SRP consultation

Ark Schools currently operates Ark Acton Academy, a secondary school with sixth form in Ealing. Ark Acton Academy is consulting on opening a specialist resourced provision from 1st September 2025. The proposed specialist resourced provision will be for up to 25 pupils with an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) across Years 7 – 11 with Speech, Language, and Communication Needs (SLCN), and/or a diagnosis of autism, with places to be allocated by the London Borough of Ealing.   

There is a strong local need for more specialist resourced provision in mainstream schools in our borough. The number of pupils waiting for a place in a provision has increased over recent years and there is not enough space in existing provisions to accommodate everyone who needs a place. Our school has enough space to help fill this need, and therefore better reflect and serve our local community. We are working closely with Ealing Council  and local primary, secondary, and special schools so that we can provide a fully joined up approach to pupils with SEND across our borough, and ensure that they receive an excellent education throughout their school life. 

Inclusion is at the heart of all that we do at Ark Acton, as we continue to build a great school for our community, students and their families. As such, we are very excited to work with the local authority and local community to provide this much needed provision for students with a high level of need. We believe that this provision will enable our SEND students, like all of our students, to thrive and build the skills they need for an independent and fruitful life. 

Therefore, Ark Acton Academy is consulting on: 

• Opening a specialist provision for up to 25 students across Year 7 – 11 with Speech, Language and Communication Needs and/or an autism diagnosis in Ark Acton Academy from September 2025. 
• Adding SLCN/autism to Ark Acton Academy’s SEND provision and funding agreement from September 2025. 
• Varying the admissions policy to include details on the admission of students to this provision, as allocated by the local authority in Ealing.  

The consultation will run from Monday 4th November until Sunday 24th November. We will be holding several consultation events where we will talk through the proposal, and welcome any questions and feedback. 

• Wednesday 6th November. 16.00 -17.00, in person at Ark Acton Academy. 
• Tuesday 12th November. 17.30-18.30, in person at Ark Acton Academy 
• Thursday 21st November. 13.00-14.00, via Teams. Please use the following link to access the meeting: Teams meeting link. 

You can also respond via the online consultation response form, or by picking up and returning a hard copy of the form from the reception at Ark Acton Academy. 

How long will the consultation last and who will make the final decision? 

The consultation will last three weeks, from Monday 4th November until Monday 25th November. At the end of the consultation, we will collect responses and produce a report which we will then send to the Department for Education, who will make the final decision on the application. We hope to have a decision early in the New Year. 

What is a specialist resourced provision? 

Specialist resourced provisions provide a high level of specialist support to students who will need the specialist provision to support their needs. Some may spend the majority of their time in the provision rather than in a mainstream classroom. Where it is appropriate and in the best interest of the student, some time may be spent in the mainstream classes and activities. The amount of time and which lessons and activities that each student spends in the mainstream will be determined on an individual basis by provision staff in collaboration with other school staff, and will be reviewed regularly.  

What facilities will the resourced provision have? 

We are working alongside Ealing Council’s SEN specialists to design a space suitable for the needs of the students who will occupy it. The space will include specialist classrooms and small group spaces that can be used flexibly to meet the needs of the students and deliver the curriculum. 

We also recognise that sharing a noisy dining hall and outdoor space could be too much for some students accessing the provision, so the students who need it will have access to their own outdoor area and dining space. Much like time spent in mainstream classroom, the provision staff will regularly review if and when it is appropriate for students from the unit to spend time in the school’s dining hall or outdoor area, or for other school students to join them in the provision. 

Where is the provision located in the school? 

The provision will be located behind the current school reception area. We have selected this area over other available space, such as the empty sixth form building, not only because it meets spatial requirements for the provision, but also because we want to put inclusion at the heart of the school, rather than house the provision entirely in a separate building on site. Some areas of the sixth form building may be used in the future as part of the provision for quiet areas or lunch time, but this is still under discussion. 

Will there be building works? Will my/my child’s education be disrupted? 

There will be some works required to make the space suitable for incoming students. The space will need new toilets and the existing rooms will need to be refurbished. All works will take place over the summer holiday so there will be no disruption to existing students. 

Ealing Council will be responsible for managing the works. 

Is the school losing any resources or spaces by turning them into the unit? 

No, any spaces which are being repurposed as part of the provision will be reprovisioned elsewhere within the school.  

Who is funding the works? How will the unit be funded after its initial set-up? 

Ealing Council will be funding all costs associated with the set-up of the provision. Once the provision is set up, funding will be received from the Council for its delivery in line with national expectations. 

Is money being spent on the provision which could be spent elsewhere in the school? 

Ealing Council have specifically set aside a budget for setting up provisions in the borough. If we were to decide not to set up the provision, we would not receive that money to spend elsewhere in our school as it is for SEND needs across the borough. Ealing’s commitment to funding the provision represents a significant investment in our school, and strengthens our relationship with the borough. 

Who will work in the provision? 

We anticipate there will be six full-time staff members in the provision, alongside our existing SEND staff. We will also recruit a Head of Provision to lead the resourced provision. 

We do not anticipate any redundancies at the school. 

What does this mean for admissions and student numbers – will there be 25 less places in the mainstream? 

Admissions to the specialist provision will be allocated by the local authority in Ealing. The Local Authority will hold regular place planning meetings with Ark Acton Academy to review the planning list of pupils who may require this provision and which will need to take priority if there are more pupils than places.  Levels of need and proximity to school compared to other suitable schools will be taken into consideration when agreeing potential placements.  

The places across Years 7-11 will be in addition to the published Pupil Admission Number (PAN) for Year 7.  

What changes will be made to the admissions policy? 

The admissions policy from 2025-26 will be varied to include the following clause within section 1. iii. Admissions to the specialist provision will be allocated by the local authority in Ealing: 

From 1 September 2025, the Department of Education have approved the opening of a specialist resourced SEND provision in Ark Acton for students with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This centre is for children aged 11-16 (Year 7 – Year 11) with capacity for 25/30 children. The provision is for children who have an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) with SLCN and or ASD who require this level of provision. 

PLEASE NOTE: Places at the provision will be allocated by the London Borough of Ealing’s multi-professional Special Educational Needs panel and  not through the admissions arrangements in this policy. 

Who is the provision for, and how can my child access it? 

The provision is for students aged 11-16, with an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) naming SLCN and/or autism as the primary need. Places are allocated via the council’s SEN Panel. 

We are creating this specialist unit for students with a mixed range of needs. The pupil will likely have a diagnosis of autism, or may be on a diagnosis pathway and / or have a social communication need or a Speech, Language and Communication Need (SLCN) that presents in a similar way and requires a similar approach to the curriculum, teaching, and learning.  

Please see the futher details below for a detailed outline of the needs of pupils who may require this type of provision. 

Can I/my child transition out of the provision? 

A student can transition out of the provision if: they have made enough progress that it is felt their needs can be fully met in the mainstream; or the school can no longer meet the student’s needs and would be better placed in another school, unit, or Special School; or when their family move out of the area and the pupil will need to go to another school.  

All views will be discussed with, and planned by, the teaching teams, parents and the young person in consultation with the Local Authority. If a change in placement is agreed, a carefully planned transition program will be completed to appropriately prepare the young person for the next stage in their learning. 

The needs profile of pupils who may require this type of provision includes: 

Cognition and Learning  

• Are likely to have a specific diagnosis of Autism. Some will not yet have a diagnosis but may be on a diagnosis pathway and / or have a social communication need or a Speech, Language and Communication Need (SLCN) that presents in a similar way and requires a similar approach to the curriculum, teaching and learning. 
• Their needs will have a significant impact on their learning and their ability to access mainstream education without intensive specialist support. 
• Will have significantly greater difficulty than their peers in acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills. 
• Will show some potential for being able to make good progress with access to the right specialist support that addresses their needs. 
• Will have communication and/or processing difficulties which may lead to anxiety and impact on their confidence to engage in learning and class discussions.  
• May have an uneven profile, with higher achievement in some areas of the curriculum.  
• Will have difficulties with generalising learning and applying it in different contexts / settings.  
• Will be able to maintain attention on suitable differentiated activities for at least 10 minutes in a supportive environment (relevant to age and interest).  For some attention may be fleeting in areas outside their specific interests. 
• With the support provided by the specialist staff, will make steady progress in small steps and increasingly access more time in mainstream classes. 
• Will have difficulty in managing anxiety and regulating their response to this. 

Communication and Interaction 

• May have accompanying language difficulties including understanding non-literal language.  
• Will engage with others around their interests or here and now events but may have difficulties communicating with others for more complex reasons (for example, problem solving, asking questions or asking for help). 
• Will struggle to follow complex instructions (of more than 3 parts).  This may lead to reduced engagement in learning or masking.  
• Some may have a tendency to talk about a ‘safe’ topic of personal interest.  
• Some may find it difficult to communicate clearly which may lead to frustration and / or lack of engagement in learning and / or social interactions. 
• May have difficulties with their social understanding, for example identifying the thoughts, feelings and intentions of others or not initiating or avoiding contact with others. 
• May show frequent high levels of anxiety / distressed behaviours in social situations (including withdrawal). 

Social, Emotional and Mental Health 

• May have very specific areas of interest. 
• May have a strong preference for routine which causes significant dysregulation when routine is changed, or events are unexpected. 
• May have difficulty identifying and regulating their emotions and/or associated anxiety. 
• Some may have repetitive patterns of behaviour and specific interests that can cause barriers in their ability to access new learning opportunities.   
• May not recognise the consequence of their actions on others. 

Sensory, Physical and Medical 

• Are likely to have sensory needs, including sensory processing needs, and difficulties with coordination and motor skills that impact on their access to the curriculum. 
• Will need a low arousal environment to support readiness to learn.  
• Some may require several, daily, interventions to support management of sensory needs e.g. sensory diet input or movement breaks OR their daily timetable may require sessions woven into the day to support sensory needs of an individual. 
• Some will need access to resources and environments which enable management of dysregulation without impacting on teaching and learning for others. 
• Will require input from a range of agencies, including specific therapies. This will have been identified as a need in their EHCP.