Formal consultation could go ahead on proposed relocation of The Henry Cort Community College in Fareham

Local residents could soon be asked to give their views on a proposal to relocate The Henry Cort Community College in Fareham to a new site in North Whiteley, from September 2027. It follows a recent informal consultation seeking feedback on the future secondary education offer in Whiteley and Fareham

Oct 17 2024

Whiteley has seen significant re-development in recent years, with 3,500 new homes already built and a further 2,000 in the pipeline as part of the North Whiteley development. A new secondary school in North Whiteley is planned to meet the forecast demand for school places across the whole of the Whiteley area, once the development is complete. Subject to planning consent, the new school would be built with capacity for 900 places and scope to expand to up to 1,200 in future, if needed. If approved, the new building would be fully funded by developer contributions and the Department for Education.

While clearly needed to meet future demand, the delivery of the new school in North Whiteley would also have a significant impact on The Henry Cort Community College in Fareham, which currently takes pupils from across the Whiteley area. As more families in Whiteley would be anticipated to move their children to the new school in North Whiteley from September 2027, Henry Cort would be expected to see a corresponding reduction in its pupil numbers and a subsequent reduction in its funding from Government, which is allocated on a per-pupil basis. This in turn would lead to a reduced curriculum, staffing difficulties, an impact on children’s educational outcomes, significant financial challenges - and ultimately, an untenable future. 

From 28 March 2024 to 30 May 2024, Hampshire County Council informally consulted the public on the following three options to reduce the impact of the proposed new secondary school:

  • Option 1 – To build the North Whiteley secondary school as a new academy and keep The Henry Cort Community College operational but with a smaller catchment area.

  • Option 2 – To build the North Whiteley secondary school as a new academy and close The Henry Cort Community College.

  • Option 3 (the County Council’s preferred option) – To relocate The Henry Cort Community College to the new North Whiteley secondary school site.

Hampshire County Council has carefully reviewed the feedback received during the recent informal consultation, including at two public drop-in events, and the various implications of the three potential options. These considerations have determined that the third option, to relocate Henry Cort, is the most viable to protect the school’s future while ensuring sufficient school places and most importantly of all, a good quality of education and stability for all children across Whiteley and Fareham.

As such, a recommendation to proceed to a statutory consultation on the relocation of Henry Cort will be put to Councillor Roz Chadd, the County Council’s Cabinet Lead Member for Children’s Services, at her upcoming Decision Day on Friday, 25 October. 

If agreed, a Public Notice would be published on the County Council’s website between 8 November 2024 and 13 December 2024 allowing parents, the local community and others with an interest to submit their views. A further report outlining feedback from the statutory consultation, and a final recommendation, would be presented to Councillor Chadd for her consideration at a future Decision Day in February 2025.

Should the relocation of Henry Cort ultimately be agreed, this would entail various changes to local catchment areas and admissions arrangements, which would be subject to separate consultations thereafter, in line with standard process. 

Visit the County Council’s website for full details of the recommendation to consult