellite site.

The council ran a consultation process between 27 June and 5 September, which included statutory notices[^2]. According to the Report - Woodlands School Expansion at Cranmere Primary School, 54% of the 28 respondents agreed with the proposal.

Councillor Jonathan Essex asked for more information about the consultation and the volume of responses from interested parties, noting that 32% of respondents disagreed with the proposal.

Mike Singleton clarified that the consultation involved a wide group of people, including headteachers, children from both schools, governing bodies, families, and council officers. He referred to a letter from Woodlands in Annex 4 Letter from Woodlands to parents, which mentioned a parents' visit on 21 July, where 14 prospective parents visited. Jodie Emery, service manager for education and preparation for adulthood, attended the visit.

Eamon Gilbert, assistant director for commissioning for transformation and additional needs and disabilities and social care, added that an information event was held on the afternoon of 21 July, with approximately 60 people attending. He said that the overall response was positive, although some concerns were raised about potential changes to toileting facilities and parking. He said that the parking concerns were addressed by confirming a different pickup and drop-off time for the satellite provision.

The Woodlands School Representation Period Analysis sets out the concerns of the 32% of respondents who disagreed with the proposal, which included the impact on Cranmere pupils, school parking and traffic.

The Cabinet Member approved the proposal without modification, stating that they had:

...considered the report, taking a note of the process involved in producing this report, not least the consultation exercise, which I regard to be sufficient, and noting, of course, that there is a demand for specialist school places for pupils with severe learning difficulties and needs in East Surrey, where this school provision is situated.