That the Council acknowledges and is supportive of the proposal that the Enhanced Resource Provision (ERP) at The Spires will close with effect from 31 August 2026.

A school with a specialist provision attached to their school, can give notice and no longer run the provision, if they have followed statutory processes.  That decision is led by the Governing Body of the school.  As part of the significant change process as outlined in the link above, the LA is required to comment on the notification to remove this provision.

Torbay Council acknowledges the request from The Spires to provide their specialist provision and offer in a more flexible manner that enables them to meet a wider range of needs for the pupils who attend their schools.

The Spires have confirmed that the specialist support available to their pupils will continue, and that this should have no negative impacts on the pupils who require access to their support.

In addition, with the recent publication of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) white paper, there is a keen drive for increased inclusivity within mainstream school.  The approach that The Spires is proposing to support their pupils aligns to this vision.

To decline the proposal from The Spires; The Spires have reassured Torbay Council on the continuation of the specialist offer within the school for their pupils, therefore it is not felt appropriate to decline the proposal.

This decision will come into force immediately.

Torbay Council currently commissions The Spires College, a Secondary School in Torbay, to provide specialist places for children with ASC (Autistic Spectrum Condition) within an Enhanced Resource Provision (ERP).

In December, The Spires College contacted Torbay Council outlining that they wished to give notice on the ERP.  The reasons outlined by The Spires College are as follows:

The College has seen an increase in a wider range of other high needs and requires the resources to be able to support all students, regardless of primary area of need.

The College has very limited space; the site has a footprint that falls well below the average for secondary schools, and site restrictions mean there is no capacity for expansion.  It needs to be able to adjust its allocation of resources according to the needs of students on roll, rather than working within the confines of what is prescribed for the provision of an ERP.

The local authority allocates places in an ERP and specify the level of service to be provided.  Following the closure, the College will continue to support children with high levels of need but will be able to do so with more flexibility, for example, by continuing to provide the support of our specialist staff into the Sixth Form.

The College previously hosted an ERP for Hearing Impairment.  This was decommissioned last year, and the College has taken this provision ‘in-house’.  This has been successful and allowed the school to support the needs of more children, as well as enhancing the level of support provided to those students who held places in the ERP.  It has given the school a successful model for the proposed changes to its ASC provision.

The Spires College carried out a consultation with their local community, in line with the requirements outlined in Making significant changes ('prescribed alterations') to maintained schools. No responses were received as part of this consultation.

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