Agenda item

8.34pm – Councillor Caroline Needham moved, seconded by Councillor Stephen Cowan, the special motion standing in their names:

“This Council congratulates Sulivan Primary School on the recognition received from both Boris Johnson, the London Mayor and David Laws MP, the Minister of State for Schools, in respect of the school’s excellent academic results.

The Council supports the addition of a high quality secondary school in the south of the Borough but agrees that the excellent Sulivan Primary School should remain open and a new site found for the free school that does not involve cannibalising Sulivan Primary School”.

Speeches on the special motion were made by Councillors Caroline Needham, Stephen Cowan and Lisa Homan (for the Opposition) and Councillor Steve Hamilton (for the Administration).

Under Standing Order 15(e) (vi), Councillor Georgie Cooney moved, seconded by Councillor Marcus Ginn an amendment to the motion as follows:

“Delete Name of Motion and insert "Fulham Schools"

Delete all after "congratulates" and insert:

"… all the borough's primary schools and pupils on their recent academic achievements, including Sulivan and New King’s Primary Schools.

The Council supports the addition of a high quality secondary school to improve further the opportunities for our children in the south of the borough and believes that all practicable sites should be considered as a permanent location for it."

Speeches on the amendment to the special motion were made by Councillors Georgie Cooney, Marcus Ginn, Donald Johnson, Mark Loveday and Andrew Brown (for the Administration) and by Councillors Stephen Cowan, Elaine Chumnery, Andrew Jones, Max Schmid and Caroline Needham (for the Opposition).

The amendment was put to the vote:

FOR                            24

AGAINST                   13

NOT VOTING            0

The amendment was declared CARRIED.

Under Standing Order 15(e) (vi), Councillor Stephen Cowan moved, seconded by Councillor Mercy Umeh an amendment to the motion as follows:

“Delete all in the amended motion and replace with:

The Council notes with concern the email sent at 1.38pm today by the Chair of Governors, Sulivan Primary School to the Administration, which reads.

“I would like to formally register my complaint to the Council for the timing of the meeting. I have looked back over Council meetings and I have struggled to find any examples of Council meetings scheduled for the morning. 

I put it to you that this time has been selected specifically to make it difficult for both members of the Committee and the public to attend the meeting.  I would ask you to consider postponing the date and time, selecting a new date in the evening, as has always been the practice by the Council, when its officers, councillors and the public, have more opportunity of attending.  Do you think this would be a more democratic approach?

I also would have appreciated the courtesy of an email to the Governing Body and the Head Teacher at Sulivan, informing us of the meeting, given the meeting has been called to discuss Sulivan Primary.  Another example of an unjust and at worst, flawed consultation process and administration by the Council.

I hope you will consider my request and advise me of the date when the meeting will be rescheduled.”

The Council urges Cllr. Donald Johnson, the select committee chair, (Con), Cllr Tom Crofts (Con) , Cllr Charlie Dewhirst (Con), Cllr Belinda Donovan (Con), Cllr Harry Phibbs (Con) and Cllr. Matt Thorley (Con) to work with opposition and co-opted members of the Education and Children’s Services Select Committee in recognising the reasonable nature of this request, to consult with governors of Sulivan Primary School and other stakeholders to agree a more suitable time and date for the issues raised in the call-in to be properly considered.”

Speeches on the amendment were made by Councillors Stephen Cowan, Mercy Umeh, PJ Murphy and Lisa Homan (for the Opposition) and Councillors Nicholas Botterill and Donald Johnson (for the Administration).

The amendment was put to the vote and a roll-call was requested:

FOR               

AGAINST

FOR                            12

AGAINST                   24

NOT VOTING            0

The amendment was declared LOST.

The substantive motion as amended was put to the vote:

FOR                            25

AGAINST                   12

NOT VOTING            0

The motion as amended was declared CARRIED.

10.06pm – RESOLVED:

Fulham Schools

This Council congratulates all the borough's primary schools and pupils on their recent academic achievements, including Sulivan and New King’s Primary Schools.

The Council supports the addition of a high quality secondary school to improve further the opportunities for our children in the south of the borough and believes that all practicable sites should be considered as a permanent location for it.