Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Public Health & Education

Forward Plan Ref: 2017/057

Contact: Diane Cameron, School Organisation Officer Tel: 07795 301254

Report by Director for Children’s Services (CA9).

Chiltern Edge School has been placed in Special Measures following an Ofsted rating of ‘Inadequate’. The council’s number one priority is to ensure good educational opportunities are available to local families.  To this end the council has undertaken an extensive consultation exercise about the future of Chiltern Edge School in order to inform what action(s) the council should take to ensure that the priority is met.

The report summarises the responses received and provides an update on developments since the consultation was launched on the 27 April 2017. Annexes set out the process followed.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)   not proceed at this time with the publication of a statutory notice proposing the closure of Chiltern Edge School;

(b)   commission, ideally from Ofsted, an external review of the progress made by October 2017 towards addressing the weaknesses identified by Ofsted and the construction of an in-year balanced budget;

(c)   consider a further report on the progress identified by the external review at its November meeting.

Recommendations agreed.

Chiltern Edge School has been placed in Special Measures following an Ofsted rating of ‘Inadequate’. The council’s number one priority is to ensure good educational opportunities are available to local families.  To this end the council has undertaken an extensive consultation exercise about the future of Chiltern Edge School in order to inform what action(s) the council should take to ensure that the priority is met.

Cabinet considered a report that summarised the responses received and that provided an update on developments since the consultation was launched on the 27 April 2017.

David Bullivant, spoke as a parent of a child at Chiltern Edge School and a member of the save Our Edge campaign. He thanked Councillor Biles and Councillor Bartholomew for being willing to work with the group and to meet them. He spoke in support of keeping the school open, referring to its previous history of good Ofsted inspections and that the head teacher had a clear improvement plan.

Clare Bentata, submitted a petition against the closure of the school referring the support for the school.

Christine Atkinson, speaking as a parent of children who had attended the school spoke of the importance of it to the village community.

Moira Green, Headteacher at Chiltern Edge School, highlighted the steps being taken to improve the situation at the school.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Opposition Leader, welcomed the recommendation in the report not to proceed with a notice to close at this stage.

RESOLVED:            to:

(a)             not proceed at this time with the publication of a statutory notice proposing the closure of Chiltern Edge School;

(b)             commission, ideally from Ofsted, an external review of the progress made by October 2017 towards addressing the weaknesses identified by Ofsted and the construction of an in-year balanced budget;

(c)             consider a further report on the progress identified by the external review at its November meeting.