Agenda item

Small Schools Assessment

Report by the Director of Education and Skills.

 

The School Effectiveness Strategy 2018-22 sets out the need for a diverse supply of strong schools in West Sussex. It highlights that where schools are identified as being at risk in terms of their viability for optimum quality of provision, options for change need to be considered. These options include mergers, federation, relocation or closure when they are assessed against the Department for Education statutory guidance. 5 West Sussex schools have been identified, impact assessment work will be undertaken to determine if a consultation is required to see if specific proposals emerge which may lead to change at these schools.

 

The Committee is asked to considered the draft Cabinet Member decision report and provide comment to the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills prior to the formal decision being taken.

Minutes:

29.1   The Committee considered a report by the Director of Education and Skills. Tony Kershaw, Director of Law and Assurance, introduced the item to outline the role of the Committee at this early point in the timeline of the small schools assessment process. The Director of Law and Assurance noted an awareness that representations had been received by members of the committee in respect of the draft decision report. He advised the role of the Committee should be to consider the rationale for the commencement of a consultation for the development of the proposal and how this subsequently informed the Cabinet Member prior to the decision being taken. 

 

29.2   Andy Thorne, Strategic Finance Business Partner for Education provided a brief update on school funding as part of the item. The main points were as follows:

 

·       Central government had announced a funding increase for mainstream schools over the next three years.

·       This would see a 4% increase in the national funding rates for mainstream schools in 2020/21 together with an increase in the Minimum per Pupil Funding levels for secondary schools from £4,800 to £5,000 next year, and for primary schools from £3,500 to £3,750, with a further increase to £4,000 in 2021/22.

·       The funding would also include an additional £66m nationally for Early Years and £700m for High Needs in 2020/21.

·       The High Needs funding formula would ensure that every local authority receives an increase of at least 8% per head through the funding floor, which for West Sussex would equate to at least £6.5m.

·       The potential impact of the minimum per pupil funding level suggests that in 2021/22, over 60% of West Sussex secondary schools and 80% of larger primary schools could benefit from the uplift in per pupil funding.

·       Modelling had shown that aggregate funding could increase by around £19m across all West Sussex schools, however due to the way this was calculated, very few of the 53 small primary schools would attract any of this additional funding.

 

29.3   Paul Wagstaff, Director of Education and Skills provided the following contextual information on the Small Schools assessment:

 

·       The School Effectiveness Strategy was conceived on the basis that circumstances for schools were changing in terms of financial pressures and their associated viability which needed to be addressed.

·       This was not a proposal to consult on closing schools, but to consult on the options available. There was a genuine desire to widen the discussion and hear the views of parents, staff, governors and the broader views of the communities in which schools are situated.

·       The proposal was to begin a conversation with schools, stakeholders and other interested parties. The Cabinet Member would then consider the results of the consultation.

·       In January 2020, any specific proposals on the preferred options would be published, with a final decision to be made in March/April 2020.

 

29.4   The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills reiterated the desire to dispel myths that this was a consult to close exercise and advised the Committee that he had received a high volume of correspondence from concerned parents and governors. He added this was very much a consultation about a range of options for change and that closure was not the preferred option but a last resort.

 

29.5   The Chairman advised the comments by the Director of Education and Skills and Cabinet Member were reassuring, and he added that he too had received a number of concerned representations about the proposal to consult on options. The Chairman proposed that a Task and Finish Group (TFG) be established to enable proper scrutiny of the small schools assessment.

 

29.6   The Committee voted on and agreed with the idea of a TFG, however were concerned that the representations received would not be considered as part of the decision to commence a consultation. After some discussion, it was decided that the first meeting of the TFG would take place before the Cabinet Member decision to commence a consultation was taken. The output of from this initial TFG would be shared with the Cabinet Member prior to him taking the decision.

 

29.7   The terms of reference were established for the TFG (copy appended to the signed minutes). The membership would comprise Nigel Jupp, Hilary Flynn, Dawn Hall, Karen Sudan, Kirsty Lord and Maria Roberts. The TFG would consider what evidence, witness and stakeholder input would be required and how best to enable these representations.

 

29.8   Resolved that the Committee:

 

1.   Agrees a TFG be established which will meet up to three times.

2.   The first meeting of the TFG is to be before the Cabinet Member decision to commence a consultation is taken.

3.   The output from the first meeting is shared with the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills.

 

Supporting documents: