School Consultations

When planning a consultation, it is essential to get the timing right. A well-considered timeline helps ensure the process is both legally compliant and meaningful for stakeholders.

Key Considerations for Setting Your Timeline

Align with the Academic Calendar

Where possible, plan consultation periods to avoid school holidays, as these reduce opportunities for stakeholders, especially families and staff, to engage fully.

Avoid launching or ending consultations during holiday periods, inset days, or just before a weekend. This may limit a stakeholder in being able to ask more questions in a timely way.

Meet Department for Education (DfE) Expectations

DfE guidance expects consultations to be genuine, timely and meaningful. There are statutory stages and minimum timeframes that need to be followed for most processes. Check these thoroughly using the appropriate guidance when planning your dates (you will find links to useful DfE documents here).

Factor in Local Governance and Decision-Making

Check the meeting schedule for governing bodies or trust boards. Decision points must align with their calendar to avoid delay, or consideration will need to be made if additional meetings need to be scheduled. Don't forget to allow time for papers to be prepared and circulated in line with standard governance processes (usually five days before meetings).

If the local authority or academy trust is the decision-maker, allow sufficient time for senior sign-off or approvals.

Allow time for writing documents, response analysis and reports

When planning your consultation timeline, it's important to allow sufficient time to prepare the consultation documents before the formal process begins. This includes time for drafting, peer review, and final sign-off, all of which are crucial to ensure the information is clear, accurate, and suitable for public sharing.

Preparing these materials often happens alongside an already busy workload, so building in realistic lead-in time is essential. Rushing this stage can lead to errors, unclear messaging, or gaps in information, which may cause confusion, or lead to delays and further work later in the process. Taking the time up front helps avoid these issues and sets a solid foundation for a smooth consultation.

Once the consultation closes, build in time to review and categorise responses and prepare a decision report. This often takes longer than expected, 2 to 4 weeks is a good guide depending on the number of responses anticipated.

Ensure Sufficient Engagement Time

Consultation must be long enough to invite meaningful responses. Complex proposals or those likely to generate strong views may need longer or benefit from holding in-person drop-ins or other events.

You can find a handy consultation timeline here, which can be adapted to your needs. You may find it helpful to consider when it is hoped the proposal will come into affect and work backwards. We suggest you are mindful of the academic year and challenging points in the calendar. It can also be handy to build in time 'buffers' in case aspects get delayed.