Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 7 February 2008 are correctly recorded and that they be signed by the Chairman.

(1)       This report set out the results of the public consultation on the need for a new primary school in Ashford and sought the views of the Advisory Board on the issuing of a competition notice.  Before the commencement of discussion, a letter from  a local Member, Mrs Elizabeth Tweed, was read to the meeting in which she expressed the view that if children were educated where they lived, that not only promoted better community cohesion, but had wider implications (e.g no more having to jump in the car to get to school).  The Repton Park Development could well be an example of how things can be done – already a mini high street was planned, plus a surgery, fitness centre etc.  To rule out a primary school would definitely be a retrograde step.

(2)       Dr Craig said that the Education and Inspections Act 2006 now required local authorities to undertake a competition to find a promoter for any new primary school.  However, before such a competition was undertaken, the local authority was required by statutory guidance to undertake consultation.  As part of this consultation the question had to be asked whether or not the community considered that a new school was in fact needed.  Full details of the competition process was set out in a report on New Schools Competitions presented to the Board at its meeting on 14 November 2007 but Dr Craig said that he would arrange for Members to receive a copy of the Regulations themselves.  During the course of discussion, Members of the Advisory Board raised a number of questions to which officers responded as appropriate. 

(3)       The Advisory Board agreed unanimously that a competition notice should be issued and noted that there would be a further report following the closing  period for the submission of formal representations.

(The Chairman declared consideration of this item to be urgent for the following reasons. Following a judicial review challenge on the proposal to introduce a two tier system, including an Academy on the Isle of Sheppey, KCC following legal advice under took further consultation. The proposal envisaged a September 2008 change for the primary phase, and September 2009 for the secondary. The last day for responses was 17 March 2008 and therefore the bulk of the report was published prior to the end of the consultation period but without the 5 working days notice. A final analysis of responses was detailed in a separate Appendix which was circulated at the meeting).   

(1)       Before the commencement of discussion on this item, a further appendix was circulated setting out a summary of the original responses to the public consultation exercise.  Members of the Advisory Board had also received a letter from Ms Angela Harrison as one of the local County Members in which she expressed her wholehearted support for the proposal to move from a three tier system of education to a two tier system.  In her letter, Ms Harrison also said that she had come to the conclusion that an Academy would give the impetus needed for first class secondary education on Sheppey.

(2)       Alison Osborne said that the report which Members had before them was the culmination of a very lengthy consultation process which was why the report was so detailed.  Public consultation on the primary phase included 7 public meetings on the detail of the proposals and these were held during March 2007 with the results reported to the School Organisation Advisory Board at its meeting on 16 May 2007.  Permission to issue a public notice was given and this was issued on 6 September 2007.  There was one letter in response to the public notice and the 4 week statutory appeals period brought no statutory objections and arrangements were made to implement. 

(3)       Consultation on the proposed for the secondary phase of education for an establishment of an Academy on Isle of Sheppey had been carried out by consultants who were appointed by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.  At its meetings on 17 October and 14 November 2007, the School Organisation Advisory Board supported a proposal to issue a public notice to close Minster College, Cheyne Middle School and Danley Middle School and to replace them with an Academy conditional upon the School’s Minster signing a funding agreement. 

(4)      However, because there was a legal uncertainty the County Council decided to quash the primary phase notice and to consult further on the proposals for the two-tier system in order to ensure that consultees were fully informed of the proposals for both the primary and secondary phases of education.  As a result, two further consultation documents were distributed and the full outcomes of these consultations were detailed in the report which Members of the Advisory Board had before them. 

(5)       During the course of a wide  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.