A TAMESIDE school for children with social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH) could see its satellite site move across the borough.
That is despite more than 270 people saying they are against it.
Thomas Ashton currently remains in special measures following another visit by Ofsted inspectors.
But in a plan to be discussed at the meeting of Tameside Council’s executive cabinet on Wednesday, December 18, its satellite centre may move from Discovery Academy in Hyde to the former site of Hawthorns in Audenshaw, next to Aldwyn Primary.
If it goes ahead, primary aged children will be moved to Lumb Lane from April, while secondary aged pupils will remain at Bennett Street.
However, documents state: “271 responses were not in favour of the closure of the current satellite site at Discovery Academy and the relocation to the site of the form Hawthorns School site on Lumb Lane.”
Thomas Ashton, described as being a school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, will become part of the New Bridge Multi Academy Trust on January 1.
And the council says it has ‘undertaken a formal consultation’ over moving the satellite site to a permanent location.
Documents continue: “Tameside currently has a sufficiency gap in specialist provision as demand outweighs supply of special school places in the borough.
“A detailed sufficiency review is currently underway which will inform a sufficiency strategy for 2025 – 2031.
“The repurposing of the former Hawthorns Special School site for a permanent specialist provision for Thomas Ashton primary age pupils supports the council’s capacity needs.
“Thomas Ashton will join New Bridge Multi Academy Trust under a Department for Education directive academy order.
“This is because it was judged to require special measures in November 2023. Since then, the school has been working with New Bridge Multi Academy Trust, who will be the sponsor upon its conversion to academy status.
“The council currently leases first floor classroom space from Discovery Academy for use by Thomas Ashton school. However, the lease is due to end in August 2025.
“The lease is a 5-year initial term lease which was put in place in September 2020 and has a six-month notice period.
“Upon conversion, New Bridge Multi Academy Trust will, with Victorious Academy Trust’s consent, be granted a licence to continue occupying the property until relocation, or August 31 August, whichever is sooner.”
Hawthorns recently made a similar shift across Tameside from Audenshaw to a brand new site in Hattersley.
And documents add: “As a former special school, the site will provide better and more suitable facilities for existing children and would allow for the provision of a limited number of additional specialist places in the future.
“New Bridge Multi Academy Trust have confirmed that they plan to use the period January to March 2025 preparing the premises. The site would be open for the first children in April 2025 following the Easter school holiday break.
“In the first instance the Trust are planning to only locate Key Stage 2 children to the Lumb Lane site. There are currently no Key Stage 1 pupils at Thomas Ashton as the school is unable to meet Key Stage 1 needs at Discovery Academy.
“This impacts on the local authority’s ability to meet the needs of our youngest pupils with education health and care plans within the borough and impacts on our sufficiency.
“The proposed new permanent primary site would mean that in the longer term the main school site on Bennett Street would accommodate pupils in KS3 and following building work, KS4 and 5 which would mean the school could increase its overall capacity in line with the needs of the Local Authority for in-borough additional specialist places.
“The majority of responses from the parents and carers of current pupils of Thomas Ashton were in favour of the proposals.
“The parents and carers of children attending the neighbouring school and local residents around the proposed site formed the majority of respondents of which the majority were not in favour of the proposals due to concerns around parking, anti-social behaviour, safety of pupils at Aldwyn Primary School and unsuitability of locating a special school for SEMH children next to a mainstream primary school.”