Post 16 Satellite
Consultation 1 - Post-16 Satellite
CONSULTATION ON PROPOSAL TO OPEN SATELLITE PROVISION FOR 36 POST 16 PUPILS BY STUBBIN WOOD SCHOOL
Proposal:
To establish a satellite site for up to 36 SEND Post-16 students (Key Stage 5). Initially opening with 12 pupils, rising to 24 in September 2024 and 36 in September 2025.
Responses to the proposal can be made by completing this short form. Please take the time to read the information below before making your response.
Background:
Stubbin Wood School & Nursery is a special school in Derbyshire on the border with Nottinghamshire, and is rated Good by Ofsted. The school offers 185 places with provision of an additional 17 SEN units at the inclusive nursery of 60 students. The Nursery is located 10 minutes drive from the main school site. A further satellite provision, opened in January 2023 and commissioned by Nottinghamshire County Council, caters for a further 24 primary-aged pupils as an integrated pathway, working closely with a co-located mainstream Primary.
The school is the largest special school in Derbyshire with a reputation for excellent, responsive care to support the needs of its students and there is a high demand for places.
This proposal is to create an improved employability pathway for post-16 pupils in the school by creating a new satellite provision, located within and close to a range of employers. The provision will be entirely led by Stubbin Wood School and will be based in a dedicated learning space at Chesterfield Football Club’s SMH Group Stadium.
The learning space comprises of a large classroom, which can be divided into smaller spaces, a small workroom, a large breakout space for breaks and lunch, and an office for staff. The space has its own toilets and a small kitchenette to support independent living skills. Additionally, pupils will be able to make use of other areas of the stadium, including the café, sports hall, gym, boardroom, executive box and media box.
Whilst at the Chesterfield Satellite provision, pupils will be offered work experience two mornings per week within Chesterfield Football Club, with increased opportunities for work experience as the school’s partnerships with local businesses grows. The SMH Group Stadium is located close to several large high-street retailers, all of whom are in walking distance.
TEAM Education Trust and Stubbin Wood School have worked in close partnership with both Chesterfield Football Club and Chesterfield Football Club Community Trust in recent years. The proposed satellite site is a natural evolution of that work, and the football club are excited by the prospect of bringing a school provision into the stadium for the first time. The Community Trust in particular, prides itself on working with pupils with SEND, and those from challenging and disadvantaged backgrounds.
Stubbin Wood School does not anticipate any detrimental effect on those students already enrolled. Stubbin Wood School is currently at capacity and the creation of a satellite facility, will enable us to continue to offer excellent education to our existing students, with an improved pathway for post-16.
The 36 places created by this proposal would be in addition to existing provision and would increase the net capacity of the school to 305 pupils across its main site, nursery and satellite provisions. There will be no changes to our existing main school or nursery sites. The satellite site will be a full part of Stubbin Wood. Pupils will be taught by Stubbin Wood staff and will be taught the Stubbin Wood curriculum. They will continue to travel by dedicated transport, which will drop them off and collect them from the stadium.
Consultation Timeline:
The consultation is open between Monday 2 October and Wednesday 1st November, and we are keen to hear thoughts from all of those involved in the school, the wider local community and our local neighbours.
Consultation Events:
We are holding consultation events on Monday 23rd October at 09:30am and at 18:00pm for parents, governors and external parties. If you are a parent or governor, you may join the event in-person by arriving at the advertised time. If, however, you would rather join the event via Microsoft Teams, please register for your time slot and a link to the meeting will be emailed out to you.
If you are an external organisation wishing to either join the event in person or via Microsoft Teams, please register for your invite/Teams link.
Consultation Documents
Consultation Responses
Question or Comment | Response |
Two sets of parents and a member of staff have raised the question of accessibility for pupils with more complex needs, and the extent to which parents/pupils will have a choice on the pathway.
A parent asked how the pupils would be chosen for the pathway. | The proposed satellite provision is not intended for all Post 16 pupils, it is a curriculum option which will only be offered to pupils where the school, in conjunction with parents, feel that the pathway is appropriate.
The current Post 16 offer will remain in place at Stubbin Wood School’s main site, accessed by those pupils for whom it is most appropriate.
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A parent was concerned by the risks associated with the new provision’s location, given that it is close to busy roads. | All pupils accessing the proposed satellite provision will be covered by both, the school’s risk assessment policies, and by an individual risk assessment which also takes into consideration their needs when planning work experience.
Whilst the provision is based at Chesterfield Football Club, the exits from the proposed classroom space do not lead directly outside. When exiting the building, pupils will always be monitored and exits lead into a quiet car parking area to the rear of the stadium. Pupils will be picked up and dropped off by transport at these exits. |
A governor raised the question of how the proposed satellite will be led.
A parent asked how the satellite would be staffed and whether there were concerns regarding staff recruitment. | Stubbin Wood School will identify an appropriate staffing structure, including leadership, to ensure the safe and successful running of the satellite provision.
We anticipate that the site will be staffed from existing staff from Stubbin Wood school in the first instance. As the satellite grows in subsequent years, recruitment process will be undertaken that will include drawing on the existing skillsets from across our Trust.
The satellite will be part of Stubbin Wood School and therefore overall leadership responsibility will rest with the Principal. The Trust’s Director of Education & Achievement will provide additional oversight to ensure the quality of the education provision. |
A parent raised the question of success criteria and evaluation. | The satellite will be part of Stubbin Wood School and therefore overall leadership responsibility will rest with the Principal. The Trust’s Director of Education & Achievement will provide additional oversight to ensure the quality of the education provision.
The satellite will be included in all quality assurance processes currently undertaken by both the school and the Trust, and ultimately would form part of the school’s Ofsted judgement. |
A parent asked how the pupils would be supported during the work placements. | Having the work placements initially within the footprint of Chesterfield Football Club allows for support to be available, both from the club and from Stubbin Wood staff. The intention is to ensure those children on the pathway have the capacity to access the work experience opportunities, and that as a fundamental to the pathway, the school is developing independence and social skills.
The staff at Chesterfield Football Club work with young people, including those with additional needs, on a regular basis. |
A parent asked how the places will be assigned fairly.
| In conjunction with parents and pupils, all pupils for whom the provision would be deemed appropriate would have an opportunity to access the pathway.
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