Agenda item

(Report by Mr M Whiting, Cabinet Member, Education, Learning and Skills and Mr P Leeson, Corporate Director, Education, Learning and Skills)

(Mr K Shovelton Director of Planning and Access and Mr D Adams, Area Education Officer, were present for this item)

1.               Mr Tolputt moved the recommendations, seconded by Mr K Smith that the Education Cabinet Committee endorses the decision to be taken by the Cabinet Member to approve the proposal from Wateringbury CEPS to change status from Voluntary Controlled to Voluntary Aided School with effect from 1 April 2013 and authorises the notification of the change to the DfE.

2.               The Chairman took the opportunity to pay tribute to the Area Education Officers for the work that they had undertaken in supporting the public meetings held in the evenings as part of the consultation on the proposed school expansions across Kent.

3.               Members were given the opportunity to make comments and ask questions which included the following:

a)    A Member commented that under the new governance arrangements the Education Cabinet Committee membership did not include Church Representatives which he considered would have been helpful to seek their views as seven of the decisions were about Church school expansions.

b)    In reply to questions, Mr Adams advised that he had had a number of discussions with Members of the Governing Body and they were concerned about being able to take all of the children from their community (Wateringbury and Nettlestead) and being able to continue to serve the families from Teston.  As a Church school they would ultimately like to have first; practising children who lived in the local Parishes and then children in the Parishes.  This was why they viewed Voluntary Aided status as an advantage to them. The new status would enable the Governing Body to put in place arrangements in the school that they considered best served their community. 

c)     In reply to a question, Mr Leeson gave his assurance that the Diocesan bodies were concerned about school improvement and the standards being provided in Church schools.  KCC liaised with the Diocese effectively to ensure that all schools in Kent were supported to improve their standards.  At present the Kent School Improvement Service worked with Church schools as much as it did with non denominational schools. The Diocese traditionally had not had a school improvement service of its own.  School improvement services had always been with the local authority. Mr Leeson advised that there was a proposal by the Archdiocese of Southwark to create a Multi Academy Trust for all Catholic schools in Kent.  The proposals would include providing school improvement support for those schools.  The Archdiocese had confirmed to Mr Leeson the schools would be able to continue to be involved with Kent County Council’s School Improvement activity and buy in services from the County Council. Mr Leeson added that the Anglican Dioceses of Rochester and Canterbury were also having discussions about their schools joining academy trust arrangements in the future. 

d)    The local Member, Mrs Stockell, advised that she had not received any negative comments regarding the proposal.

4.               The Chairman asked Members to vote on the recommendations. The vote was as follows: 6 votes for and 2 abstained, the vote was carried.

5.               RESOLVED that:-

a)              the responses to comments and questions by Members be noted;

b)              the Education Cabinet Committee endorses the decision to be taken by that the Cabinet Member for Education, Learning and Skills to change the status of Wateringbury, Church of England, Primary School, Tonbridge from Voluntary Controlled to Voluntary Aided; and

c)               the Cabinet Member for Education, Learning and Skills sends notification of the change to the Department for Education.