West Sussex Alternative Provision College given green light to join successful trust

WSAPC operates across eight sites in West Sussex and supports more than 550 young people over the academic year who have been permanently excluded, are at risk of exclusion and are out of school for medical reasons. The provision provides essential, timely and supportive intervention for West Sussex children and their schools.

The college said it is dedicated to ensuring it provides the best possible education and care for its students and has been looking at how to continue to build on this mission and make what they do even better for the children and young people they support.

As a result, the DfE has given WSAPC permission to convert to an academy and join The Beckmead Trust. The college said it wants to join Beckmead as its vision, values and approach align closely with its own, making it a natural fit. The two are hoping to join forces on 1st January 2024.

The Beckmead Trust currently supports 10 schools in East Sussex, Essex and London and provides high-quality education and care for young people with complex needs, including social, emotional and mental health conditions, autism and challenging behaviour. The Trust has an excellent reputation and two of its sites were recently rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

By joining Beckmead, WSAPC will benefit from working alongside the Trust’s expert senior leadership team to share knowledge, resources, and best practice. This will help ensure that WSAPC continues to provide high-quality professional development opportunities for its staff and the best possible education to its students.

The partnership will also benefit Beckmead as WSAPC’s expertise in education for children with mental health needs will provide further knowledge and insights to enhance the care of students across all the Trust’s schools.

Doug Thomas, Executive Headteacher of West Sussex Alternative Provision College, said: “At WSAPC, we are dedicated to providing high-quality education and are steadfast in our belief that every young person deserves a fantastic nurturing education that will enable them to thrive in the world.

“We are really excited about joining The Beckmead Trust and the benefits this will bring to both our staff and our young people. After getting to know the Trust over the last few months, we are absolutely confident that joining Beckmead is the right decision for us as our values closely align, we believe in the same practice model and know there will be many opportunities for sharing best practice with like-minded colleagues. This will all help to ensure we continue to provide the best possible education to our students.”

Dr Jonty Clark OBE, Chief Executive Officer of The Beckmead Trust, added: “We are delighted to be welcoming WSAPC to the Trust very soon. The provision and care they provide to their students is exemplary and the team are committed to providing the very best for their students. Their outlook and ethos mirror our own and we know by working together we can share best practice and ensure we are providing an excellent education to even more young people across the region.”