We are seeking your views on our proposal to open a new SEND Resource Base to support secondary-aged young people from across the local area with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

When full, there would be places for 25 young people from Year 7 to Year 11. If approved, the Resource Base would open in September 2026. We are consulting on making this change to the school in accordance with the 2025 Department for Education Making significant changes to an academy guidance.

The decision to open the base will involve a number of partners: our governors and Trustees must give permission, North Somerset Council will need to agree capital and revenue investment to develop and maintain the base and the Department for Education will need to ratify the proposal.

Context
There is a growing population of young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) across the North Somerset Local Authority. Furthermore, there are limited places available within Special Schools and alternative provision to support young people with ASD. The creation of a Resource Base will provide a suitable setting for young people that do not require a Special School placement but are currently struggling in a mainstream setting. It is anticipated that this will reduce the number of young people that access costly resources beyond the local authority; therefore, there is both a moral and financial duty to support young people to access education near their home.

North Somerset Council has access to governmental funding that aims to reduce the number of expensive and ‘out of area’ places by developing specialist facilities within local communities. The resource base would be developed with some of this funding. This is an investment of new money into the educational infrastructure of the area and will not take money away from any existing school. Indeed, the reduction of expensive and inappropriate placements will increase the amount of funding coming into schools across North Somerset. The council has set out its SEND Priorities in their published School Place Planning Strategy (Appendix 2, page 170). Lighthouse Schools Partnership and Gordano School support those priorities and are playing their part in improving and increasing SEND provision in our area.

Gordano School is well placed to operate a Resource Base as there is already significant expertise and capacity in the SEND team. Our dialogue with the Local Authority also supports our view that in a town the size of Portishead there is likely to be demand for this specialist provision, so most pupils accessing the resource base would also be attending their local secondary school.

Places in a Resource Base are allocated by the local authority based on needs identified in Education and Health Care Plans (EHCPs). The 25 places would be additional to the school’s Planned Admission Number, so no local child or young person would be denied a place at Gordano as a consequence of the Resource Base.

The proposal
We wish to open a Resource Base for 25 pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The aim of the Resource Base is to provide specialist support for young people with an Educational, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) stating ASD as their primary need. The proposal includes:

• A new specialist Resource Base building which will provide places for 25 pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• In all cases, the young people will have an Education Health Care Plan with the primary need of ASD named.
• Young people accessing the Resource Base will be able to access a proportion of mainstream lessons and benefit from specialist subject teaching and facilities.

 
What happens next?
The consultation will be for a period of five weeks, commencing on 8th September until Tuesday 14th October 2025. At the end of the consultation period, all comments/submissions will be considered by the school governors and Lighthouse Trustees, and a decision will be made as to whether to proceed with the next stage of the process as outlined in the Department for Education’s guidance.

How can I make my views known?
Your views are important to us, and we value your opinions. You can send your comments to the following:
Email: consultation@gordanoschool.org.uk
Letter: Clerk to Governors, Gordano School, St Mary’s Road, Portishead, Bristol, BS20 7QR

If you require clarification on any of the points raised, please contact us on 01275 841396 or by email to the address above.

Thank you for your interest; we look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Louise Blundell, Headteacher

Gary Lewis, Chief Executive