Planned capacity increase at The Meadows School.

Overview

The Meadows School is a Secondary Special school based in Oldbury providing places to children and young people with the most complex needs with an Education Health Care Plan. 

Special schools do not have Pupil Admission Numbers (PAN); instead, they operate with a planned capacity.  The Meadows Schools current planned capacity is 200.

WHAT IS THE PROPOSAL?

The council is consulting on a permanent increase to the planned capacity of The Meadows School, from 200 to 300 places, to meet the growing demand for specialist provision for children and young people with complex needs who require a special school named in their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

In September 2025, the school’s Post‑16 provision was relocated to Connor Road, West Bromwich, following the refurbishment of an existing council building. This move created additional space at the Oldbury site, enabling The Meadows School to offer 63 Year 7 places, increasing the planned capacity to 263.

The proposal now seeks to formalise and extend this expansion by increasing the accommodation available at the Connor Road site. The adjacent Albright Education Centre, which currently provides 20 alternative provision places, can now be relocated to another site within Sandwell.

The proposal includes the refurbishment of areas at the Connor Road site. Planned works include:

• Creation of five new classrooms
• Installation of an additional assisted toilet
• Reconfiguration of internal spaces to improve accessibility and flow
• Further improvements as part of a Phase 2 refurbishment, shaped by pupil engagement

All works will be designed to meet the needs of pupils with complex SEND, ensuring safe, accessible, and sensory‑appropriate environments.

The Meadows School will continue to operate as one school across two sites. The Senior Leadership Team will remain responsible for all pupils, and staffing arrangements will be reviewed as part of the expansion to ensure that:

• Appropriate staffing levels are maintained
• Staff have access to suitable training and development
• The curriculum offer remains broad, balanced, and needs‑led

Any changes to staffing structures will be managed in line with the school’s HR policies and relevant employment legislation.

WHY WE ARE PROPOSING A CHANGE

Demand for Special school places

Demand for specialist education provision in Sandwell continues to rise. This increase is driven by the growing number of children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), particularly those with autism spectrum condition, social, emotional and mental health needs, and complex learning difficulties. Current capacity at The Meadows School is no longer sufficient to meet projected levels of need.

As a result, the local authority is experiencing:

• Increased pressure on specialist placements within the borough
• Greater reliance on high‑cost out‑of‑area or independent placements
• Reduced ability to offer families provision close to home

Expanding the planned capacity at The Meadows School will help the council meet its statutory duties and ensure that sufficient, high‑quality specialist places are available locally. Increasing capacity will also support the long‑term financial sustainability of the High Needs Block by reducing the need for external placements.

Educational Rationale

The proposed increase in capacity at The Meadows School will strengthen the local offer for children and young people with complex special educational needs. Expanding the accommodation at the Connor Road site will allow the school to deliver high‑quality, needs‑led provision in an environment designed specifically for pupils with autism spectrum condition, social, emotional and mental health needs, and complex learning difficulties.

The additional classrooms and specialist facilities will support:

• Improved access to personalised learning pathways
• Greater flexibility in grouping pupils according to need
• Enhanced therapeutic and pastoral support
• A more sustainable model for meeting specialist demand within Sandwell

By increasing capacity within a well‑established and experienced special school, the council can ensure that more children receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time.

Benefits of the Proposal

The proposal is expected to deliver a range of benefits for pupils, families, the school, and the wider local area, including:

• More local specialist places, reducing the need for pupils to travel long distances
• Improved continuity of education, with pupils able to remain within their community
• Enhanced facilities, including new classrooms and improved accessibility
• Better long‑term planning, with increased capacity aligned to projected EHCP growth
• Financial sustainability, through reduced reliance on out‑of‑area placements
• Strengthened multi‑agency working, with more pupils supported within local systems

These benefits will contribute to improved educational outcomes and a more inclusive local education system.

Impact on Pupils

The proposal is designed to have a positive impact on children and young people with special educational needs. The expansion will:

• Increase the availability of high‑quality specialist places
• Provide improved learning environments tailored to pupils’ needs
• Support smoother transitions between key stages, including Post‑16
• Reduce disruption caused by long‑distance travel or placement changes

During the design and refurbishment process, the council will work closely with the school, pupils, and families to ensure that the new spaces reflect the needs and preferences of the children who will use them.

Why your views matter

WHY ARE YOU CONSULTING?

The proposal constitutes a prescribed alteration to a maintained special school. In developing this proposal, the council has had full regard to the Department for Education’s statutory guidance on making changes to maintained schools, including requirements relating to consultation, decision‑making, and publication of notices.

The Department for Education regulations: ‘Making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations’) to maintained schools’ requires that when the Local Authority is proposing a significant alteration, i.e., a change to the number of pupils in a special school the local authority follows the prescribed alternations’ statutory process. 

Formal consultation must be for a period of four weeks.