Consultation on Hunsbury Park Primary ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) Unit operating on Chiltern Primary School site, Northampton

Overview

We are looking for views on the proposal to establish a 30 place Autistic Spectrum Disabilities (ASD) unit, operated by Hunsbury Park Primary, as an annex on site of Chiltern Primary School.

West Northamptonshire has seen a significant increase in demand for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) places in recent years and additional capacity is urgently required to ensure that there are sufficient places available in coming academic years. This proposal forms part of a wider programme of works that aims to deliver up to 600 new SEND places across West Northants by September 2025.

As part of this programme, West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) established plans for a 50 place SEND Unit at Hunsbury Park Primary School. The provision caters for primary aged pupils who are in receipt of an Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP) with a primary need of Autistic Spectrum Disabilities (ASD). 20 places have already been delivered, under phase 1 with children now attending in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes. Upon completion of phase 1 in January 2024, this provision will increase to a total of 30 places - an additional 10 places above the original 20 at the Hunsbury site.

However, due to construction constraints and a delayed delivery date, the remaining provision of 30 places for phase 2 cannot be accommodated on the same site.

As a result, WNC have explored alternative options with sufficient spare accommodation having been identified at Chiltern Primary School, Northampton. This space will be converted into bespoke SEND teaching spaces that can be used to accommodate up to 30 pupils initially with a view to accommodating up to 45 pupils in subsequent years.  The unit, at Chiltern Primary School, will continue to be operated by Hunsbury Park Primary School and their specialist SEND staff. 

The overall cost for this project is expected to cost around £2m. WNC is in receipt of Special Educational Needs grant funding specifically for this purpose.

WNC is responsible for delivering the required capital works and allocating places at the proposed new SEND unit once open.

It is also legally obliged to conduct a period of consultation on this proposal as part of the statutory decision-making process for school organisational changes of this nature.

Evidence of need

In our area, the number of pupils on the autistic spectrum with high needs will increase by about 300 by 2025, with pupils with speech language and communication needs increasing by about 50.

The proposed unit will be part of a suite of proposals being developed by the council in conjunction with a range of mainstream schools which have agreed new or expanded resourced provisions and special schools, which have agreed additional places. 

Taken together, this will provide around 600 new specialist places for learners who have complex special educational needs and disabilities in local special schools and specialist centres. The plan is to complete the capital programme by September 2025, including the staged opening of the new special school.

Have your say

WNC would like to know what people think about this proposal and you can give your views by following the link below to the online survey. 

If you are unable to complete the online survey, or you require it in an alternative format please contact us by: 

Email:  placeplanningconsultation@westnorthants.gov.uk with the subject ‘FAO Hunsbury Park Primary consultation’.

Post:

• Rehana Karim 
• Hunsbury Park/ Chiltern Primary consultation 
• West Northamptonshire Council
• The Guildhall
• St Giles Street
• Northampton
• NN1 1ED

Telephone: 07919 065000

All responses must be received by midnight on 19 July 2023.

What happens next

At the end of the consultation period, WNC will collate and review all of the responses received and a summary of them will be published as part of the cabinet report on which a final decision on this proposal will be based. The results will be analysed and an assessment made on whether to proceed with the proposal. All stakeholder views expressed will be given full consideration prior to any future decisions being made. 

For information about how consultation and engagement responses are managed, please see the consultation and engagement privacy notice.

Thank you for helping us by completing this questionnaire.