A girls’ school in West Sussex will accept boys for the first time in September next year. Paul Marshall, the leader of West Sussex County Council, has decided to make Millais School in Horsham coeducational.

The authority first proposed the move in 2024, but it was abandoned earlier this year due to concerns that information related to the consultation was “incorrect and misleading”.

The school board had previously opposed the reforms, but Marshall has now stated that he “strongly believes it’s the right decision”.

It follows the most recent full consultation, which took place between June 19 and July 18, and took into account all representations as well as those received during an earlier, informal consultation.

Marshall stated that the change would address the issue of declining pupil numbers at the school, relieve pressure for additional secondary school places throughout Horsham, and address the disparity in choice available for boys and girls in the town.

He described Millais School as “very good” but “undersubscribed for the past four years” and stated that admitting boys would make it “more sustainable”.

Year 7 boys will join the school in 2026, while current year groups will remain girls-only.

The county council stated that it would work closely with school staff to make the transition to co-educational “as seamless as possible”.

Millais School first stated its intention to remain a single-sex school in 2024, when it published a policy paper claiming “huge social and emotional benefits” for students attending girls’ schools.

The council’s proposals, it added, represented a “very major change” in the school’s ethos.

In March, the school also accused the local government of holding consultations “with a preferred outcome already in mind”. Millais School has been contacted for comment.

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