Agenda item

(1)       The report set out the results of the public consultation on the proposal to amalgamate The Hereson School and Ellington School for Girls.  It sought the views of the Advisory Board on the issuing of a public notice to close both schools and establish a new school on the Ellington site.

(2)       The Hereson School had a published admission number of 120 and a net capacity of 688.  In September 2007 there were 506 pupils on roll giving a surplus capacity of 26%.  Ellington School for Girls had a published admission number of 120 and a net capacity of 642.  In September 2007 there were 390 pupils on roll giving a surplus capacity of 39%.

(3)       Both Ellington and The Hereson were good schools with considerable strengths and strong community links.  Merging the two schools would sustain good quality high school provision within Ramsgate over the long term, retaining the strengths of each within a viable 4FE school, providing excellent facilities for all.  The new site of Ellington School for Girls suitably adapted, offered the opportunity to realise this goal.  It was located closer to the greatest concentration of existing Hereson student’s homes than the current site of The Hereson School.  The map at Appendix 2 of the report showed the location of the new Ellington site and the existing Hereson site in relation to the home locations of the students currently on roll at The Hereson School.           

(4)      The amalgamation would create a new 4FE school with a PAN of 120 serving both boys and girls age 11-16.  At the point of amalgamation in September 2009, there would be an estimated 692 pupils on the combined roll of both schools.  The roll would reduce as the larger year groups at the top end of the school were replaced by smaller year groups coming in at Year 7.  It was proposed to phase the amalgamation by adopting a one-year transition period from 2009-10.  The new Year 7 together with Years 8, 9 and 10 would move onto the Ellington site in September 2009.  The Hereson Year 11 would remain on the existing Hereson site to complete their final GCSE year.  With effect from 2010 all pupils would be on the Ellington site.  This would mean that the total pupil numbers on the new Ellington site would remain within the physical capacity of the accommodation (c.600).

(5)       The proposal included the establishment of what would be a new school and was therefore potentially subject to competition regulations under the Education and Inspection Act 2006.  The Local Authority applied to the Secretary of State for an exemption from external competition and permission to publish a proposal to establish a new school, subject to the outcome of the public consultation process.  The Secretary of State had decided not to grant an exemption from the competition regulations in relation to this proposal. 

(6)       The implication of this decision was that the Local Authority could only publish its own proposal to establish a new school if the proposal was published as part of a competition process. Other proposers now had the opportunity to submit a proposal to run the new school, as part of a competition process run by the Local Authority and on the basis of a specification for the new school which was drawn up by the Local Authority and published as part of the first competition notice, which was referred to in the published timetable for competition as set out in the original public consultation document.

(7)       The views of the local members Mrs E Green, Mr A Poole, Mr W Hayton and Mr J Fullarton were set out in the report, together with those of the Local MP; Governing Bodies; pupils; Thanet 2 Cluster Board; and Area Education Officer.

(8)       Adaptations to the new buildings would be needed to cater for a mixed intake and a feasibility study was being undertaken.  The initial assessment was that approximately £200K would be needed to support adaptations to the site from 2009 so that it could cater for boys and girls.  Further technical work was necessary to firm up the figure.

(9)       As part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, a submission was being made to secure significant additional funding which would be used to further enhance the excellent facilities already available on the Ellington site.  Allocation of this funding was subject to ongoing discussion and negotiation and approval by Partnership for Schools and the DCSF.

(10)     Following discussion the Advisory Board supported the amalgamation of The Hereson School and Ellington School for Girls, and, if agreed, supported the issuing of a competition notice to initiate a competition to establish a new 4FE high school on the site of Ellington School for Girls.