1.             that Mayfield College relocate to MyPlace, Paignton from 1 September 2025; and

2.              that Mayfield Special increase its admission number from 165 to 190 from 1 September 2025.

The Local Authority (LA) has a statutory duty to provide provision for all children from its planning area, if there is a shortfall it will need to place those children in costly out of area placements.  These placements would not only have long term cost implications for the Council but would also mean that young vulnerable children with complex needs would have to endure longer journeys to school daily and not have the opportunity to establish connections within their local community.

If the proposals are not implemented the there is a significant risk that the LA will not have sufficient specialist places for this September to meet demand.

There are no alternatives options as Mayfield is the only school in Torbay which offers the specialist places that are needed.  An Equality Impact Assessment has been completed and is attached to this Record of Decision.

Background papers relating to the Cabinet’s previous decision on Outcomes on the Proposal for a Locality Model for Special Educational Needs in Torbay: Improving Support for Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) can be found at Agenda for Cabinet on Thursday, 23 January 2025, 5.30 pm

This decision will come into force immediately.

At the Cabinet meeting held on 23 January 2025, the Cabinet considered a report on Outcomes on the Proposal for a Locality Model for Special Educational Needs in Torbay: Improving Support for Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND).  Part of their decision was to instruct the Director of Children’s Services to co-produce a Service Level Agreement with People’s Parkfield and Mayfield College, which ensures that Mayfield College can be a long-term tenant on the site (ensuring financially sustainability for the building), whilst key groups in the community such as Electively Home Educated families, Youth Services, care experienced and cared for children and other disadvantaged young people, can be provided for in this newly run community model.  This work has now been completed and relevant statutory consultations have been undertaken and signed off by the Director of Children’s Services.

The Local Authority (LA) has a statutory duty to ensure that it has sufficient school places to meet demand.  The LA is expecting there to be a shortfall in places for young children with complex needs from September 2025.

To address this shortfall the LA needs to expand Mayfield Special School; however, the school site has already been developed and utilised as much as it physically can be.  The proposal, therefore, is to relocate the school’s College provision to MyPlace, this will enable the College to admit more students from the main school site, freeing up existing accommodation to enable the school to increase its admission number.

These linked proposals will result in additional specialist places being made available to ensure the LA can fulfil its statutory duty.

The proposed implementation date is from 1 September 2025.

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