Brighton Specialist School Given Permission To Expand Into New Site

A specialist school supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has been granted planning permission to open a new site in Brighton.

Hove Micro School has received approval to convert a former house in multiple occupation (HMO) at 10 Carden Avenue into a small independent school.

The school supports children with a range of needs, including autism, anxiety, emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA) and pathological demand avoidance (PDA).

The application received support from local residents, with seven people writing to Brighton & Hove City Council in favour of the plans. Several shared personal experiences of how specialist education had benefited children with SEND.

The new site will help the school meet growing demand for places from families and local authorities.

Hove Micro School currently operates from a single site in Southwick, which is rated "good" by Ofsted, with some areas judged to be outstanding.

Founder Rachael Ammari said the approval was a "significant milestone" for the school.

She said the expansion would allow the school to increase its capacity from 22 to 50 pupils, extend its provision to Key Stage 4 and provide a supportive learning environment for more autistic children and young people across Brighton and Hove and the surrounding area.

Planning permission has been granted with conditions, including limiting the school's opening hours to 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Before the school can open, plans for car parking arrangements and secure cycle storage must also be approved by Brighton & Hove City Council.