Proposals to increase Winchelsea School SEND places

Working together, and to support growing need for specialist placements, BCP Council and Winchelsea School propose that the number of places provided by the school is increased during the academic year 2026-27.

This would be achieved by:

Changing the age range of Winchelsea School from 4-19 years to 2-19 years, to allow early years education from the age of 2 in new specialist nursery provision at a proposed satellite unit, based at Stanley Green Infant Academy.

Expansion of Winchelsea Special School as follows:

Establishing a satellite of Winchelsea Special School hosted by Stanley Green Infant Academy, creating up to 50 additional places for Early Years, Reception and Key Stage 1 children.
Increasing the number of Post 16 places for Winchelsea School, by providing an additional 20 places at their Broadstone Youth Centre site.

Satellite Site hosted by Stanley Green Infant Academy

With surplus building capacity and support from Stanley Green Infant Academy it is planned that the satellite site will provide specialist places for up to 50 Early Years, Reception and Key Stage 1 children. The availability of places would be phased. Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children would access places from September 2026 and children in their early years would access nursery places from January 2027.

In order to accommodate the new age range of children including specialist places for nursery age children, Winchelsea School are required by law to publish statutory proposals to lower their published age range from 4-19 to 2-19.

Stanley Green Infant Academy would remain operational throughout the adaptations needed to add a satellite unit.

Post 16

It is planned that Winchelsea School will increase their Post 16 offer to provide specialist support for an additional 20 young people aged 16-19 years at their existing Broadstone Youth Centre site.

The additional places provided by Winchelsea School will be allocated by the Council in line with the SEND Code of Practice for children with an Education, Health and Care Plan.

Winchelsea School currently has a designated number of 250 places across its home and existing satellite sites. These proposals combine to propose an increase of 70 places to create a new designated number of 320.

Have your say

We would like to hear your thoughts on the proposal. Anybody can object to, or comment on, the proposal.

Please read the proposal document and give your views by:

completing our online form
sending your comments by email to sendsufficiency@bcpcouncil.gov.uk
sending your comments by post to: Winchelsea SEND, Education and Skills, BCP Council, Civic Centre, Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth, BH2 6EB

Paper copies are available from BCP libraries, or by emailing sendsufficiency@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.

The representation period ends on 27 March 2026.

The consultation will report to Cabinet on 27 May 2026.

Have your say