Agenda item

The Cabinet is asked to agree the following decision:

• Small Schools Proposals (CAB01_20/21) – A statutory consultation for proposals for small schools completed on 16 March 2020 and the attached draft decision report outlines the output of that consultation and the proposed recommendations. 

A final decision report will be published following the meeting of the Children and Young People’s Services Scrutiny Committee being held on 14 April 2020.  The Cabinet will be asked to agree the recommendations as outlined in the final report.    

Following consideration of the report, Cabinet resolved:

To support the proposals outlined in Section 2 going forward to:

1.     Issue a closure notice for Clapham and Patching C of E Primary School, Clapham, Worthing, but maintaining the building open for the Autumn half term to allow those children without suitable school places to be supported to transition to a new school should schools not return to normal opening during the summer due to the current Covid-19 situation. 

2.     Issue closure notice for Rumboldswhyke C of E Infant School, Chichester, but maintaining the building open for the Autumn half term to allow those children without suitable school places to be supported to transition to a new school should schools not return to normal opening during the summer due to the current Covid-19 situation. 

3.     Request County Council Officers to continue to work with Governors of Stedham Primary School and Harting CE Primary School to progress the Federation Action Plan towards a hard federation by January 2021.

4.     Request County Council Officers to continue to work with Governors to progress proposals for the federation of Compton and Up Marden CE Primary School, Compton with an appropriate partner.

5.     Issue prescribed alteration notices for the relocation of Warninglid Primary School, Warninglid, Haywards Heath to a new site in Pease Pottage Crawley by September 2021 (subject to developers completing in June 2021) and implement the proposals submitted by Warninglid Primary School and at least one other partner to federate. 

The Call-in deadline is 1 May 2020.

4.1     The Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Education and Skills.

4.2     The report was introduced by Cllr Nigel Jupp, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills who outlined the journey of the decision and the proposals to be considered by Cabinet. He explained that the proposals would be based on the aims of the School Effectiveness Strategy and were responsive to the needs of local communities.

4.3     The Cabinet Member advised that the proposals relating to Warninglid, Stedham and Compton and Up Marden had been endorsed by the Children and Young People’s Services Scrutiny Committee (CYPSSC) on 14 April 2020. The proposals relating to Rumboldswhyke and Clapham and Patching were not endorsed by the CYPSSC and Cabinet was asked to reconsider those proposals in light of the Committee’s comments.

4.4     The Cabinet Member advised that in view of the current public health restrictions, if parents had not been able to identify an alternative school for their children, the buildings at both Rumboldswhyke and Clapham and Patching should remain open for some of the autumn term. The Education and Skills service, Special Education Needs Assessment Team (SENAT) and specialist teachers would support families with school transition.

4.5     Cllr David Barling, Chairman of the Children and Young People’s Services Scrutiny Committee reiterated that the Committee did not support the proposals in relation to Rumboldswhyke and Clapham and Patching schools. He asked that the process be held to allow Cabinet to reflect on other options.

4.6     Cllr Michael Jones, Leader of the Labour Group, advised the proposals were opposed by the Labour group. He suggested that the current situation had already disrupted children’s learning, that the proposals seemed driven by financial considerations and that the Cabinet should delay the closure proposals.

4.7     Cllr James Walsh, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group invited Cabinet to consider the academy proposals for Rumboldswhyke and Clapham and Patching and reflect on the views of the scrutiny committee.

4.8     Cabinet Members welcomed the proposal to extend the use of the buildings at Rumboldswhyke and Clapham and Patching in the context of Covid-19. Cabinet felt that the process had been extensive and reflective to all representations. The Leader stated that to delay would leave the schools and families concerned in an indeterminate state.

4.9     Resolved – that Cabinet supports the proposals outlined in Section 2 going forward to:

1.     Issue a closure notice for Clapham and Patching C of E Primary School, Clapham, Worthing, but maintaining the building open for the Autumn half term to allow those children without suitable school places to be supported to transition to a new school should schools not return to normal opening during the summer due to the current Covid-19 situation. 

2.     Issue closure notice for Rumboldswhyke C of E Infant School, Chichester, but maintaining the building open for the Autumn half term to allow those children without suitable school places to be supported to transition to a new school should schools not return to normal opening during the summer due to the current Covid-19 situation. 

3.     Request County Council Officers to continue to work with Governors of Stedham Primary School and Harting CE Primary School to progress the Federation Action Plan towards a hard federation by January 2021.

4.     Request County Council Officers to continue to work with Governors to progress proposals for the federation of Compton and Up Marden CE Primary School, Compton with an appropriate partner.

5.     Issue prescribed alteration notices for the relocation of Warninglid Primary School, Warninglid, Haywards Heath to a new site in Pease Pottage Crawley by September 2021 (subject to developers completing in June 2021) and implement the proposals submitted by Warninglid Primary School and at least one other partner to federate.