Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Schools Improvement

Forward Plan Ref: 2011/007

Contact: Roy Leach, Strategic Lead – School Organisation & Planning Tel: (01865) 816458

Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families (CA6).

The viability of Culham Parochial Primary School has been called into question due to a combination of factors: inability of the governing body to recruit a headteacher, falling pupil roll and deficit budget.  Efforts have been made by the governing body, supported by the council and the Oxford Diocese, to address these issues but it has not been possible to put in place a viable recovery plan. Reluctantly, council officers, the Diocese and  governors in post at the start of the 2010-11 academic year, concluded that the school does not have a future and the council has undertaken a public consultation about a proposal to close the school with effect from the end of the current academic year. The report presents the outcomes of the consultation and describes the next steps required if effect is to be given to the proposal to close the school.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

a)                 Consider the responses to the consultation; and

b)                Determine whether, at this stage, any of the alternatives to closure are sufficiently well developed to provide a robust assurance that the Council should continue to maintain the school on its current site; or

c)                 Determine whether any alternatives, whilst not yet providing sufficient assurance, nevertheless merit further development and request officers to work with their proposer(s) on these, with final version(s) to be submitted by the end of April; and

d)                 Determine whether to proceed with the publication of a statutory notice to close Culham Parochial School with effect from 31 August 2011.

The Cabinet considered a report (CA6) setting out the outcomes of the consultation about a proposal to close the school with effect from the end of the current academic year and describing the next steps required if effect is to be given to the proposal to close the school.

Andrew Churchill-Stone, Chair of Governors of Culham Parochial School, spoke in support of keeping the school open as a Local Authority School. Referring to the major difficulties previously identified he stated that as at 31 March 2001 there would be no deficit to carry forward, there was a reasonable expectation that a Headteacher would be appointed shortly and as a fall back position negotiations were underway with St Edmunds Catholic School about the possibility of a shared headship. In addition he believed that the school would be viable with 40 pupils. He asked cabinet to save a school that he believed was viable.

Responding to a question from Councillor Michael Waine, Mr Churchill Stone stated that the interviews for the Headteacher would be held on 1 March 2011.

Kitson Thomas, Chair of Save Culham School Group, commented that he had emailed all Cabinet members. The Group comprised a wide range of people from parents, parishioners, teachers and local church representatives, councillors and the local MP. He referred to the viability of the School and to various statistics that showed that there would be a rise in the local population. He referred to the pupil numbers that were confirmed and was confident that at least 38 pupils would be on roll in September 2011 if the School remained open.

Responding to a question about the impact of the European Free School application Mr Thomas stated that initially they were only looking at 2 year groups. He added that the application for the Culham Parochial Primary School to become a free school was meant to show their commitment to retaining a school in Culham and that they would much prefer it to remain as it was.

Chris Mills, a local resident, spoke in support of the School remaining open: the School had been the heart of the community for over 160 years. It educated villagers successfully and lifelong friendship were established. The School gave the village its roots; it was and remained a focus of community activity with space for pre-school and village meetings. He felt that the problem with pupil numbers was only recent and that talk of closure made the position more difficult. He asked that the village be given the help and security of a little more time that would enable the School to recover quickly.

Responding to a question from Councillor Judith Heathcoat Mr Mills confirmed that as a villager he did believe that there was a sustainable future for the School. Responding to a comment from Councillor Jim Couchman he acknowledged that first and foremost it was a school and that it was because it was an effective school that it was a focus for the community.

Councillor Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, local member, spoke in support of keeping the School open. She had been impressed with the commitment being shown. The School was valued by the community and she hoped that the Cabinet would be able to choose option (c) and give the School some more time. She felt that what had been heard so far merited time for development work. She referred to the 2010 manifesto pledge to small schools and commented that Culham Parochial Primary School was the type of school that was envisaged then.

Councillor Waine referred to a petition submitted to the County Council prior to the meeting and additional information and emails of support. He thanked the 4 speakers for their commitment and effort. He commented that the standards at the school would have fallen without the Local Authority support and that leadership was paramount. He explained the background leading to the current position and noted that every effort had been made to find a solution. He noted that it was good that the deficit had been resolved but that the current budget was based on higher numbers and that from April 2011 it would be based on  fewer numbers.

He stated that there was a clear decision before the Cabinet as to whether to move to a Statutory Notice for Closure or to allow more time. Having heard from Roy Leach, Strategic Lead – School Organisation & Planning that a final decision was needed by May  to ensure children had a school place the decision on the statutory notice could be could be delayed by a short period. The Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement proposed a deferral of the decision to the March meeting of Cabinet subject to conditions relating to a suitable Headteacher appointed or a hard federation in place for September 2011, demonstration of a 3 year sustainable and balance budget and demonstration of a sustained demand for pupil numbers above 40.

During discussion concern was expressed that if there were a single local authority representative on the interview panel they could perhaps feel undue pressure to make what they considered an unsuitable appointment so that the first condition might be fulfilled. It was proposed that to avoid this a second local authority representative be included on the interview panel.

RESOLVED:             to defer the decision on whether to publish a statutory notice for the closure of Culham Parochial Primary School to the March Cabinet meeting to allow time for the following conditions to be met:

(a)       a suitable Headteacher appointed for 1 September 2011 or earlier, or, a “hard federation” agreed with another primary school offering long term continuity of leadership.

(b)       to demonstrate over a 3 year period that they can deliver a sustainable and balance budget.

(c)        to demonstrate sustained demand for consistent pupil numbers above 40; and

(d)       Cabinet further agreed that two Local Authority representatives be included on the interview panel for the Headteacher.