Contact: Robin Thomas. Acting Assistant County Education Officer. Tel 01962 846426. E-mail: [email protected], Ian Lawson. Strategic Planning Officer. Tel 01962 846350. E-mail: [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 This report provides detail of consultations relating to Hawthorns School and Ashwood Education Centre, Basingstoke.

1.2 The proposal to close both establishments is consistent with Hampshire County Council's corporate aims in terms of:

· Aim 1 - maximising life opportunities

· Aim 4 - building strong and safe communities

· Aim 5 - improving services

1.3 Closing both Hawthorns School and the Ashwood Education Centre, whilst establishing new, forward looking, pro-active provision, provides the County Council with the opportunity to begin implementation of the behaviour support strategy, as presented to the Education Policy Review Committee on 23 March 2004.

2 Background

2.1 Hawthorns School, Basingstoke, is a secondary school for pupils with statements of Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD). There are 56 funded places at the school, but currently only 45 pupils on roll, of which just over half attend regularly. The provision serves the whole of the north of Hampshire. There is boarding provision at the school, which is currently not in use.

2.2 Hawthorns School was placed in special measures by OfSTED in November 2001. For some time, officers within Hampshire LEA had been concerned about the school and prior to the OfSTED inspection, intensive support had been provided at a local level, co-ordinated strategically by senior officers.

2.3 Subsequently, there have been a number of monitoring visits by HMI. Some progress has been identified, but not to a sufficient extent or within a satisfactory time-scale. The school has remained in special measures, in spite of increased and intensive LEA intervention.

2.4 The nature of the needs addressed by the school and the age range concerned, contribute to the levels of difficulty experienced. However, the highest quality of provision is essential for these vulnerable young people and even with the intensive support provided, the school has continued to be the cause of considerable concern and still fails to deliver the high quality of education expected of schools in Hampshire.

2.5 At the end of the Spring Term 2003 the head teacher left the school to take up another position and an acting head teacher was employed during the Summer Term 2003. A permanent head teacher took up appointment at the beginning of the Autumn Term 2003.

2.6 The fifth monitoring visit by HMI took place in November 2003. It concluded again that the school had made limited progress since the last monitoring inspection and only reasonable progress overall since being subject to Special Measures.

2.7 Standards as demonstrated in the 2003 results at Key Stage 3 and 4 are low and show little improvement on the previous year's results. In English, where there remains a vacancy for the head of department, there were no entries at GCSE.

3 Findings of Her Majesty's Inspector - November 2003

3.1 As indicated previously, the fifth HMI visit took place half a term after the arrival of the new head teacher, and inspectors commented positively on the permanent appointment of a head teacher with substantial experience. However, HMI stated that the head teacher was considerably disadvantaged by the continuing vacancy for a deputy head teacher at the school and the difficulties which remained due to other vacancies, including the post of Head of English. Both posts had been advertised on a number of occasions, but no appointments made. Subsequently, the governing body has been able to appoint a suitably experienced and qualified deputy head teacher on a temporary, 18 month fixed-term contract. He took up post at the end of February 2004, but has since left the school.

4 Longer-term plans for behaviour support in the north of the County

4.1 Strategies for addressing the issue of how best the needs of pupils with BESD should be met in the longer-term are currently under consideration as part of the County Council's review of Behaviour Support. A report was submitted to the Education Policy Review Committee on 23 March 2004, and to the Executive Member for Education on 25 March 2004.

4.2 Future proposals for Hawthorns School (and the Ashwood Education Centre) need to be planned and implemented in the context of these strategies.

4.3 There is a continuing need for school places for secondary aged pupils with BESD statements in north Hampshire. There has, however, been no significant improvement at Hawthorns over a sustained period and limited prospects of further improvement in the immediate future. It is apparent that retaining the school is not serving the best interests of its pupils, or of the communities it serves. In this context, and in the light of the significant support offered to the school, both before and over the two and a half years since it was placed in special measures, at his decision day on 9 March 2004 the Executive Member for Education agreed that the most appropriate way forward was to consult on the school's closure and on interim and long term proposals to cater for pupils who would otherwise attend the school. This consultation took place during March and April 2004.

5 Consultation with the governing body, pupils and staff at Hawthorns School

5.1 Reports of the relevant consultation meetings are attached as Appendices.

5.2 Robin Thomas has attended two governors' meetings at the school. Whilst, understandably, concerns were expressed re the future in terms of both pupils and staffing, there was strong agreement re the overall direction of behaviour support being proposed.

5.3 Discussions with a number of pupils took place during the lunch time of 31 March and with one pupil who attended the consultation meeting for parents later in the evening. The pupils indicated a loyalty for their school and teachers. There was some discussion as to the type of activities that they as pupils enjoyed most and there was strong support for off-site, outdoor, physical activities.

5.4 A consultation meeting was held with all staff during the afternoon of 31 March and a detailed report is given as Appendix 1. Staff felt very strongly that they are being blamed for shortcomings within the overall system and that press coverage has also given that impression. They referred to the original OfSTED report and to the more recent HMI reports, where instances of "good" or "very good" teaching are identified.

6 Consultation with parents / carers of pupils at Hawthorns School

6.1 A consultation meeting was held on the evening of 31 March and a detailed report is given as Appendix 2. Parents were, rightly, concerned at the impact on the education of their individual children. Reassurances were given that the educational needs of the children would be taken fully into account in designing the interim and long term proposals and that parents would be consulted on any significant changes in the provision for their children. Considerable emphasis was placed on the future provision being better than that at present provided.

6 Other consultation

6.1 As required by statutory guidance, written consultation has taken place with all NHT Hospital and Primary Care Trusts in Hampshire, West Berkshire LEA (which maintains a statement for one pupil at the school), other LEAs involved in planning at a regional level and the head teachers of all special and secondary schools in the north of the county. Responses were received from the New Forest PCT (enquiring whether any children resident in their area are affected), West Berkshire (offering to be involved in the future proposals) and the head teachers of two secondary schools in Basingstoke (stressing the need to ensure that there is a coordinated approach to inclusion and behavioural support). A late response was received from the doctor attached to Hawthorns School (emphasising the importance of ensuring appropriate provision for the pupils concerned).

7 Ashwood Education Centre

7.1 Robin Thomas attended a meeting of all staff at the Ashwood Education Centre on 20 April 2004. Proposals were outlined for the future vision of behaviour support across the county in general and in Basingstoke / North of the County in particular.

7.2 In order to promote and establish a structure for the future vision, the need to close the Ashwood Education Centre as well as Hawthorns School was identified.

7.3 Whilst, again, concerns were expressed in terms of the needs of the pupils at present attending the Ashwood Education Centre (in addition to those who are more vulnerable or sick and whose needs are met elsewhere) there was strong support for the future vision.

7.4 The willingness of staff to enter a period of uncertainty in respect of their own jobs / security, on the basis of improving the service to the young people they serve, was extremely impressive.

8 Proposals for the future

8.1 In the light of these consultations, it seems appropriate to proceed with the following proposals:

· Closure of both Hawthorns School and the Ashwood Education Centre, with effect from 31 August 2004. This will involve the publication of public notices to discontinue Hawthorns School, and approval by the School Organisation Committee if there are objections. No statutory proposals are required to close the Ashwood Education Centre.

· Interim arrangements to apply from 1 September 2004 until 31 August 2005, using the joint premises of Hawthorns School and the Ashwood Education Centre, together with other facilities and providers as appropriate to the needs of individual pupils. This provision will be registered with the DfES as a single pupil referral unit.

· Continuing development of long term arrangements to be in place from 1 September 2005.

10 Financial and staffing implications

10.1 For the Autumn Term 2004, staff from both Hawthorns School and the Ashwood Education Centre will continue in post under their existing contractual arrangements. During the Autumn Term appointments will be made to the new structure, appropriate to delivering the behaviour support provision as identified within the EOTAS Best Value Review and the Behaviour Support Strategy as presented to the Education Policy Review Committee on 23 March 2004. Copies of both documents have been placed in the Members' room for reference.

10.2 Intensive work is taking place with other services, branches and departments within the County Council, as well as with a wide range of outside providers, in order to engage, encourage and establish the vulnerable young people concerned as useful and productive members of their community.

10.3 Initially, the residual 7/12ths budget for the financial year 2004/05, from both Hawthorns School and the Ashwood Education Centre, will be utilised to make provision from September 2004 onwards. It is anticipated that there are likely to be some economies of scale, but that these will not result in significant savings. Some additional finance will be available from those resources earmarked within the Education budget for 2004/05 (School Development Grant 1) for the implementation of the developing Behaviour Support Strategy. The Children's Fund has also been contacted, in order to seek funding for additional out-of-school activity/support.

10.4 The financial impact of this measure for 2004/05 and for 2005/06 is to transfer funding for Hawthorns School from delegated schools budgets to the EOTAS budget. This move increases the central spending on SEN and EOTAS within the Schools block. This area of spending became subject to new controls with the changes to the schools' funding regime from the DfES introduced for 2004/05.

10.5 The transfer will amount to £x in 2004/05 (on the basis of transfer from September to March) and £y in 2005/06 (on the basis of funding from April to August). This will take the County Council above the agreed central spending limit for 2004/05 and will introduce significant pressures against the limit for 2005/06.

10.6 The transfer is a temporary measure for a year and the future arrangements for behaviour support will need to take account of the funding restrictions in place. With this in mind discussions have been held with the DfES about these plans, and these will be extended to include the financial issues. Further it will be important to ensure the Schools Forum is aware of these measures and that it consider them as part of the review of central spending on SEN and EOTAS to be carried out this summer with a view to limiting the increase for 2005/06.

Recommendation

1 That the Executive Member for Education be advised to approve the publication of statutory proposals for the closure of Hawthorns School, with effect from 31 August 2004; the closure of Ashwood Eduction Centre with effect from 31 August 2004; interim arrangements to apply from 1 September 2004 to 31 August 2005, and the development of long term arrangements to take effect from 1 September 2005.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB The list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

TITLE FILE