Issue - meetings

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.

Cabinet decided in February to “defer the decision on whether to publish a statutory notice for the closure of Culham Parochial School to the March Cabinet to allow time for [three] conditions to be met”.

The Cabinet report considered on 16 February is attached and an update on the current position will be provided at the meeting to give maximum time for the conditions to be met

Note: As set out under Rule 18(a) of the Scrutiny Procedure Rules, this decision is exempt from Call-In as it is deemed urgent in that any delay would seriously prejudice the Council’s interests, due to additional financial costs, and the interests of the public in that the publication of any necessary statutory notice would be delayed leading to significant disadvantage to parents with children at the School.

Cabinet at its meeting on 16 February considered a report that set 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 was to be given to the proposal to close the school.

Following representations from the school, Cabinet deferred a decision to the

March Cabinet to allow three conditions to be met for the school to remain

open. Cabinet received an update on the interview process for the appointment of a head teacher.

Note: As set out under Rule 18(a) of the Scrutiny Procedure Rules, this decision is exempt from Call-In as any delay would seriously prejudice the Council’s interests, due to additional financial costs, and the interests of the public in that the publication of any necessary statutory notice would be delayed leading to significant disadvantage to parents with children at the School.

Mr Churchill-Stone gave an update on the remaining two conditions advising that there would be 39 children on roll by  January 2012 and 46 by the January following. In terms of the financial position he referred to\the personal pledges of funding for 3 years from people in the audience of the meeting today and that a positive budget could be achieved. He was happy to meet with officers to prove his budget robust. He referred to the lack of appointment of a head teacher but commented that a further advertising round was underway and that he was confident that the leadership issue could be resolved. Help was being given by the National Education Trust.

Mr Kitson added that in respect of the numbers on roll the figures were based on detailed information that had been given to the Authority for verification.

Responding to a question about any progress towards a hard federation Mr Churchill-Stone advised that they were talking to other schools but that it was impossible to have something in place by September 2011.

Councillor Lorraine Lindsay-Gale speaking as a local member commented on the hard work of the Governors. They had successfully met two of the three conditions and she hoped that the Cabinet would be able to respond to what had already been done.

The Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement stated that he had met with those involved and officers in the last week. He stressed that it was the approach of the Council to support small schools and that there had been no closure of a small school in six years. Efforts had been made over a number of years to get the school to confront the need for a federation. He referred to the papers he had received today and indicated that the numbers and budget figures would need to be verified by officers. He acknowledged the work done and expressed his regret that it had not been possible to appoint from the short list. The school needs strong and sustainable leadership. He did not believe that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31

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.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18