Agenda item

- report by Mrs Rosalind Turner, Managing Director, Children, Families and Education) Mrs E Tweed Mr J Wedgbury and Mr A Wickham were present for this item as Local County Members)

(1)       A consultation was undertaken to seek the views of the public on proposals received from the Ashford Baptist Church and Ashford Primary Head teachers Collaboration to promote the new Goat Lees Primary School. Copies of each of the proposals were set out in appendices attached to the report.

(2)       Mr Adams outlined the results of the consultation exercise and brought to members attention the relevant aspects of the overall proposal as well as the key points relevant to each of the submitted proposals of the Baptist Church and the Head teachers.

(3 )      During the course of discussion Mrs Tweed said that the case to have a school at Goat Lees had been made.  Therefore what needed careful consideration was the balance between the two bids.  The head teachers had demonstrated a good track record but both bids had considerable merit and she would be happy to see either one taken forward.

(4)       Mr Wickham said he also felt it was very close between the two bids but if asked for a preference he felt the school would benefit from the ethos promoted in the bid submitted by the Ashford Baptist Church, and it therefore it should be given the opportunity to run the school. Mr Wedgbury said the school was badly needed to serve the local community and was content to leave the appointment of the provider to the Cabinet Member.

(5)       During the course of further discussion members of the Advisory Board heard from Mr Cooke about the position of this proposal in terms of capital funding, expressed their views on the two bids and raised a number of points of detail to which officers responded accordingly.

(6)       The recommendation in the report was for the Advisory Board to advise the Cabinet Member which bid should be approved.On this question being put 6 members expressed support for the bid submitted by the Ashford Baptist Church and 2 members expressed support for the bid submitted by the Ashford Primary Head teachers Consortium.

(7)      RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education be advised of the views of the Advisory Board as set out in paragraph 4 (6) above.