Issue - meetings

The Leader welcomed Mr Dennis Charman and his colleagues to the meeting. Mr Charman presented his deputation expressing concern regarding how the Council had used the data available to substantiate the recommendations within the report.  He was of the view that the strategy should not be based too much on choice data.  It should also consider what people were asking for and what they were receiving from schools.  He noted that parents’ satisfaction levels from their 3^rd and 4^th preference school were at a very high level.  Parents were very happy with the high level of service delivered by these schools.  He implored the Council to work with the schools to build up their profile and use the data more carefully as the schools’ achievements might not be reflected in their reputation.

In response, Councillor Binmore noted that the Council believes in giving parents the right to choose the school they prefer their children to attend.  The strategy took into account a wider range of factors including 4 to 5 years of preference data, the school’s ability to expand from 1 to 1½ form entry, site suitability, OFSTED reports and attainment.  The Leader thanked Mr Charman for his comments.  He noted that the Council was keen to see all schools succeed and parents to have a choice to choose local schools.  The Council’s expectation was for more local children to be educated in local schools.

1.        That the School Organisation Strategy, as outlined in the report be approved;

2.        That the decision to dispose of the Askham Centre, taken at Cabinet on 7 February 2011, to allow its use as the site for Queensmill Special School’s relocation be revoked.

3.         That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, the Director of Children’s Services and the Director of Finance and Corporate Services, to take the necessary decisions to progress the strategy, including:

(a)   The decision on the temporary decant or permanent relocation of the Haven Respite Centre from its current location to Dalling Road Children’s Home;

(b)   Appointing the preferred design team for the schemes contained within this report, following the bid evaluation process;

(c)   Appointing the preferred contractor for the schemes contained within this report, following the tender evaluation process;

(d)   Agreeing ‘bulge’ classes where necessary;

(e)   Procuring contracts on behalf of Free Schools, where necessary and at the request of the Department for Education and Partnership for Schools, to deliver cost efficiencies;

(f)     Altering the priority order of schemes if circumstances change.