The Alternative Learning Trust is consulting on proposed changes to Will Adams Academy. The school currently educates 65 pupils and provides specialist support to children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs and those requiring an alternative education pathway.

We are proposing two linked changes. These are not new operational changes; they formalise and strengthen arrangements that are already in place and are designed to ensure that every pupil at Will Adams Academy receives the right level of support.

Our proposed changes to Will Adams Academy are:

• Formally extending the age range to include Key Stage 3 (Year 9). Will Adams Academy has been supporting Year 9 pupils since January 2026, with the agreement of Medway Council and local schools. This application formalises that arrangement, giving it the official designation it requires.
• Adding a Specialist Resource Provision (SRP) for pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. A number of pupils currently at the school already have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), and the school has submitted EHCP applications on behalf of further pupils. Establishing a formal SRP designation will allow the school to access the right funding to provide the specialist support those pupils need, without any change to the number of places at the school.

Why are these changes needed?

Will Adams Academy has been working closely with Medway Council and local schools to respond to the needs of young people in the area. In response to growing demand for specialist support for younger secondary pupils, the school began welcoming Year 9 pupils in January 2026, with the full agreement of the local authority and local schools. Formally extending the designated age range to include Key Stage 3 (Year 9) is the next step in making this arrangement official.

The addition of a Specialist Resource Provision reflects the reality of the pupils the school already supports. Many young people at Will Adams Academy have significant and complex SEMH needs, and some hold or are in the process of being assessed for Education, Health and Care Plans. Without a formal SRP designation, the school is limited in the specialist funding it can access to support those pupils directly. Establishing the SRP will allow the school to draw on the right resources to deliver the right support for every pupil who needs it. There is no change to the overall number of places at the school.

These changes do not alter how Will Adams Academy operates day to day. They put the school’s existing provision on the right formal footing, so that pupils already being supported can benefit from the full range of funding and specialist resources available to them.

Changes to admission and referral arrangements

These proposed changes will require Will Adams Academy’s referral policy and admission arrangements to be updated to reflect the formal inclusion of Year 9 within the school’s designated age range. The school will also establish dedicated referral and admission arrangements for the Specialist Resource Provision, setting out how pupils with EHCPs for SEMH needs are referred and the role of the local authority in commissioning places.

The proposed changes to referral and admission arrangements will be addressed as part of the Significant Change application to the Department for Education.

Submitting your feedback

We are inviting parents, carers, staff, residents, schools, community organisations and other interested parties to share their views. You can submit your feedback by completing our short survey online:

Will Adams Significant Change Consultation – Fill in form

The survey should take around 5 to 10 minutes to complete. All responses will be considered as part of our Significant Change application to the Department for Education.

 

Consultation event

To learn more about the proposals, we invite all interested parties to attend our virtual consultation event. The session will be held online on the 24^th of June, from 6:30PM-7:30PM. Please confirm your attendance by registering through the link below:

Will Adams Academy Significant Change Consultation Event | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams

Meeting ID: 351 210 751 016 844

Passcode: J44GH6AS

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