Consultation on the Proposal to make a Change Affecting Provision Reserved for Pupils with SEN of Tile Cross Academy

Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust is proposing to make a significant change to Tile Cross Academy, Gressel Lane, Tile Cross, Birmingham B33 9UF, by including provision for a 30-place resource base.

Background 

Tile Cross Academy was opened in May 2017 and is part of Washwood Heath Academy Multi-Academy Trust.   Washwood Heath Multi-Academy Trust is the Admissions Authority for Tile Cross Academy. The Trust has a strong community focus and is committed to serving the parents and children of its local area.  This includes meeting the demand for pupil places. 

Tile Cross Academy caters for pupils aged 11 to 16. The Academy has capacity for 600 pupils (120 in each year group).

Birmingham City Council has a statutory duty to provide sufficient resource base school places for children resident in Birmingham, of statutory school age. To achieve this, the council has to keep the number of places under regular review and to take the appropriate steps to manage the position where necessary. The Academy Trust has developed this proposal in consultation with the Council, with the aim of meeting the needs of families with secondary aged pupils in the local area. The proposal will not have a negative impact on other provision within the area.

The Proposal 

To make a significant change by establishing a reserved provision of 30 Places for pupils with a designated Special Educational Need of Cognition and Learning.

Tile Cross Academy submitted an expression of interest to Birmingham City Council to provide 30 resource base places to meet demand in the local area.

This will not require an expansion to the premises, remodelling work is proposed to the existing accommodation and an area has been identified for the resource base. Birmingham City Council will be working with the Academy to make the required changes to the existing accommodation. 

Admissions Arrangements

The Published Admission Number for September 2023 is 120 

The current oversubscription criteria for admission to the Academy, which is used when more places are applied for than are available, will remain the same.   

Details of the admissions criteria and how to make an application for a place can be found on the school website or on the Birmingham City Council website: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/schooladmissions.

Objectives

The Academy is passionate about providing a high standard of education for all of its students and to the continual development of the Academy provision to achieve this.  The proposal will: 

• Provide additional resource base school places.  Birmingham City Council has identified a basic need for school places in the area. 

• Enable increased flexibility in the organisation of learning, sizes of teaching groups and methods of teaching to continue to improve teaching and learning outcomes. 

• Provide increased opportunities for the professional development of staff and for them to take on new responsibilities, which will help build in succession planning and the retention of good teachers.  

• Provide more opportunity for staff to share best practice, which will have a positive impact on pupil’s progress.  

School Building Implications

The existing Academy will not need to be extended but will need to be adapted to accommodate the additional provision. 

The capital funding for the building work will be provided through the Birmingham City Council Basic Need Programme. 

Pupil’s safety during building work will be a priority and the Academy will endeavour to minimise any disruption to pupils’ education.  

Consultation Period

The period of consultation will run from Monday 17 April 2023 until 5.00pm Monday 15 May 2023 at 5.00pm.

Please read this consultation document and tell us what your views are.  A consultation response form is available here.

Alternatively, you can write to the Washwood Heath Multi-Academy Trust, in a sealed envelope clearly marked ‘Tile Cross Places Consultation’ on the front.  The address is: Washwood Heath Multi-Academy Trust, c/o Tile Cross Academy, Gressel Lane, Birmingham B33 9UF. 

Emails should be sent to enquiry@tilecross.academy with the subject ‘Tile Cross Places Consultation’. 

A consultation drop in meeting will be held on Thursday 27 April 2023 at 4.00pm, at Tile Cross Academy to discuss any queries you may have and to receive comments on the proposal.   

Following consideration of the feedback from the consultation, the Trustees will decide whether to continue with the proposals. If the decision is not to continue, then no further action will be taken.  If the decision is to continue with the proposal, then the academy will seek approval from the Secretary of State, through the Regional Department for Education, to make the necessary changes.