Change Millais School to Co-Ed

So finally, today, West Sussex County Council have released the public consultation survey.

This survey is asking for people’s views on whether they think Millais should move to co-ed.

https://yourvoice.westsussex.gov.uk/millais

This needs to happen now let alone for the 2026 intake. However this is major progress!! 👏👏

The consultation ends on 12th June so please share as much as you can with anyone you think would be interested.

As suspected, lightening has struck twice with school allocations in Southwater⚡️⚡️with boys being asked to take 2-3 buses to school outside our local area.

A lot of focus has been around there not being enough school places for boys in the local area. That’s very true but there are enough school places. Millais currently sits with their current Y7 at under 50% capacity and September likely will be the same. The school places are there, one simple step needs to be taken.

A public consultation has been requested by WSCC to ask the public their thoughts on Millais moving to co-ed. The signatures on this linked petition are so powerful to show our support for this change. Millais is great school - why not share it with everyone!!?��We’re up to 794 signatures now which is amazing however it would be great to get more and more as we wait for more details.
Please please share this once again with anyone who hasn’t signed it and would like to.

Evidence is key for WSCC to understand people’s opinion. If we can use this data to help the cause it can only be a good thing.

Thanks you for your continued support!!

Sign the Petition Change Millais School to Co-Ed to ease issues with future pupil allocations!

Morning all. A request please to hopefully help the cause:

BBC Sussex is running a slot on Monday morning dedicated to secondary school allocations in the southwater area. Lucinda Adam (BBC Political Reporter for Sussex) would like to hear from parents affected by this years allocations balls up.
If you feel like reaching out to her and telling your story or just simply giving your opinion then send a WhatsApp voice message to 07929 092029.
She is hoping to get a WSCC representative on the radio as well and wants to have some of your soundbites to play.

BBC Radio Sussex West Sussex County Times West Sussex County Council

We received an email yesterday from Millais about WSCC starting a consultation to look at changing the school to co-Ed.. With that in mind please can you sign and share the petition we created last year, if you agree that this change should happen.

Thanks

Sign the Petition Change Millais School to Co-Ed to ease issues with future pupil allocations!

Jeremy Quin wants everyone’s views on how local education is viewed by the local community. Here is the link if you would like to pass your views on.

Southwater Survey on Local Education I am interested in hearing your views and those of the Southwater community more widely on a matter which I know is of keen local interest to the village.

Finally got round to emailing Mrs Elizabeth Barnes, the Chair of Governors Body at Millais School. Hopefully she will understand the issues we are having as a collective in Southwater. 🤞🤞

Since Forest School changed to co-ed, Millais School has gone from maximum capacity to dropping over 130 school places in just three years. Only a projected 57% of Year 7 will be attending Millais in September. Play the video below to show the stats...

Horsham Schools Intake 2020-2023 (Projected) Video showing the Horsham schools allocation and their intake over the last three years and projected intake in 2023.

We made this video to describe the West Sussex school allocations and how completely unacceptable this has been for the children of Southwater!

Millais
West Sussex County Council
West Sussex County Times

Why Millais Must Change! Have you heard all the noise about Millais going co-ed? Here's why it has to happen or this will happen every year to the children in the Horsham District area.

On March 1st 2023 secondary school allocations were sent out. In West Sussex, 96.1% of all secondary school applicants were offered one of their three preferences. However that leaves 372 children being offered non-preferred schools. In some instances, children are being asked to travel 14+ miles to their new school.
In Horsham, last year and this year Forest School, Tanbridge House School and Bohunt School had near to maximum allocation. However last year and this year Millais School for Girls is undersubscribed.
This is due to the fact that a lot of girls now prefer a co-ed education and have taken advantage of Forest School becoming a co-ed school. This has left a huge gap at Millais as shown by their low submission figures.
The fact that girls have started to take up allocation at Forest School means that boys that would normally have potentially attended Forest are being asked to travel further afield. This just seems wrong considering we have another school in Millais which has available school places. If Millais became a co-ed school, this issue would potentially lessen.
This problem will continue and will get worse every single year. The long term goal would be for a new secondary school to be built to take the burden of the three main schools in Horsham. However, with so many Horsham school places available at Millais, moving to a co-ed school seems like a real quick win.
This may not affect you and your children now, but if something isn’t done immediately, all infant and junior school years will feel the full force of this problem in the future.
Let’s get this done and save any more upset every March. Millais has to become a co-ed school!