Hampshire County Council
Children's Services Policy Review Committee		Item 6
18 July 2006
Strategy for primary school provision in the north-east of Andover
Report of the Director of Children's Services

Children's Services Management Team sponsor:

John Clarke - Deputy Director of Children's Services

Telephone: 01962 846459; e-mail: [email protected]

Contacts: Peter Colenutt - Education Officer (School Review)

Telephone: 01962 846157; e-mail: [email protected]

Alex Munro - Education Officer (Admissions and Special Projects)

Telephone: 01962 846462; e-mail: [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 On 19 January 2006, the Executive Member for Education authorised local consultations with schools in the north-east Andover area. This report provides details of the outcome of consultations following the review of primary school provision and sets out the background and issues affecting the schools identified in the report.

1.2 The report puts forward proposals for the future pattern of primary school provision in north-east Andover. It represents a strategy designed to improve primary school provision whilst ensuring the best use of resources by reducing surplus places in line with the authority's statutory responsibility for the management of school places.

1.3 This strategy would be realised through the establishment of a new school to serve the East Anton Major Development Area (MDA) based upon the County Council's policy to provide new primary schools within major development areas and the closure of Shepherds Spring Infant and Shepherds Spring Junior Schools.

1.4 These proposals would reduce the level of forecast surplus primary places in the north-east Andover area from 29.7% in 2011 to 4%.

1.5 As part of the wider Children's Services agenda, recommendations are also made for the establishment of a full-core offer Children's Centre to serve the Alamein ward and the relocation of the Education Centre (formerly known as a pupil referral unit) currently operating in Cricklade College.

1.6 Consultations have been carried out with governing bodies, staff and parents of all the schools potentially affected: Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC), the Local Strategic Partnership, Member of Parliament, parish councils, the Church of England and Roman Catholic Dioceses, local councillors, the Teachers' Liaison Panel, the Primary Care Trust and the Learning and Skills Council.

1.7 Members of the County Council's Cabinet and Children's Services Policy Review Committee (CSPRC) have visited schools in the area.

1.8 The issues raised in this report reflect the County Council's corporate aims and the local authority's statutory duty under the Children Act to address the five outcomes to improve "the well-being of children in the authority's area". These are described in more detail in section 16 of this report.

1.9 Members of the CSPRC are asked to advise the Cabinet on the way forward, in the light of the views expressed during the consultation period, so that decisions can be made about the strategy to manage primary school provision in the Andover area.

1.10 The following appendices are included in the report:

· Appendix 1: notes of meetings held with the staff and governing bodies of Knights Enham Infant, Knights Enham Junior, Shepherds Spring Infant and Shepherds Spring Junior Schools; notes of governing body meetings at Smannell and Enham CE Primary (Aided) and Roman Way Primary Schools; notes of drop-in sessions and public meeting;

· Appendix 2: a list of correspondence received (337 letters, emails and reply slips), together with a copy of the consultation booklet, which will be on deposit in the Members' Room during the week prior to the Children's Services Policy Review Committee meeting on 18 July 2006 and then available for perusal in the Council Chamber from 9.00 am on the day of the meeting.

· Appendix 3: Local Authority commentary on school performance for the seven schools in the north-east area of Andover;

· Appendix 4: a map of the area under consideration;

· Appendix 5: report to Executive Member for Education (19 January 2006)

2 Strategic implications

2.1 The County Council has a statutory duty to plan the provision of school places and to secure an appropriate balance locally between supply and demand. Needs change in response to population movements and birth rate variations. In many areas of the county the child population is declining; in other areas, new housing developments are creating the need for additional school accommodation. Population changes mean that schools may go through periods when there is pressure on places and others where there is a surplus.

2.2 The County Council's 2006 Annual Performance and Assessment letter from District Audit (which is a part of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) framework) highlighted the fact that the number of primary schools with more than 25% unfilled places is significantly above the national average in Hampshire. In January 2005, the figure was 13.4% (the equivalent of 58 one form entry [1fe] primary schools), compared to the national average of 11.9%.

2.3 Although the figure fell slightly to 13.2% in January 2006, the underlying trend of significantly falling rolls is exerting a continued upward pressure, in spite of measures to reduce surpluses through area reviews and local re-designation and re-use of general teaching spaces. The Auditor's letter expects the County Council to take measures to reduce the number of schools with surpluses above 25%.

2.4 There are seven schools serving the north-east area of Andover, three of which currently have surpluses in excess of 25%, expected to rise to four schools by 2011. The proposals in this paper would reduce the level of surplus primary places in north-east Andover from 29.7% in 2011 to 4%. The figure of 4% is calculated using the reduced 2007 capacities of schools referred to later in the report.

3 Consultation proposals

3.1 Following approval by the Executive Member for Education on the 19 January 2006, governing bodies and other interested parties were consulted on the following options:

a) the establishment of two new 2 form entry (2fe) primary schools at East Anton, the first anticipated for September 2008.

and either

b) the closure of Shepherds Spring Infant and Junior schools

or

the closure of Knights Enham Infant and Junior Schools

3.2 The January report to the Executive Member mentioned a possible further development at Picket Twenty, to the south-east of the town. The report advised that, should the development go ahead, despite an adverse report from central government's Planning Inspectorate, it would be likely to generate 300-400 primary age pupils. Should development at Picket Twenty proceed, there will be further consultations about primary school provision.

3.3 The consultation proposals were based upon the County Council's policy, as set out in the School Organisation Plan, to provide new primary schools within major new developments where possible. They were also based on the need to take steps to reduce surplus provision in the north-east of Andover where pupil numbers in the more established communities are declining. The proposals are designed to maximise the benefit from developers' contributions and ensure the best use of County Council resources.

3.4 An analysis of the responses to the consultations is covered in section 4 of this report.

3.5 Table 1 gives information about all Andover town primary schools and Smannell and Enham CE School, based on numbers on roll in January 2006. Smannell and Enham School is included because the East Anton development is currently located within its catchment area. The table excludes pupils expected from the East Anton development. It should be noted that the surplus place figures reflect the proposed reduction in admission numbers and capacity for 2007 at Knights Enham Infant and Vigo Junior Schools.

Table 1 - primary schools in the Andover town area

School	Pupil places	PAN (1)	Pupil numbers		Number surplus places		% surplus places
			Jan 06	Jan11	Jan 06	Jan11	Jan 06	Jan 11
Andover CE (Controlled) Primary	210	30	207	282	3	- 72	1.4%	- 34.3%
Anton Infant	180	60	170	171	10	9	5.6%	5.0%
Anton Junior	243	64	253	245	- 10	- 2	- 4.1%	- 0.8%
Balksbury Infant	243	90	237	243	6	0	2.5%	0.0%
Balksbury Junior	393	90	324	316	69	77	17.6%	19.6%
Knights Enham Infant	150	45	94	93	56	57	37.3%	38.0%
Knights Enham Junior	180	45	178	126	2	54	1.1%	30.0%
Portway Infant	270	90	268	262	2	8	0.7%	3.0%
Portway Junior	360	90	356	344	4	16	1.1%	4.4%
Roman Way Primary	210	30	174	172	36	38	17.1%	18.1%
Shepherds Spring Infant	150	50	99	98	51	52	34.0%	34.7%
Shepherds Spring Junior	200	50	108	72	92	128	46.0%	64.0%
St John the Baptist Catholic (Aided) Primary	210	30	222	225	- 12	- 15	- 5.7%	- 7.1%
Vigo Infant	180	(2) 60	175	167	5	13	2.8%	7.2%
Vigo Junior	237	(2) 60	261	191	- 24	46	- 10.1%	19.4
Total Andover town	3,416	884	3,126	3,007	290	409	8.5%	12.0%
Smannell & Enham CE (Aided) Primary	(3) 87	15	100	99	- 14	- 17	- 16.1%	- 19.5%
Totals	3,503	899	3,226	3,106	276	392	7.9%	11.2%

(1) Published Admission Number - this determines the number of pupils to be admitted to the school at Year R (Reception infant/primary) or Year 3 (junior) and is based on the accommodation available.

(2) Including places for statemented pupils admitted each year to resourced SEN provision for Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN). These pupils are not included in the County Council's number on roll projections. Therefore, to avoid confusion, they are not included in this paper. Seven pupils are expected to be on roll at Vigo Infant and Vigo Junior School in September 2006 (total 14).

(3) 30 places in a single temporary classroom

3.6 The seven schools listed in table 2 have been the focus of the consultation process and are adjacent or close to the East Anton development.

Table 2 - primary schools adjacent to the proposed East Anton housing development

Schools	Pupil places	PAN	Pupil Numbers		Number surplus places		% surplus places
			Jan 06	Jan 11	Jan 06	Jan 11	Jan 06	Jan 11
Knights Enham Infant	150	45	94	93	56	57	37.3%	38.0%
Knights Enham Junior	180	45	178	126	2	54	1.1%	30.0%
Roman Way Primary	210	30	174	172	36	38	17.1%	18.1%
Shepherds Spring Infant	150	50	99	98	51	52	34.0%	34.7%
Shepherds Spring Junior	200	50	108	72	92	128	46.0%	64%
Vigo Infant	180	60	175	167	5	13	2.8%	7.2%
Vigo Junior	237	60	261	191	- 24	46	- 10.1%	19.4%
Totals	1,307	340	1,089	919	218	388	16.7%	29.7%

Explanation of projected numbers on roll

3.7 This section of the paper explains in detail the basis for the number on roll forecasts which have been used during the consultation period.

3.8 In October 2005, local authority officers met chairs of governors and headteachers of primary schools within the Andover town area (see Table 1). The purpose of this meeting was to alert them to the forthcoming review, explain how this would be carried out and share with them the number on roll forecasts based on the January 2005 figures. A similar meeting was also held with the headteachers of the three local secondary schools.

3.9 In accordance with established practice, pupil number projections are revised in January each year in line with the latest population forecasts and these are the figures used for strategic planning purposes by local authorities and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). The projections based on January 2006 figures (table 1) show an overall surplus in 2011 of 12% (409 places) in the Andover town area and 29.7% (388 places) in the review area, representing 95% of the overall surplus. The total number on roll for 2011 in the review area shows an increase of 25 pupils (0.2%) compared to the September based figures.

3.10 As stated in paragraph 3.11, the number on roll projections based on January 2006 figures are the basis for both local and national planning. However, schools in the review area have asked the local authority to take into account the effect of expected admissions for September 2006.

3.11 The figures for Year R (infant/primary) and Year 3 (junior) admissions are based on parents' stated intentions and -

· were obtained during the week beginning 22 May 2006;

· do not take into account movements in or out of the area year on year;

· are unlikely to change significantly between now and the beginning of the autumn term.

3.12 Table 3 shows a total combined roll for the Knights Enham Infant and Junior Schools in 2011 of 249 compared to 219 in table 2. For the Shepherds Spring schools a combined roll of 135 is indicated compared to 170 in table 2. Section 9.19 of this report indicates that a roll of 135 would fall below the recommended minimum 210 place for a 4-11 primary school.

Table 3 - forecast numbers based on estimated admissions in September 2006

Schools	Pupil places	PAN	Pupil numbers
			Table 2 figures		Based on expected admissions in sep 06		Combined NOR
			Jan 06	Jan 11	Sep 06	Jan 11	Jan 11
Knights Enham Inf	150	45	94	93	104	103	249
Knights Enham Jun	180	45	178	126	157	146
Roman Way Pri	210	30	174	172	174	191	191
Shepherds Spring Inf	150	50	99	98	84	76	135
Shepherds Spring Jun	200	50	108	72	101	59
Vigo Inf	180	60	175	167	164	183	388
Vigo Jun	237	60	261	191	249	205
Totals	1,307	340	1,089	919	1,033	963

East Anton Major Development Area

3.13 Planning permission by Test Valley Borough Council is envisaged in late 2006 for 2,500 dwellings on land at East Anton (see map at Appendix 4). It is expected that the first houses at East Anton will be occupied in late 2007 at the earliest. Depending on the size and tenure of dwellings, it is forecast that the development will generate around 600 - 800 primary age children.

3.14 In keeping with planning applications of this nature and scale, land has been earmarked at no cost to the County Council within the new development site to provide two 420 place (2fe) 4 - 11 primary schools (60 pupils per year group). There is sufficient capacity in primary schools in the area to accommodate the initial children from the East Anton development before any new school is completed.

3.15 In addition, a substantial contribution towards the cost of building the new schools has been secured, through negotiations between the County Council, Test Valley Borough Council and the developer. The proposed new school will be an integral part of the new development located within the heart of the new community with walking and cycling routes specifically designed to enable safe and easy access to the new facilities in the local centre.

4 Educational standards at the seven schools in the review area

4.1 The performance in National Curriculum tests and assessments of children attending the review schools is below the national average. This is typical of schools serving communities of relative disadvantage such as this part of Andover. Social deprivation data used in the current budget allocation for each school show that the area served by the Knights Enham schools has the highest level of deprivation, followed by Roman Way and then Shepherds Spring.

4.2 Nationally all schools are expected to reach a `floor target of at least 65% of children gaining level 4 or better in English and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2. It should be noted that some variation in performance of successive cohorts in schools is to be expected and this should be borne in mind when assessing relative standards. Detailed results of standard assessment tests for 2003-2005 are given in appendix 3.

4.3 The dates of the most recent Ofsted inspection are also given. Only the Vigo schools have been inspected recently. Care should be taken, therefore, in interpreting report data which is less recent. County `value added' analysis of Key State 2 results was superseded from 2005 by national figures.

Knights Enham Infant School

4.4 The performance at the end of Key Stage 1 of children attending the school has been consistently in line with, or better than, that of children attending similar schools. Attainment in reading has been particularly strong when compared with similar schools. Based on county `value added' analyses in 2005, children made, on average, more rapid progress than is normal in the county's schools. The last Ofsted inspection took place in February 2001.

Knights Enham Junior School

4.5 The performance at the end of Key Stage 2 of children attending the school has improved from the start of the decade and by 2004 was in line with, and in some respects better than, that of children attending similar schools. This upward trend was maintained in mathematics in 2005 but not in English and science. In 2005, the `floor targets' for English were exceeded by 4% and for mathematics by 7%. Based on county `value added' analyses in 2004, children made, on average, typical progress for Hampshire schools in mathematics and science and better progress in the case of English. The national analysis for `value added' in 2005 suggests typical progress was made by children in English and mathematics but progress was not as good in science. The last Ofsted inspection took place in December 2003.

Roman Way Primary School

4.6 The performance at the end of Key Stage 1 of children attending the school has been broadly in line with that of children attending similar schools in recent years, with some variations from year to year. A notable exception was children's attainment in mathematics in 2005 which was below that of children attending similar schools. Based on county `value added' analyses in 2005, children made, on average, progress that is typical in the county's schools except in the case of science where they make less progress in the infant years.

4.7 The performance at the end of Key Stage 2 of children attending the school has improved since 2000 and is broadly in line with that of children attending similar schools. This improvement was broadly speaking sustained in 2005 for English and science but mathematics results in 2005 were well below the `floor target' with 52% of children reaching level 4. Based on county `value added' analyses in 2004, children made, on average, typical progress for Hampshire schools in English, mathematics and science. The national analysis for `value added' in 2005 suggests typical progress was made by children in English and mathematics but progress is not as good in science. The last Ofsted inspection took place in May 2002.

Shepherds Spring Infant School

4.8 The performance at the end of Key Stage 1 of children attending the school has been generally in line with, or below, that of children attending similar schools. Attainment in reading has been particularly weak when compared with similar schools. Based on county `value added' analyses in 2005, children made, on average, more rapid progress in science than is normal in the county's schools, typical progress in reading but not as good progress in mathematics as is typical of the county's children. The last Ofsted inspection took place in January 2004.

Shepherds Spring Junior School

4.9 The performance at the end of Key Stage 2 of children attending the school declined between 2002 and 2004 from being better than that of children attending similar schools to being worse. Results recovered from this low point in 2005 but the `floor targets' for English were missed by 8% and for mathematics by 11%. Based on county `value added' analyses in 2004, children made, on average, typical progress for Hampshire schools in mathematics but for English and science their progress was less than the county average. The national analysis for `value added' in 2005 suggests typical progress was made by children in mathematics but progress is not as good in English and science. The school has received substantial support through the Intensifying Support Strategy within the National Primary Strategy, a programme for schools that achieve less than the national floor targets (65%) in maths and English. The last Ofsted inspection took place in November 2002.

Vigo Infant School

4.10 The performance at the end of Key Stage 1 of children attending the school has been consistently in line with that of children attending similar schools for most years since 2001 but was below that of similar schools in 2005. Based on county `value added' analyses, in 2005, children made, on average, progress that is typical in the county's schools with there being a tendency for the progress of lower attaining children to be a little more rapid than is typically the case. The last Ofsted inspection took place in April 2006 and judged the school to be satisfactory with some good features.

Vigo Junior School

4.11 The performance at the end of Key Stage 2 of children attending the school has fluctuated since the start of the decade: in some years it has been above that of children attending similar schools and in other years below. Improved performance in 2004 was broadly sustained in 2005 for English and science but mathematics results in 2005 were well below the `floor target' with 49% of children reaching level 4. Based on county `value added' analyses, in 2004, children made, on average, typical progress for Hampshire schools in English, mathematics and science with progress in reading being particularly good. The national analysis for `value added' in 2005 suggests typical progress was made by children in science but progress is not as good in English and mathematics. The last Ofsted inspection took place in March 2006 and the school was judged to have made significant progress in terms of children's behaviour and attendance but to be inadequate because children's progress in writing and mathematics is unsatisfactory.

5 Summary of responses to consultation

Analysis of responses to consultations via e-mail, letter or reply slips:

5.1 A consultation booklet was produced for the local school communities in which three specific questions were asked of respondents:

1 Do you agree that new schools should be built at East Anton?

2 Do you agree that the Shepherds Spring Schools should be closed?

3 Do you agree that the Knights Enham Schools should be closed?

Table 4 - responses to the above questions:

	Agree	%	Disagree	%
1) New schools at E Anton	20	9%	183	86%
2) Close Shepherds Spring schools	27	13%	182	86%
3) Close Knights Enham schools	20	9%	185	87%

NB - the percentages do not add up to 100% because not all respondents replied to all questions.

5.2 Overall, 337 responses were received. The key themes to emerge were as follows:

· 32% of respondents re-emphasised that they were against the closure of any schools (see table 4 showing responses to the three key questions);

· 22% said that any proposed change would have a detrimental effect on children and their education;

· 19% reinforced their opposition to the closure of the Knights Enham schools;

· 17% said that school closure will be a loss to the community;

· 14% said that surplus places should be filled initially by children coming from the new housing at East Anton;

· 12% suggested that any money available should be used for the benefit of the whole community (for example providing a leisure centre);

· 11% reinforced their opposition to the closure of the Shepherds Spring schools;

· 11% highlighted the danger of crossing the busy A343 between the Knights Enham and Shepherds Spring schools

· 10% said that only one school should be built at East Anton;

· 10% it would be too far to walk to a different school.

5.3 As well as the responses referred to in this section, four petitions were received:

· Petition against the closure of the Shepherds Spring schools (441 signatures)

· Petition against the closure of the Knights Enham schools (142 signatures)

· Petition against the closure of the Knights Enham schools (1647 signatures)

· Petition against the closure of any schools (652 signatures)

5.4 As part of the consultation process, four drop-in sessions were held locally, attended by approximately 100 parents, as well as a public meeting at Winton Secondary School attended by 149 local people. Notes of these meetings are included in Appendix 1.

5.5 Key issues arising from these meetings were (in no priority order):

· Why build two schools when there were so many surplus places?

· Both Knights Enham and Shepherds Spring Schools are very much part of their local communities;

· The Knights Enham and Shepherds Spring communities do not mix; therefore, closing a pair of schools and expecting pupils to attend the other schools would not work and pupils would be sent elsewhere;

· If a pair of schools is closed, will temporary accommodation be needed?

· Both Knights Enham and Shepherds Spring School have excellent SEN provision;

· Early years provision should not be jeopardised;

· The bridge over the dual carriageway would not be used and children would cross the dual carriageway instead;

· Why not change catchment areas to even up numbers in schools?

5.6 The Executive Member for Education has met the headteachers and representative governors of the Knights Enham and Shepherds Spring schools, at their request, as well as a group of Knights Enham parents, again at their request.

Main points in responses from governing bodies (full responses at Appendix 1)

Knights Enham Infant School

5.7 The governors challenge the forecasts in the January 2006 consultation paper emphasising that their numbers on roll are on the increase. They draw attention to the quality of special needs and early years education at the school and suggest that, if only one primary school is established at East Anton, the developers' contributions could then be deployed for an Education Centre and Children's Centre.

Knights Enham Junior School

5.8 The governors emphasise the importance of the Knights Enham schools to the local community and draw particular attention to the success of the Rights, Respect and Responsibility programme at the school. They refer to the school's high standards and query the local authority's projections of their future numbers. The governors suggest their views are supported by the County Council's corporate aims and the five outcomes of the Children Act.

Roman Way Primary School

5.9 The governors feel that the timescale for consultation was too long and is causing unnecessary anxiety. They say that closure of any school might cause problems in the short term, emphasising that, while not hostile to the possibility of extending their school if required, they would want reassurances on a number of detailed issues.

Shepherds Spring Infant School

5.10 The governors suggest that the infant and junior schools should amalgamate in the junior school building but with the reception class (Year R) continuing to be based in the current infant school building as part of a Foundation Stage Children's Centre. The headteacher of the new primary school would lead the work in both buildings.

Shepherds Spring Junior School

5.11 The governors suggest three possible ways forward in priority order: first, the retention of all schools so that surplus places can be available for the first children moving to the East Anton development; second, the amalgamation of the Shepherds Spring schools into a primary school, thus releasing a building for a Children's Centre, Education Centre and SEN provision; third, the relocation of the Shepherds Spring schools to a new school at East Anton, thus releasing the Shepherds Spring site for redevelopment.

Smannell and Enham Church of England Primary School

5.12 The governors oppose the closing of any school in the area but suggest that the Shepherds Spring schools could be replaced in a more central position where they could serve not only their own catchment but also new East Anton residents. The development is located within the catchment area of Smannell and Enham CE Primary School but the governors do not expect their school to be designated to take pupils from the new housing. The governors are keen to maintain their traditional catchment area and suggest that, rather than building two schools at East Anton, it would be possible to extend Roman Way School.

6 Responses from other bodies

6.1 Resolution by Test Valley Borough Council at its meeting on 26 April 2006:

1. This Council notes the recent Hampshire County Council consultation document on primary education in the north of Andover aimed at managing the issue of surplus primary school places in Andover and the consultation proposals therein to close either Knights Enham or Shepherds Spring schools.

2. This Council asks that Hampshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Education listens very carefully to the proposals from the schools and local residents so that any changes made do not undermine existing educational standards and there are no harmful effects on local communities.

3. This Council, therefore, resolves to write to the County Cabinet Member for Education urging him to investigate alternative strategies and to try to find a solution to the problem of surplus places that avoids the closure of local schools.

6.2 Response by the Test Valley Partnership to the consultation by Hampshire County Council on the Review of School Places in North and East Andover:

The Test Valley Partnership recommends that:

· Knight's Enham schools be retained and Shepherd's Spring Junior and Shepherd's Spring Infants Schools be amalgamated as a Primary School for the following reasons:

1. the barrier represented by Newbury Road means that the communities separated by it wish to be served independently

2. the greater scope for rationalising land (to release resources) at the Shepherd's Spring schools site

3. the establishment of a new school will allow its size to be determined against a review of pupil projections and catchment areas;

· Hampshire County Council re-visit the definition of catchment areas for Shepherd's Spring School for the future;

· Any resources flowing from this amalgamation should be re-invested for the benefit of education and learning in Andover; and

· Hampshire County Council provides an assurance that, irrespective of the outcome of the consultation in terms of buildings and sites, that the resources devoted to education and learning in this part of Andover are significantly enhanced and, in particular, that the establishment of Children's Centres and the Extended Schools services are not jeopardised or delayed in any way as the result of the consultation.

The full response is included with the correspondence on deposit in the Members' Room.

Diocesan views

6.3 The Director of Education of the CE Diocese of Winchester has responded as follows:

"The Winchester Diocesan Board of Education (DBE) welcomes this Report and supports the need to work to review the levels of surplus places across the Local Authority/Diocese.

Church Schools were often founded to provide for the education of children in the local parish, the original community and inclusive school. Our national maintained system of education was based upon the principle. The DBE supports the need to build new schools in the development areas in order to serve those new communities. It accepts that the status quo is not a realistic option in relation to the growing numbers of surplus places in the established communities in north and east Andover.

There is increasing pressure on Church of England schools in the area as illustrated in Table 1 of the (January) Report. The results of the Review should help to ease that pressure. However, in the continuing development in the Andover area the Winchester DBE would expect the County Council to consider subsequent school provision to include a Church School in its thinking. This would be in line with principles stated in the School Organisation Plan and in the interests of extending the opportunities for parents to express a preference for a denominational education for their children."

7 Local MP and County Councillor

7.1 Response from Sir George Young MP:

"I have visited both sites, and spoken to headteachers, Governors and parents. My initial view is that there is no case for change at Knights Enham and I would resist closure there. I have been impressed by the leadership displayed there and by the key role the school plays on the King Arthur's Way estate. I would expect rising demand from Saxon Wood to continue to boost numbers.

On Shepherds Spring, ideally I would prefer the status quo; again, the two schools do very well with some challenging material. If this is not possible, one option could be to merge the two schools on the site and have a primary school, disposing of any surplus land. Less attractive, but possible, would be to transfer the schools closer to or within the new development - avoiding any discontinuity in education of existing pupils and also avoiding closure of Shepherds Spring schools as such and providing both schools with brand new buildings and equipment."

7.2 The local Member, Councillor Robin Hughes, has a personal and prejudicial interest as he is Chairman of Governors of one of the schools involved and also has children in two of the schools involved and accordingly his views are not included in this report.

8 Members' visits

8.1 On 19 June 2006, 27 members of the Children's Services Policy Review Committee and Cabinet visited Knights Enham Infant and Junior and Shepherds Spring Infant and Junior Schools and were able to familiarise themselves with the location of the East Anton development and other schools in the area.

9 Responses to the issues raised during consultation

9.1 The replies to the three questions included in the consultation booklet show strong opposition to the proposals to build new schools at East Anton or close any schools. It is important to note, however, that as the new development of 2,500 dwellings at East Anton is yet to start, prospective residents are unable to express a view. Bearing in mind its policy in relation to the provision of new schools to serve major development areas, the County Council must, therefore, ensure that potential residents' interests are safeguarded.

9.2 The following section responds to the main points made by respondents:

Opposition to the closure of any schools (32% of respondents)

9.3 There was a strong view that no schools should be closed as a result of this review. However, the information presented to the Executive Member in January and the updated number on roll projections included in this report demonstrate that school closure is necessary if significant inroads are to be made into the high level of projected surplus places. As mentioned in paragraph 2.2, the County Council's Annual Performance and Assessment letter from District Audit was critical of the high number of primary schools with more than 25%. surplus places.

Any proposed change will have a detrimental effect on children and their education (22%)

9.4 It is inevitable that any review will cause anxiety amongst parents and children but the intention of the review is to ensure that primary school provision in the area is as effective as possible for present and future pupils, that resources are not diverted by having to fund surplus places and that proper provision is made for forthcoming East Anton children.

Retain the Knights Enham schools (19%)

9.5 87% of those replying to the three questions in the consultation booklet do not support the closure of these schools. 19% of respondents repeated this view in the text of their reply. The Knights Enham schools are well regarded within the community and it is clear from parents' comments that the Rights, Respect and Responsibilities (RRR) programme has had a marked influence on the ethos of the school. Table 3, based on the most recent trends, shows a significant increase in numbers projected for 2011 compared to the January 2006 based figures.

Any school closure will be a loss to the community (17%)

9.6 The view was expressed that all schools provide an important community focus for their local communities. In itself, however, this cannot justify the retention of schools where numbers on roll put the quality of education at risk. Any proposals must take into account their likely effect on the provision of community facilities which do not necessarily have to be provided on a school site.

Fill surplus places within existing schools with children from the new East Anton housing development (14%)

9.7 It is unlikely that pupils will be generated by the housing built at East Anton before the end of 2007 at the earliest. In the meantime, on present trends, numbers in the area and at the Shepherds Spring schools in particular are likely to decline further. The start of the development at East Anton is likely to be at the north of the site, closest to Roman Way Primary School. Local schools could accommodate only the initial children coming from the new housing.

9.8 In a major development area, the County Council's policy is to provide new schools linked to other community facilities whenever justified by the number of dwellings and expected pupils. In general, the developer makes a school site available to the County Council at no cost, with a substantial contribution to the cost of building the new school. It is likely that parents moving to East Anton will wish to send their children to a new local school located at the centre of the development linked to other community facilities.

Any funds available should be used for the benefit of the whole community (12%)

9.9 Identifying funding for any changes to the current provision will be difficult. The closure of the Knights Enham or Shepherds Spring schools is unlikely to generate significant funds for reinvestment in the area if the existing school buildings are used for other Children's Services provision. Several suggestions, outside the County Council's remit, were made during the consultations that other facilities might be provided such as a swimming pool, ice rink or leisure centre.

Retain the Shepherds Spring schools (11%)

9.10 86% of those replying to the three questions in the consultation booklet do not support the closure of these schools. 11% of these respondents repeated this view in the text of their reply. There was also a suggestion that the schools could be moved further eastwards onto the East Anton development or on land owned by TVBC to the east of the schools.

9.11 The land on the East Anton development side of Icknield Way is not available for construction because of ground water conditions and is classified as open space within the major development area's master plan. The TVBC land is public open space and the council has indicated informally that it wishes to maintain this position. In practice, however, even if land were available, the costs of replacing the open space land at market value and building a new school would not be covered by the sale of the Shepherds Spring site and it is highly unlikely that any developer would contribute.

Concerns about crossing the A343 between the Knights Enham and Shepherds Spring schools (11%) and walking distances (10%)

9.12 An analysis of movement between catchments shows that 160 children move between the Knights Enham, Shepherds Spring and Roman Way catchments and can only do so by crossing this road either by the bridge, walking across the carriageway or by car. This figure takes account of the small part of the Shepherds Spring catchment area which lies to the west of the A343.

9.13 The walking route between the Shepherds Spring and Knights Enham schools is via a footbridge. The distance gate to gate between the two schools via this bridge is 0.53 miles. This is well within the national two mile walking distance for infant age pupils. The distance to Knights Enham from the furthest point of the Shepherds Spring catchment area is approximately 1.25 miles.

9.14 The potential danger of crossing this busy road was emphasised by a number of respondents. However, discussions are taking place between the County Council, TVBC and the developer of the East Anton site in respect of road traffic and pedestrian improvements at the junction of Smannell Road and the A343, which might give an alternative way of crossing.

Build only one school at East Anton (10%)

9.15 Any second school at East Anton would be built only following a careful review of the progress of the new development and overall projected numbers on roll within the area. A second school at East Anton would also attract developers' funding and a school site.

Other issues raised during the consultations

Secondary school provision

9.16 The focus of the consultations was on primary school provision. The forecast numbers of children to be generated from the East Anton development will be able to be accommodated within existing secondary provision and there is no case, therefore, for a fourth secondary school in Andover.

Size of primary schools

9.17 Whatever the size of school, it must provide the best possible opportunities for each child. In order to provide a full curriculum, small schools require significantly more support. High standards can be, and are, achieved in small schools but the County Council needs to avoid overstretching its resources, which is a risk if the number of small schools continues to rise.

9.18 Small schools are vulnerable to changes in numbers on roll, because a small number of pupils represent a large proportion of the total. Changes in staff too have a significant impact because the overall quality of the school's teaching depends even more on the input from each person. For example, each teacher in a four-teacher school has a significant influence on overall standards.

9.19 Hampshire County Council's School Organisation Plan sets out its policy with regard to optimum school size as follows:

· Infant schools should, wherever possible, fall within the range two forms of entry (180 children) to five forms of entry (450).

· Junior schools should, wherever possible, fall within the range two forms of entry (240) to five forms of entry (600).

· Primary schools should, wherever possible, fall within the range one form of entry (210 places) to three forms of entry (630).

9.20 It is recognised that there will inevitably be schools outside the optimum ranges quoted in the School Organisation Plan for a variety of reasons. It is acknowledged that schools outside these ranges can achieve excellent results but schools which fall below the minimum optimum size are more vulnerable in their ability to sustain high quality education.

Consideration of the creation of a 1 form entry primary school on the Shepherds Spring site

9.21 Arising from the consultations, careful consideration has been given to the possibility of amalgamating the Shepherds Spring schools in the infant school building as a 1 form entry (210 places) primary school. Projected numbers on roll, based on the information in tables 2 and 3, show that pupil numbers at any amalgamated school would be within the 135 -170 range, below the County Council's preferred minimum size for a 4 - 11 primary school (210 places).

9.22 Implementing this proposal would leave an overall surplus within the area of 21.3% by 2011. Using a number on roll of 152 (mid-way between 135 and 170), the amalgamated school would have a surplus of 27.6% by 2011, above the 25% level for which the County Council has been criticised by the Audit Commission. This proposal is therefore not recommended as a way forward.

Consideration of retaining Shepherds Spring Infant School and closing Shepherds Spring Junior School

9.23 It should be noted that the possibility of retaining Shepherds Spring Infant School and closing the linked junior school has also been considered as part of the County Council's response to the consultations but the infant school numbers are already low and a small infant school would be even more at risk than an amalgamated 4-11 school. The 98 pupils forecast for 2011 in January 2006 (table 2) should be contrasted with the 76 derived from the September 2006 based figures (table 3). These figures are well below the County Council's minimum recommended size (180 places) for an infant school. This option has not, therefore, been further pursued.

Catchment areas

9.24 School catchment areas in relation to parental preference were raised on a number of occasions. Catchment areas have no real effect until a school is oversubscribed. The redrawing of a line will not, of itself, alter parents' expressions of preference. Given the relatively close proximity of schools in the north-east Andover area there is already considerable movement across catchment areas. The position of a school in relation to its catchment area can also have an effect on pupil movement.

9.25 Table 2 shows that there were 1089 pupils on roll in the seven schools. 344 of these (31.6%) were attending a school outside their catchment but within the review area. A further 271 pupils from the catchment areas of the seven review schools attend other schools in Andover. Seventy-six pupils move into the review area from other Andover schools, constituting a net loss of 195 pupils. Eighty-one pupils living in that part of the Shepherds Spring catchment area to the south of the railway line attend the Vigo schools; 32 attend Shepherds Spring.

10 Early years

10.1 The government's Sure Start programme envisages a network of Children's Centres across the county, offering information, advice and support to parents/carers together with early years provision of integrated childcare and early learning, health services, outreach and employment advice for disadvantaged families.

10.2 Phase 2 of the Children's Centre programme includes provision of a full-core offer centre for the Alamein ward. A full core offer should enable the delivery of a number of services that can include:

· full day care

· sessional care (pre-school)

· provision of a "one-stop-shop" for families seeking advice across a number of disciplines such as health, legal, financial.

· a location for Job Centre Plus

· a base for a toy library

· community facilities for Adult and Family Learning.

10.3 No decision has yet been taken about the location of the centre. However, a suitable site must be identified in the very near future because of the requirement on the local authority to meet the Sure Start targets.

10.4 There is a local authority maintained nursery unit at Knights Enham Infant School. There are no proposals to change this provision.

10.5 Also in the Alamein ward is a privately run pre-school and nursery (Shepherds Spring Pre-School and Nursery) situated on land owned by the County Council, which is registered for 77 children and offers both full day care and nursery education.

11 Special educational needs (SEN)

11.1 There are four special schools in Andover, each serving a wide area of Hampshire:

· Icknield School: 2 - 19 years (severe learning difficulties)

· The Mark Way School: 11 - 16 years (moderate learning difficulties/autistic spectrum disorder)

· Norman Gate School including Acorns Early Years Centre: 2 - 11 years (moderate learning difficulties/autistic spectrum disorder)

· Wolverdene Special School: 5 - 11 years (behavioural, emotional and social difficulties)

11.2 There is resourced provision at the Vigo schools for pupils with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN).

11.3 The January 2006 report identified the need for resourced provision for seven primary places for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD). Should the opportunity arise to provide such a facility, this would complement the work undertaken at Wolverdene School. This proposal will be considered in the light of future developments within the area but this report does not contain any proposals for such a provision.

12 Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) Service

12.1 There is a long-standing requirement to re-locate the Education Centre (Pupil Referral Unit) currently housed at Cricklade College. This centre which is currently full to capacity caters for pupils of secondary age (and occasionally for pupils of primary age) who have been excluded from school or who are at risk of exclusion. Pupils are re-integrated into full-time mainstream schooling wherever possible.

12.2 The current lease at Cricklade College expires on 31 March 2008 and it is therefore essential that new premises are identified within the area as soon as possible or a temporary extension to the current lease negotiated.

12.3 All local authorities have a statutory duty, under Section 19(1) of the Education Act 1996 to:

"....make arrangements for the provision of suitable full-time or part-time education at school or otherwise than at school for those children of compulsory school age who, by reason of illness, exclusion from school or otherwise, may not for any period receive suitable education unless such arrangements are made for them."

12.4 Since September 2002, the educational provision put in place for permanently excluded pupils has had to be "full-time". The constraints of the current EOTAS accommodation in the Andover area have made meeting this duty very difficult. The Service has not been able to provide fully the kind of early intervention and preventative work which schools value.

12.5 The provision of full-time education for permanently excluded pupils is one of the performance indicators on which the County Council's Corporate Annual Performance Assessment is based and any failure to meet this requirement could impact negatively on the Council's overall grading.

12.6 There is, therefore, an ongoing need for the provision of a 42 full time equivalent (fte) place Education Centre in the Andover area to meet the educational needs of permanently excluded and unwell pupils and to provide behaviour support services to schools and families.

13 The way forward

Schools

13.1 The County Council must take a strategic view of long-term Children's Services needs, particularly as part of a response to significant demographic change and areas of new housing in the Andover area. As part of this programme, every opportunity must be taken to take full advantage of developers' contributions to address the needs of future communities.

13.2 Paragraphs 2.1 and 2.2 refer to the County Council's statutory duty to plan the provision of school places in response to changing demography and in the light of expectations set out in the District Auditor's recent letter. These have been important factors in considering how best to resolve current surpluses.

The East Anton Major Development Area

13.3 The East Anton development (2,500 dwellings) will bring considerable change to the area. The policy of both the County and Borough Councils is to provide community facilities within MDAs, including new schools where possible. The building of a new 2fe primary school at East Anton is, therefore, an appropriate way forward. Initially, the school could be built as a 1fe primary school extended to 2fe should the progress of the development dictate.

13.4 The provision of a second school, for which a site would be made available by the developer, coupled with substantial funding, would as previously stated be considered only after a detailed review of the latest demographic trends.

The review schools

13.5 Based on January 2006 numbers on roll and proposed 2007 capacity figures, the respective overall surplus by January 2011 would be 6% if the Knights Enham schools were to close and 4% if the Shepherds Spring schools were to close. This compares to the 29.7% surplus places (table 2) predicted if no action is taken.

13.6 In order to make a substantial reduction in surplus places, the original consultation paper proposed the closure of either the Knights Enham or the Shepherds Spring schools.

13.7 Closure of the Knights Enham schools would not appear to be an appropriate way forward given:

· increasing numbers at both schools (see number on roll data in table 3 based on the most recent information from the schools concerned);

· consistent and improving standards at these schools (see section 4 and appendix 3);

· their position as the only schools to the west of the A343;

· the fact that the Knights Enham schools rank highest in the area on national deprivation indices;

· the success of the Rights, Respect and Responsibilities programme.

13.8 Experience shows that, when a school closes, parents do not necessarily seek places for their children in any designated transfer school or schools. An analysis has been carried out, based on January 2006 numbers on roll, to determine the numbers of pupils who would need to be transferred to other schools from September 2008. It would be possible to delay the planned reductions in capacities and admission numbers at the Knights Enham schools in order to allow all Shepherds Spring pupils to be accommodated at these schools should parents so wish.

13.9 If these proposed place reductions were delayed and the schools reverted to their original 2fe capacity, there would be an overall surplus of 12.2% by 2011 in the review area. Numbers on roll would be carefully monitored in liaison with the governing bodies to see whether the proposed capacity reductions would be feasible at a later stage.

13.10 If the Shepherds Spring schools were to close from September 2008, parents would be invited to express a preference for an alternative school, in accordance with procedures approved by the Admission Forum. Every effort would be made to offer that preference.

Outcomes of previous primary school reviews

13.11 In formulating the strategy set out in this paper, an analysis has been made of the outcomes of six recent primary reviews in established communities involving 20 schools. Some of these reviews (A-C) involved the amalgamation of infant and junior schools; others (D-F) involved the closure of schools within a wider area review. In the interests of the schools involved, they have not been identified.

13.12 In each case, local opinion suggested that numbers would be sustained or even rise in the future despite local authority projections. Decisions were duly taken on this basis. In the event, this optimism proved unfounded and, as a result, seven out of the remaining 14 schools now have surpluses above 25% which are predicted to continue to rise. This analysis supports the need to take longer term decisions to avoid the need to re-visit areas and should be kept in mind when considering the Andover situation.

Table 5 - outcomes of previous reviews

School	Date of review	NOR at time of review	Capa-city before review	Capa-city after review	NOR 01/06	Surplus 01/06	% surplus 01/06
Amalgamation A (2 schools)	1995	330	420	315	246	69	21.9%
Amalgamation B (2 schools)	1995	283	420	315	222	93	29.5%
Amalgamation C (2 schools)	1996	367	623	420	228	192	45.7%
Review D (3 schools)	1998	498	750	540	280	260	48.1%
Review E (5 schools)	2000	1,241	1440	1,110	795	315	28.4%
Review F (6 schools)	2000	1,441	1,620	1,470	1,124	346	23.5%

Provision of full-core offer Children's Centre and Education Centre

Children's Centre

13.13 If both Shepherds Spring schools were to close, a Children's Centre could be established on the site. Its relationship with the existing Shepherds Spring Pre-School and Nursery would be the subject of further consultations.

13.14 The feasibility work undertaken by the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services (PBRS) indicates that it would be possible to establish the Children's Centre in the existing Shepherds Spring Infant building. As the Children's Centre would not occupy the whole of the building, there would be potential to use the remaining part of the building for other community uses, although no allowance has been made for possible conversion costs.

Education Centre

13.15 The County Council needs to re-locate the Education Centre from Cricklade College. If it was decided to close both the Shepherds Spring Schools, there would be the opportunity to establish an Education Centre on that site.

13.16 The feasibility work undertaken by the Director of PBRS indicates that it would be more economical to adapt either of the Shepherds Spring buildings than provide a new building.

13.17 If an Education Centre were established on the Shepherd's Spring site as well as a Children's Centre, there would be clear demarcation between the sites.

Summary of the way forward

13.18 A substantial amount of evidence has been gathered during the consultation period. This has been carefully analysed in the light of the original proposals set out in the January paper approved by the Executive Member. In particular, the possibility of establishing a new 4-11 primary school on the Shepherds Spring site has received significant attention bearing in mind local opinion and the need to ensure that all options have been rigorously tested.

13.19 However, whilst acknowledging the strong support for the school by some local parents, it is clear that the new primary school option at Shepherds Spring is not justified by latest pupil numbers and the experience of previous reviews.

13.20 It is therefore recommended that:

· A new 2 form entry primary school be established at East Anton to serve the new development, to open in September 2009;

· Shepherds Spring Infant and Junior Schools be closed with effect from August 2008;

· The Andover Education Centre be re-located to the Shepherds Spring Junior School building, suitably adapted (it would be necessary to re-negotiate a temporary extension of the present lease with Cricklade College);

· A full-core offer Children's Centre be established in the Shepherds Spring Infant School building, suitably adapted;

· Any remaining surplus land be sold to help off-set the costs of implementing the above proposals for the Andover area.

14 Capital strategy

14.1 Section 13 proposes that, if the Shepherds Spring schools were to close, a Children's Centre could be established in the Infant School building and an Education Centre in the Junior School building. This strategy would also allow the opportunity for a capital receipt, subject to planning consent. Assuming 100% of the receipt is available, the estimated net cost of the Children's Centre and Education Centre conversions would be £2.4m. This cost would need to be met from the Children's Services capital programme.

14.2 A further option for funding the net costs of the Education Centre is also being considered. As one of the key aims of the review is to remove surplus places and deliver revenue savings which will then accrue to the Schools Budget, it is possible that the proposal to establish an Education Centre could meet the criteria allowing prudential borrowing, with the costs being charged against the Direct Schools Grant (DSG) and the Schools Budget.

14.3 This is allowable where prudential borrowing is for the purpose of facilitating the modernisation and rationalisation of school provision and where the revenue savings that will be achieved are equal to or more than the expenditure that will be incurred in borrowing the money. Further work will be required to confirm whether the development of the Education Centre meets these requirements. If it does, then the approval of the Schools Forum will first be required to the prudential borrowing approach and then to any increase in central expenditure above the limit. The Schools Forum's views on this will be affected by the overall pressures on central expenditure and scale of the settlement for the next multi- year period.

14.4 As it is proposed that the recommended scheme will be part funded by a capital receipt, there will be a period of time when costs will be incurred without the capital receipt having been realised. The plan would be to use prudential borrowing to cover this period. This would incur a cost of borrowing which would be met by the capital programme initially and then from the capital receipt.

14.5 The option to merge the Shepherds Spring schools to create a 1fe primary school is not recommended as a way forward due to the reasons given in paragraph 9.21 and 9.22. However, the site could just accommodate a newly-built Children's Centre and Education Centre in the junior building as well as a new primary school. The capital costs of building works associated with the conversion of Shepherds Spring Infant School to a 1fe primary school could range from £0.7m to £3.6m depending on the level of provision and the amount of refurbishment work undertaken.

14.6 The retention of primary school provision on the Shepherds Spring site would rule out any capital receipt making this option significantly more expensive than the recommended proposal. There is no provision in the Children's Services capital programme to meet the additional costs of this primary school option, so that resources would need to be transferred from other areas of the capital programme if this option were to proceed. This would mean that other projects would have to be deferred or cancelled.

14.7 The capital cost of providing the new school at East Anton will be met from developers' contributions and from the provision within the Children's Services capital programme for new pupil places.

15 Revenue implications

Opening and closing schools

15.1 It is difficult to predict the exact cost of opening a new school since much will depend on whether and how admissions are phased (to avoid pupils from outside the area gaining places to the detriment of those children for whom the school has been provided) and therefore the level of staffing and other resources required.

15.2 Similarly, it is impossible in advance of any school closure to predict the level of revenue savings since these will relate directly to a number of variable factors such as the number of children on roll at the time of closure, the extent of any redundancy payments and the nature of the premises. Any savings will remain within the Schools Block for re-distribution to other schools in support of the County Council's local management scheme.

Additional costs of small schools

15.3 Hampshire's local management scheme takes account of the diseconomies of scale when allocating funds to schools. The `small school factor', for example, allocates additional funds to schools on a tapering scale. A school with 131-140 pupils will receive an additional £4,272; a school with 166-170 pupils will receive £454, at which stage the tapering comes to an end.

15.4 The `small school salary adjustment' similarly assists smaller schools to fund salary costs where staff are paid more than the county average salary.

15.5 `Real term protection' protects schools where their allocation falls by more than 6.5% year on year because of falling rolls. Shepherds Spring Junior School is currently receiving an additional £11,777 under this budget heading.

16 Corporate aims and the five outcomes of the Children Act

16.1 The proposals in this paper link to the following corporate aims:

· Aim 1 - maximising life opportunities, by developing strategies for the most appropriate educational provision;

· Aim 4 - building strong and safe communities, by taking full account of community and neighbourhood issues when deciding upon how best to meet the demand for additional school places;

· Aim 5 - improving services, by considering solutions which will contribute to the raising of educational standards.

16.2 The five outcomes specified in the Children Act are set out below, with a summary of how the proposals in this report contribute to their achievement:

being healthy: (enjoying good physical and mental health and living a healthy lifestyle) - by ensuring that the proposals promote every opportunity for pupils to take physical exercise and that recreational facilities are safeguarded;

staying safe: (being protected from harm and neglect) - by having access to a secure learning environment and ensuring that school provision is within a reasonable distance;

enjoying and achieving: (getting the most out of life and developing the skills for adulthood) - by providing a high standard of education for children in suitable buildings, within their own community whenever possible;

making a positive contribution: (being involved with the community and society and not engaging in anti-social or offending behaviour) - by safeguarding friendship and neighbourhood groups by providing primary education as close to pupils' homes as reasonably practicable;

economic well-being: (not being prevented by economic disadvantage from achieving their full potential in life) - by ensuring that proposals will be to the benefit of all children and give them a sound start to their schooling and future ability to provide both for themselves and their families.

17 County Council Policy Requirements

Legal implications - The proposals comply with the statutory framework for planning school places.

Financial implications - sections 14 and 15 refer.

Personnel implications -If any school were to close as a result of the proposed review, every effort would be made to redeploy staff into appropriate alternative posts and to avoid redundancies. Clear procedures are in place agreed with professional associations and unions.

Impact assessment - A detailed race and equality assessment has been carried out. The closure of the Shepherds Spring schools will affect pupils attending those schools and their families because in some cases the alternative school may be further away from home. No racial issues have been identified. The assessment identified the considerable improvement in educational provision and other services in the area which would result from the proposals.

Cohesion, inclusiveness and partnership working - These issues have been considered as part of the consultation process.

Crime prevention issues - the enhancement of community cohesion and partnership working will contribute positively to crime prevention.

18 Process and timescales

18.1 If the Cabinet decides to publish notices proposing the closure of the Shepherds Spring schools, the notices would run for a period of six weeks from September 2006. Any objections would be considered by the School Organisation Committee in December 2006.

18.2 It is anticipated that the earliest date by which any new school at East Anton would be required is September 2009. Public Notices for the establishment of that school will be published as soon as a firm timing is available.

Recommendations

The following is recommended to the County Council's Cabinet and the views of the Children's Services Policy Review Committee are sought:

1 A new 2 form entry primary school be established at East Anton to serve the new development, to open in September 2009;

2 Shepherds Spring Infant and Junior Schools be closed with effect from August 2008;

3 Discussions take place with governing bodies of local schools about arrangements accommodating pupils following the closure of the Shepherds Spring schools;

4 The Andover Education Centre be re-located to the Shepherds Spring Junior School building, suitably adapted, with the current lease at Cricklade College being temporarily re-negotiated;

5 A full-core offer Children's Centre be established on the Shepherds Spring Infant School site;

6 Any remaining surplus land be sold to help off-set the costs of implementing the above proposals.

7 The Cabinet agrees that the full capital receipt from the sale of part of the Shepherds Spring site be used for the implementation of this strategy.

8 Further research be undertaken in respect of the potential funding of the Education Centre from the Direct Schools Grant;

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have 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.

None