Proposal to remove the residential provision from Broomhill Bank School, Hextable

Update - August 2025

Details of the proposal were reported to and endorsed by the Children, Young People’s and Education Cabinet Committee(External link) on 15 July 2025. Beverley Fordham, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, having considered the recommendation from the Cabinet Committee and all the responses to the consultation, has agreed that a public notice should be issued.

The public notice is being published in a local edition of the News Shopper on 6 August 2025 and is available to view in the document section, together with the complete proposal.

The public notice will run for four weeks, during which time, any person may send in a response supporting, objecting or commenting on the proposal.

Have your say

The final date for sending in written representations is 2 September 2025. You may comment by:

  • emailing: school.consultations@kent.gov.uk(External link)
  • sending a response to Ian Watts Assistant Director Education-North Kent, Children, Young People and Education, Kent County Council, Worrall House, 30 Kings Hill Avenue, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4AE.

Original text

Broomhill Bank School is a Foundation Special School offering places for students who have communication and interaction difficulties associated with autism and speech, language and communication needs.

The County Council’s Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent 2025-29 is a five-year rolling plan which is updated annually. It sets out our future plans as Strategic Commissioner of Education Provision across all types and phases of education in Kent. A copy of the plan can be viewed from this link: Education Provision - Kent County Council

Kent County Council as Local Authority, places children and young people with statutory care needs, where placement is made to meet care needs and where local day specialist provision is not an option.

An assessment by the local authority of the school’s residential provision and need in the local area, has indicated that there is no longer a requirement for KCC to continue to commission residential placements at Broomhill Bank. The student placements at Broomhill Bank do not fall under the description of requiring residential provision in line with Kent’s placement criteria and the local authority do not envisage a change in this. This is primarily due to the fact that, there is no specific process for identifying appropriate students.

It is the intention that the residential provision would close following the departure of the students currently using the provision, who are expected to leave the school at the end of this academic year. KCC are proposing that the process for statutory closure of the residential provision is initiated, with an expected closure date of September 2025.

Broomhill Bank School’s Executive Headteacher and Chair of Governors have been working with KCC officers to ensure that provision for the remaining residential students would not be adversely affected up to their leaving date. The school leaders accept that the above means that the residential provision would therefore no longer viable.

Have your say

If you wish to support, object or comment on this proposal, please respond by either:

All written responses need to be received by noon on 4 April 2025.

Update - August 2025

Details of the proposal were reported to and endorsed by the Children, Young People’s and Education Cabinet Committee(External link) on 15 July 2025. Beverley Fordham, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, having considered the recommendation from the Cabinet Committee and all the responses to the consultation, has agreed that a public notice should be issued.

The public notice is being published in a local edition of the News Shopper on 6 August 2025 and is available to view in the document section, together with the complete proposal.

The public notice will run for four weeks, during which time, any person may send in a response supporting, objecting or commenting on the proposal.

Have your say

The final date for sending in written representations is 2 September 2025. You may comment by:

  • emailing: school.consultations@kent.gov.uk(External link)
  • sending a response to Ian Watts Assistant Director Education-North Kent, Children, Young People and Education, Kent County Council, Worrall House, 30 Kings Hill Avenue, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4AE.

Original text

Broomhill Bank School is a Foundation Special School offering places for students who have communication and interaction difficulties associated with autism and speech, language and communication needs.

The County Council’s Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent 2025-29 is a five-year rolling plan which is updated annually. It sets out our future plans as Strategic Commissioner of Education Provision across all types and phases of education in Kent. A copy of the plan can be viewed from this link: Education Provision - Kent County Council

Kent County Council as Local Authority, places children and young people with statutory care needs, where placement is made to meet care needs and where local day specialist provision is not an option.

An assessment by the local authority of the school’s residential provision and need in the local area, has indicated that there is no longer a requirement for KCC to continue to commission residential placements at Broomhill Bank. The student placements at Broomhill Bank do not fall under the description of requiring residential provision in line with Kent’s placement criteria and the local authority do not envisage a change in this. This is primarily due to the fact that, there is no specific process for identifying appropriate students.

It is the intention that the residential provision would close following the departure of the students currently using the provision, who are expected to leave the school at the end of this academic year. KCC are proposing that the process for statutory closure of the residential provision is initiated, with an expected closure date of September 2025.

Broomhill Bank School’s Executive Headteacher and Chair of Governors have been working with KCC officers to ensure that provision for the remaining residential students would not be adversely affected up to their leaving date. The school leaders accept that the above means that the residential provision would therefore no longer viable.

Have your say

If you wish to support, object or comment on this proposal, please respond by either:

All written responses need to be received by noon on 4 April 2025.