Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Cabinet has set out the
framework for delivering the strategy for the future of secondary
schools.
The Cabinet agreed proposals this week (May 14) which
set out the next steps for delivering a programme to improve school
buildings and opportunities for children and families. There are no
proposals for immediate change, the Cabinet anticipates changes
related to the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme
could not be fully implemented until 2014.
Councillor Chris Watt, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services,
said: "I am delighted that the Cabinet is taking this important
step forward in adopting this strategy for the future of secondary
schools. The Cabinet is committed to working to achieve early
programme entry to the Building Schools for the Future programme,
and exploring other internal and external funding options which
will help the Council to deliver schools that will give all of our
children and families the opportunity to enjoy first rate learning
environments. This is in line with our corporate priority to
improve school buildings.’
"This Strategy also sets out to secure better opportunities for
children that start life with a disadvantage by ensuring there is a
fair and equitable admission system for all children."
"We recognise the quality of all of our schools and the
excellent achievements of our students supported by our staff. The
future agenda is challenging and we are committed to working with
the governing bodies, staff, and parents to deliver this
strategy."
The Cabinet agreed the proposals as set out in the amendments to
the report.
The amendments were as follows:
RESOLVED (unanimously)
1) To approve the Review of Secondary Education Provision
in Bath and North East Somerset as the strategic framework for
future decision making re. secondary school provision.
2) To note that changes to specific schools are contingent
upon access to capital funding and therefore unlikely to take
effect before September 2014.
3) To authorise the Strategic Director of Children's
Services, in consultation with affected schools, to put in place
all necessary arrangements, including changes to admission and
other policies and arrangements to enable the proposed changes to
take place when capital resources are secured.
4) To authorise the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services
and the Strategic Director to explore funding options (including an
early wave of Building Schools for the Future if possible) to renew
and remodel all secondary schools.
5) The specific proposals are:
5.1 Bath
(i) Culverhay School
Consult upon the closure of the present boy's school and
re-opening as a new 11-18 co-educational community school or
Academy on the current site with a planned admission number (PAN)
of 160. The new school to be determined by means of a competition
to secure the most effective sponsor partner should the new school
be an academy.
(ii) St Mark's Church of England School/Oldfield
School
Consult upon the closure of both schools and the opening of a
new 11-18 co-educational Church of England school in the north of
the city with a PAN of 160. The new school to build on the
strengths of St Mark's and Oldfield and ensure that staffs of both
schools have equal access to posts in the new school and all pupils
at the two schools can attend the new school. The consultation to
determine the site.
(iii) Hayesfield School for Girls/Beechen Cliff School
for Boys
Retention of both schools as the single sex options for children
within the city of Bath with PANs of 160.
(iv) Ralph Allen School
Retention of Ralph Allen school as a 11-18 co-educational school
with a PAN of 175.
(v) St Gregory's Catholic College
Retention of St Gregory's Catholic College as an 11-16 Catholic
school with a PAN of 160.
(vi) Admission System
Consult on a process to achieve a fair and equitable admission
system for all children across the city of Bath.
5.2 Keynsham and Chew Valley
(a) Keynsham
(i) Consult on the closure of Broadlands Community School and
the expansion of Wellsway Community School to create a single
secondary school with a planned admission number of 260 places each
year, the single school to be re-built under the BSF programme.(ii)
Support the governing bodies of the two schools to explore
Federation options at an appropriate time in the future so
that:
- an eventual intake of 260 pupils can be achieved.
- a planned process of staffing changes is in place as pupil
numbers reduce towards the Planned Admission Number of 260 and to
ensure the School provides a high quality and inclusive
curriculum.
(b) Chew Valley
(i) Subject to the outcome of (a)(i) above, consult on the
expansion of the PAN of Chew Valley school to 216 and to
re-designate Whitchurch Village into the Chew Valley school
catchment area/area of prime responsibility.
5.3 Norton Radstock
No change to the current pattern of provision. However as part
of the Building Schools for the Future Programme, Writhlington
school is being rebuilt and the remodelling of Norton Hill and
Somervale is planned in the later phases of the
Programme.
