Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Decision Report :

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1) Summary of Decision Area:

1.1. This report seeks approval from the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education) for a further round of consultations on secondary school organisation in the Havant/Horndean area in the context of Building Schools for the Future (BSF).

1.2. The initial consultation programme approved by the Executive Lead Member took place from September to November 2008. This report comments on the outcomes of that consultation and proposes that a "preferred option" for the Havant/Horndean area now becomes the focus of a statutory consultation programme.

1.3. It is important to stress that no decisions have yet been taken. If this second consultation is approved by the Executive Lead Member, the views expressed will play a key role in determining the future pattern of education in the Havant/Horndean area.

2) Issues Covered in this Report:

2.1. This report briefly rehearses the background to the first set of consultations and sets out the options approved by the Executive Lead Member as a basis for discussion.

2.2. The report then gives details of the consultation process and records the level of response. In particular, it addresses reactions to the suggestion in the July report and linked consultation document that, in order to raise standards and reduce surplus places, the closure of Staunton Community Sports College and the transfer of its pupils to other schools should be considered.

2.3. Finally, the report explains why the `preferred option' is now proposed for further consultation. The map of the area included in the consultation document showing the location of schools is given at Appendix A.

3) Recommendations:

3.1. That the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education) approves consultations on the following `preferred option':

Initial BSF projects

i) The establishment of an academy for up to 700 pupils aged 11-16 on the site of the current Staunton Community Sports College with community-based sponsorship, ideally from the further and higher education sectors;

ii) The substantial rebuilding of Park Community School to cater for 900 pupils aged 11-16;

iii) The substantial remodelling of Warblington School to cater for 750 pupils aged 11-16;

iv) The remodelling of Horndean Technology College to cater for 1,100 pupils aged 11-16;

v) The remodelling of Cowplain Community School to cater for 1,050 pupils aged 11-16;

vi) The remodelling of Hayling College to cater for 600 pupils aged 11-16;

vii) The remodelling of Glenwood Special School to provide more appropriate accommodation for its existing place number.

viii) The remodelling of Rachel Madocks Special School to provide more appropriate accommodation for its existing place number.

Follow-on BSF projects

ix) The remodelling of Crookhorn College of Technology to cater for 1,050 pupils aged 11-16;

x) The remodelling of Purbrook Park School to cater for 810 pupils aged 11-16;

xi) The remodelling of Oaklands Catholic Voluntary Aided Secondary School to cater for 1,300 pupils aged 11-18.

3.2. That the consultation period should run for seven weeks from Monday 9 February to Monday 30 March;

3.3. That a report on the outcome of consultations be presented to the County Council's Cabinet with recommendations for the future pattern of secondary education in the Havant/Horndean area.

MAIN REPORT

1 Purpose of the Report:

1.1. This report gives details of the consultations carried out in September - November 2008 within the Havant/Horndean area on the school organisation options associated with the implementation of the first phase of Building Schools for the Future (BSF) in Hampshire. It proposes a "preferred option" for further consultation in accordance with government regulations. A map of the area is included at Appendix A.

2 Background:

2.1. On 24 July 2008, the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education) considered a report from the Director of Children's Services setting out proposals for the implementation of BSF in Hampshire, specifically in the Havant/Horndean area. The report set out possible options for local consultation on school organisation issues. The full report and decision sheet can be accessed at:

/decisions/decisions-index/index-docs-6903

2.2. The decision covered proposals in relation to each of the nine mainstream secondary schools in the area but, importantly, included an undertaking that the consultation would include consideration of a range of options, including one where no individual school would be closed but in which action would be taken to reduce surplus capacity more widely within the review area.

2.3. A consultation document, based closely on the report, was prepared in time for the formal consultation period which ran for six weeks from 22 September to 10 November (excluding half-term).

2.4. Meetings were held with the governing bodies of the nine mainstream secondary schools and with staff, parents and pupils of those schools likely to be most affected by the proposals, namely Park Community School, Staunton Community Sports College and Warblington School. A note of the issues raised at each of these meetings is included in Appendix B, together with all formal responses received (Appendix C).

2.5. Meetings were also held with:

i) the Community Improvement Partnership, based in Leigh Park and representing local schools and linked agencies;

ii) the Havant area Hampshire Action Team;

iii) the primary and secondary headteachers' executives;

iv) officers of Havant Borough Council and of West Sussex County Council;

v) the principals of Havant College and South Downs College;

vi) the headteachers of primary schools within the Staunton cluster.

vii) The Director of Children's Services met all area secondary headteachers and chairmen of governing bodies in the area on 20 October 2008.

2.6. This consultation was the most extensive in Hampshire since the debate on age of transfer in the early 1990s. More than 23,000 copies of the consultation booklet were distributed to parents, staff and governors of all schools in the area. The booklet was also made available on-line through the County Council's consultation website. Responses were invited both online and by means of a tear-off response slip included with the consultation booklet. A detailed analysis of the responses is given in section 5.

2.7. For ease of reference, the first time a school is mentioned in this report, the full name is used. A shorter version will usually feature later in the report.

2.8. It is important to recall that the government's criteria for entry to BSF require authorities to prioritise schools and areas in relation to their relative levels of deprivation and GCSE performance. The Havant Borough Council area was identified as the area of highest priority in Hampshire using these criteria.

2.9. The focus for the September-November consultations was set out in the July report to the Executive Lead Member as follows:

i) the continuation of Park Community School with an increase in capacity from 900 to 1,000 places for the 11-16 age range, with appropriate catchment changes, located either:

on the current Park Community School site with access to the community and sports facilities on the Staunton Community Sports College site; or

entirely on the current Staunton Community Sports College site; or

as a split site school on the current Park Community and Staunton Sports College sites;

ii) the closure of Staunton Community Sports College by August 2011 at the earliest;

iii) retention of Warblington School and re-drawing of the catchment area to include part of the current Staunton area;

iv) an increase in capacity from 963 to 1,050 places at Crookhorn College of Technology to reflect growth in pupil numbers from the West of Waterlooville Major Development Area;

v) a reduction in capacity from 1,142 to 1,050 at Cowplain Community School;

vi) a reduction in capacity at Oaklands Catholic Voluntary Aided School from 1,453 to 1,300 places to support its current admission number;

vii) a reduction in capacity from 744 to 600 places at The Hayling College to reflect projected demand;

viii) a reduction in capacity from 1,500 to 1,100 places at Horndean Technology College to reflect projected demand;

ix) a reduction in capacity at Purbrook Park School from 840 to 750 places to reflect projected demand and take account of site constraints.

2.10. Reference has already been made to the more general undertaking that alternative options would also be considered including the "no school closure" option.

Changes in BSF funding

2.11. When the programme for BSF in the Havant/Horndean area was first considered, it was understood that £120m would be available for investment and it was on this basis that it was proposed that all projects in the area should be carried out as one phase.

2.12. However, during the consultation period, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) informed authorities that the funding available for the first wave of each authority's BSF projects would be capped at £80m. This has meant that it will no longer be possible to implement BSF in the Havant/Horndean area as a single project. This report explains in more detail how it is now proposed that BSF in Havant/Horndean will be implemented and the rationale for including the three Gosport secondary schools within the second element. It should be noted that Glenwood and Rachel Madocks special schools are included within the initial phase. Only ICT work is proposed for Woodlands Education Centre and Prospect School, both of which have recently moved into new accommodation.

2.13. Although the latest DCSF guidance to local authorities continues to talk in terms of BSF waves, the detailed guidance in the document also refers to "initial projects" and "follow-on projects". It is this phraseology which will be used in this report.

Expression of Interest

2.14. On 26 November 2008, the Executive Lead Member considered a report on proposed revisions to the County Council's BSF strategy brought about by the need to reconsider original proposals in the light of the government's decision to restrict funding for initial projects to £80m per authority. The Executive Lead Member approved a strategic education statement to underpin BSF and a prioritisation of schools for BSF investment, to meet government criteria. The report formed the basis of an Expression of Interest (EoI) which was sent to the DCSF on 1 December 2008. Ministers are now considering EoIs received from local authorities and will draw up a priority list of all authorities applying for inclusion within the initial phase. It is expected that authorities will learn the outcome of their submissions early in 2009.

2.15. In order to score highly on the performance/deprivation scale and to address schools with the greatest needs, the first group of schools put forward for inclusion in the initial project includes all schools within the Havant/Horndean area except Oaklands, Crookhorn and Purbrook Park. These three schools have been included in group 2 with the three Gosport secondary schools, two of which are in the third and fourth most deprived areas of Hampshire, together with an education centre. Linking three Havant schools with Gosport enhances the likelihood of their being selected for inclusion in the first follow-up phase.

2.16. The full report considered by the Executive Lead Member can be found at:

/decisions/decisions-docs/081126-excsed-R1119085113

3 Current and forecast pupil numbers in Havant area schools

Numbers on roll

3.1. The July report contained detailed information about capacities and pupil numbers for all schools in the review area. This has now been updated, as shown in Table 1. Reasons for the updating are given in paragraphs 3.2 to 3.10. The "preferred option" proposals result in 5.4% surplus places in 2018, well within the government's preferred 5%-8% range.

Table 1

3.2. The figures used in the July 2008 report and the linked consultation document were based on January 2008 numbers on roll. January numbers are used by the DCSF for its long-term planning. However, in order to obtain as up-to-date a picture as possible, the figures in this report, unless otherwise stated, are based on October 2008 numbers on roll. The effect of this in some schools is to change the participation rate (PR) used as the basis for future number on roll projections, thereby affecting the long-term forecasts.

3.3. The participation rate for each school is based on past trends of pupils admitted and is then applied, for secondary schools, to the numbers attending linked primary schools and, for primary schools, to the number of pre-school children, in order to arrive at a forecast of the number of pupils expected to attend. Although there are now some foundation schools within the area whose admission policies are not necessarily catchment-based, this method of projecting numbers on roll nevertheless remains valid. The forecast for each school will take into account the likely effect of approved new housing but cannot of course take into account, for example, the possible future effect on parental preference of improved or declining school performance or the attraction of new buildings.

3.4. The number on roll projections in this report for secondary schools are based on all pupils within each cohort from Y7 - Y11, except for Oaklands where the 6^th form is included. The school leaving age will rise to 17 by 2013 and to 18 by 2018. The vast majority of post-16 young people in the Havant/Horndean area (95%) are already involved in education, employment or training. It is difficult to assess at this stage the possible implications for schools of the higher age requirement but it is reasonable to suppose that the majority of those who currently leave school at 16 and become NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) will prefer to be college-based.

3.5. As well as changes brought about from using October 2008 numbers on roll as the basis for the revised projections and the yield from anticipated additional housing, all schools' capacities have been reviewed. As a result of re-measurement, the capacity of Staunton has been reduced from 952 to 903 places; likewise Warblington from 1,000 to 977 places and Cowplain from 1142 to 1098. By the same review process, Crookhorn has been increased from 963 to 973.

Housing developments

3.6. The Major Development Area (MDA) proposed for West of Waterlooville, most of which lies within the Winchester District Council area, envisages 2,000 dwellings in phase 1 and a further 1,000 dwellings in phase 2. The area will be served by existing secondary schools in the Havant area although the present difficult economic climate is likely to mean that housing starts are delayed. Crookhorn has been designated the catchment school for phase 1 of the MDA although the northern end of phase 1 is within easier reach of Cowplain which is therefore likely to attract pupils from that area. Both the Crookhorn and Cowplain number on roll projections for 2018 include an additional allowance to take account of MDA pupils.

3.7. Following discussions with Havant Borough Council and in response to a number of comments made during the consultation, further work has been carried out to assess the implications for secondary school numbers of likely housing developments in the area, and particularly those expected to be built through the South East Plan proposals. A total of 4,749 additional dwellings is assumed for the Havant Borough Council area in the period 2006 to 2016; of these, 600 dwellings relate to the West of Waterlooville MDA. Although most of the housing planned through the South East Plan is expected to cater for a forecast increase in the number of households, there will nevertheless be some additional family housing which needs to be taken into account and will, to a degree, offset the underlying decline in the number of school-age children in the area.

3.8. Bearing in mind the long-term investment in provision represented by BSF, a comparison has been made between the County Council's projections based on approved housing to 2014, in accordance with its forecasting model, and the assumptions about future housing to be built through the South East Plan proposals. The anticipated implications of the proposed housing figures for each school in the review area have been assessed and the expected additional pupil yield of 360 (including 60 pupils for Horndean School in East Hampshire) has been allocated to the appropriate secondary school. This calculation is based on a prudent assumption that 20% of pupils from all new housing (including the MDA) will already be living in the area and attending a local school and will therefore have been included in the base forecasts.

Implications for future school capacities

3.9. One of the key issues highlighted in the report and during consultations was the low numbers, both current and forecast, in the three eastern schools by 2018, giving rise to concerns about the viability of maintaining three schools in the area, leading in turn to the option of school closure. This report proposes that there should be no school closure. This makes it imperative to ensure that there are sufficient pupils potentially available in the future in the Park/Staunton/Warblington area to justify this approach

3.10. Revised projections for the three eastern sector schools for 2018 are higher than those based on January 2008 numbers on roll and cited in the consultation document. Park rises from 794 to 889 because of the effect of rising participation rates; Staunton from 522 to 655, mainly as a result of additional South East Plan housing; Warblington from 539 to 699, both as a result of an improved participation rate and South East Plan housing.

4 Other information about Havant area schools

The Havant Federation of Schools

4.1. The Havant Federation of Schools includes six of the nine mainstream secondary schools within the review area: Cowplain, Purbrook Park, Hayling, Park, Staunton and Warblington. The six headteachers and chairmen of governors act as a strategic committee and the former also meet regularly as a smaller group. Deputy and assistant heads work together in the Change Leadership team with authority to take decisions on behalf of their own schools.

4.2. This arrangement could best be described as what the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) terms a `soft federation', under which all schools retain their governing body but share a joint governance/strategic committee without delegated powers. In the Havant Federation this strategic role is fulfilled by the six chairmen of governors and headteachers.

4.3. The raising of attainment is the key focus of the Federation and schools share performance data to identify strengths and weaknesses throughout the six schools. Staff expertise is shared and there are currently a number of staff following Masters degrees at Chichester University.

4.4. There are opportunities for pupils attending other schools to follow courses which it would otherwise be impracticable to offer. Pupils from Bohunt, Amery Hill (Alton) and Petersfield Schools in East Hampshire are also sometimes involved.

4.5. The Federation's response to the consultations is given at Appendix C.

The Leigh Park Community Improvement Partnership (CIP)

4.6. The Leigh Park Community Improvement Partnership brings together all schools and representatives of the local community, Portsmouth City Council, community faith groups, the police, fire and rescue service, health, local business and other children's services.

4.7. The CIP was established to continue the work of the Hampshire Excellence Cluster and its forerunner, the Education Action Zone. The CIP works to improve attainment and behaviour and deliver the core outcomes of the Children Act 2004. Through the extended schools programme it also works to provide the `core offer' including quality childcare, family support and learning, swift and easy access to specialist support services and community use of facilities. The response from the chairman of the partnership is given in Appendix C. A copy of the same letter was received from all local primary headteachers.

National Challenge

4.8. The National Challenge was launched in June 2008 by the Secretary of State. It is a programme of support to secure higher standards in all secondary schools so that, by 2011, at least 30% of pupils in every school will gain five or more GCSEs at A*-C, including both English and mathematics.

4.9. Whilst the DCSF originally identified seven schools in Hampshire under National Challenge, following publication of the 2008 results only three now remain under 30% 5 x A*-Cs including English and mathematics,. One of these schools is Staunton. The National Challenge Adviser has recently started to support the school in partnership with local authority officers.

4.10. It is essential that BSF proposals for the Havant/Horndean area demonstrate how they will contribute to significantly improved attainment levels at Staunton in particular.

The 14-19 Consortium

4.11. The review area has been based on the Havant 14-19 consortium, which includes Horndean Technology College even though it lies in the East Hampshire District Council area.

4.12. The consortium includes all nine secondary schools, three special schools and the local education centre as well as the three local colleges (Havant College, South Downs College and Highbury College in Portsmouth). Havant College is in the process of establishing a skills centre in Leigh Park catering for the 16-19 age-range.

4.13. The consortium has established a pattern of co-operative working between a range of institutions, paralleled in a different but complementary way by the work of the Havant Federation.

5 Responses to consultations

5.1. 1,233 responses were received from parents and other members of the public, 251 of which were made on-line. 467 (38%) came from residents in the PO9 postcode area which covers the eastern sector of the review area (Park/Staunton/Warblington). Although the closing date for consultations was 10 November, responses received up to and including 19 November have been accepted. Copies of the responses will be placed in the Members' Room in the week before 21 January and will be available for public viewing on the decision day itself.

5.2. The consultation document asked a general question and suggested four possible answers:

How do you think the County Council should reduce school places in Havant and Horndean to help secure Building Schools for the Future investment for secondary schools in the area?

i) By reducing school places but with no closures?

ii) By closing a school? (Respondents were asked to give the name of any school they felt should be closed)

5.3. Linked to discussion in the document, respondents were also asked whether they favoured -

i) The opening of an academy. (The document suggested that this might replace both Staunton and Warblington.)

ii) The establishment of an "all-age" school.

Space was provided for other suggested options and comments.

5.4. Replies to the four questions are given in Table 2. Percentages refer to the total number of replies, but not all respondents replied to all questions.

Table 2

Of the 49 respondents who suggested that a school should be closed, 36 mentioned Staunton, 2 Park and 1 each Warblington, Crookhorn, Purbrook Park and Hayling. Seven did not suggest the name of any school.

5.5. Within the PO9 postcode area, covering the Park/Staunton/ Warblington area, there were 434 responses (35% of the total). The results were as follows (percentages refer to the total number of replies from the PO9 area):

Table 3

* 16 Staunton; 1 Warblington; 5 no choice.

5.6. All comments submitted with the questionnaires have been carefully analysed. The most frequently recurring themes were as follows:

Table 4

1.	Keep local schools for local communities	132
2.	Keep Staunton open as a small school (as part of the Havant Federation)	118
3.	Rebuild Park Community School	112
4.	Keep Staunton as an 11 - 16 school and open up as a 16 - 18 sixth form college	94
5.	No closure of any school	66
6.	New homes are being built in the area, therefore more school places will be needed, not fewer	37
7.	Keep Staunton open for the local community	30
8.	Keep Staunton open - it has excellent teaching staff/caring atmosphere	22
9.	Keep all schools open with small class groups	23
10.	Close Staunton	22

5.7. Meetings for parents were held at Park, Staunton and Warblington:

i) Park parents were not convinced of the value of an all-age or split-site school. They were keen to ensure the maintenance of existing standards.

ii) At a well-attended meeting at Staunton, parents stressed the particular character of their local community, the support given to the high level of special needs pupils in the school and the need for a small school to serve the community, supported by the Federation. They expressed concerns about travel to alternative schools if Staunton were to close.

iii) Warblington parents acknowledged that the school's reputation had suffered in the past, which had led to the continuing exodus of a significant number of potential pupils to West Sussex and other schools. They were concerned at the effect on the school if more Staunton area pupils were to attend.

5.8. Responses have been received from the governing bodies of ten secondary schools in the review area. These are given in Appendix C.

5.9. In particular:

i) seven governing bodies supported the retention of Staunton Community Sports College;

ii) four mentioned the possibility of establishing an all-though school;

iii) four spoke of the enabling work of the Federation of Havant Schools.

5.10. Responses were also received from:

i) the staff of Park Community School;

ii) the Community Improvement Partnership;

iii) Havant Borough Council;

iv) Portsmouth City Council;

v) East Hampshire District Council;

vi) the Teachers' Liaison Panel;

vii) other organisations and individuals.

5.11. Park staff strongly support the rebuilding of the school for 900-1,000 pupils. They emphasise the importance of retaining Staunton particularly in relation to its key role in delivering diplomas. They echoed concerns about travel to school if Staunton were to be closed.

5.12. As part of its response to the consultations, the CIP has put forward its concept of the "Leigh Park Learning Village" (see Appendix C). It suggests that the Leigh Park community is well placed to support all-through provision.

5.13. Havant Borough Council fully supports the County Council's proposal to give its area priority status within the county, seeing it as a key element of the borough's regeneration strategy. The Borough Council believes that all three schools in the eastern sector should be included in the initial phase in order to ensure equity and a greater ability to reverse the trend of pupils being educated outside the area. They see BSF as a key element in the Borough Council's regeneration priorities.

5.14. Portsmouth City Council broadly supports the County Council's aims, hoping that Oaklands School will still be able to admit some Catholic pupils from the north of the city.

5.15. East Hampshire District Council welcomes the fact that Horndean Technology College has been included with the Havant consortium but queries whether the West of Waterlooville MDA and Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) proposals have been sufficiently recognised in the authority's pupil number projections. This issue is covered in section 3.

5.16. The Teachers' Liaison Panel supports a "no closure" approach, suggesting that federation would be the best way forward rather than an academy. It opposes any split-site solution and also highlights travel issues if Staunton were to close.

6 Consideration of consultation responses

6.1. Both the July 2008 report and the linked consultation document split the Havant/Horndean area into two sectors. Presentations to governors, staff and parents maintained this distinction for ease of analysis.

6.2. Notes of all the consultation meetings, including those with school pupils, are given in Appendix B. They do not aim to be a complete record of everything that was raised during the meeting but rather are intended to act as an aide-memoire of the key issues raised. They have been checked with schools for accuracy and amended when required.

6.3. Key themes emerged as follows:

i) there was strong support for the retention of Staunton and a feeling that the local authority had become too bound up with the need to reduce surplus places at the expense of an overall vision matched to the area's needs;

ii) the authority's and the DCSF's concerns about small secondary schools were also questioned, as significant benefits to local children were assumed from effective and successful small schools;

iii) throughout the consultation period there developed an increasingly strong message that the Leigh Park community needed two schools of suitable size, capable of providing a variety of relevant courses. Equally important was a level of pastoral care and guidance that was sometimes absent from pupils' lives beyond school;

iv) particularly on the eastern side, there was a view that the authority could do more to stem the loss of pupils to Hampshire schools on the other side of the A3(M) and to West Sussex;

v) concerns were expressed about travel to and attendance at alternative schools if Staunton were to close;

vi) Federation schools emphasised the key role of this partnership in enhancing the breadth of curriculum and social opportunities for young people (with Staunton playing an key part in this) and the professional development of staff.

vii) without exception, pupils at Park, Staunton and Warblington spoke highly of their schools, particularly the expertise and approachability of staff. Even though not obliged to do so, a group of Park pupils nevertheless came to school in uniform on a staff training day to give their views.

6.4. Given the proposal that Staunton might be closed, it was perhaps inevitable that most discussion centred on whether this was reasonable and, if not, how the college's continuing existence could be justified, bearing in mind anxieties about future numbers on roll.

6.5. The July 2008 report suggested that a reduction at Park might be resisted not only by the school but also the DCSF, given the progress that pupils make at the school. In reality, therefore, any proposal to reduce capacity below the existing 900 places was seen to be unrealistic. This has been confirmed by the Park governors and also the staff, who submitted a very detailed response. The recent winning of the prestigious national "Extended School Award 2008" will have further enhanced the school's reputation.

6.6. There is a net loss of approximately 400 pupils to West Sussex from the eastern area, mainly from Warblington. West Sussex officers have confirmed that there are no immediate proposals for changes to the current school provision in the Southbourne and Chichester areas. The staff and governors of Warblington School are determined to reverse this trend and cite their improved 2008 GCSE results as evidence of their resolve. The number of pupils admitted to Year 7 in September 2008 was higher than in 2007 (continuing the trend of recent years) and this has been reflected in the revised participation rate used in the latest pupil number forecasts for the school.

6.7. Warblington is determined to counter the trend of catchment pupils attending schools such as Purbrook Park and Crookhorn, particularly from the western part of its area. The Warblington governors, in their response to the consultation, said that they feel a school of 800 places would be justified, with the capacity to rise to 1,000. In support of this, they have put forward improved GCSE results, increased admissions at Yr 7 and the Hindhead tunnel, due to open in 2011 (Highways Agency website), as making the area potentially more attractive to those travelling to the London area.

6.8. Given that the DCSF will look rigorously at all projected numbers on roll before approving any BSF bid, the governors' bid for a minimum size of 800 might be deemed over-optimistic in relation to their ability to reverse well-established trends to this extent within the short to medium term. A capacity of 750 is therefore proposed for consultation, based on a thorough analysis of pupil number trends and potential new housing in the area.

6.9. The CIP's response to consultations is given in Appendix C, supplemented by a short paper on the concept of the learning village and comments on all-through provision. The thinking within the CIP about the concept of a learning village very closely matches that of local authority officers around the creation of local partnerships within the Hampshire Children's Trust (see section 10).

7 An academy to replace Staunton Community Sports College

7.1. The consultation process revealed strong support for the retention of Staunton as a key community provision and focus and this report does not propose further consultation on its closure. Nevertheless, if Staunton is to be retained, the County Council will need to be able to demonstrate clearly that its proposals will deliver dramatically enhanced attainment levels, which could be achieved through the establishment of an academy. This is consistent with central government policy

7.2. Any proposal simply to retain Staunton as at present, but with capacity reduced to 700 places without structural change, is unlikely to be acceptable to the DCSF, mainly because of the school's National Challenge status and the fact that a significant number of local parents do not choose the school for their children's secondary education.

7.3. The establishment of an academy must offer clear potential from the outset for significant raising of standards and the DCSF and Office of the Schools Commissioner (OSC) would look for clear evidence of this in any academy proposal submitted to them. The DCSF states that an academy should promote diversity within a collaborative framework.

7.4. The DCSF website includes the following information about academies, some of which was included in the consultation document:

i) Academies are all-ability, state-funded schools established and managed by sponsors from a wide range of backgrounds, including high performing schools and colleges, universities, individuals, businesses, the voluntary sector, and the faith communities.

ii) Academies are not maintained by the local authority, but they collaborate closely with it, and with other schools in the area. Academies are funded at a level comparable to other local schools in their area.

iii) An academy is in effect a new school even though it will usually replace one or more under-achieving schools. The governing body and the headteacher, appointed by the sponsors, have responsibility for managing the academy and appointing staff. In order to determine the ethos and leadership of the academy, and ensure clear responsibility and accountability, the private sector or charitable sponsor always appoints the majority of the governors. At least one parent governor and one local authority governor must be appointed. Most academies also have a teacher governor (either elected or appointed), a staff governor (either elected or appointed) and many include community representatives.

iv) All academies are bound by the same School Admissions Code, SEN Code of Practice and exclusions guidance as are other state-funded schools.

v) All new academies are required to follow the National Curriculum programmes of study in English, mathematics, science and ICT. All academies - like the large majority of secondary schools - have specialist school status, and have a specialism in one or more subjects. Further specialisms are possible.

vi) Academy governors employ all members of staff, determine their pay structure and set their conditions of service. They also determine the length of the school day and pattern of holidays.

vii) The DCSF website can be accessed at:

http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/academies/

7.5. The July 2008 report and the consultation document discussed academies in the context of an institution replacing both Staunton and Warblington. It became clear during consultations, however, that a split-site academy or an academy on either the Staunton or Warblington site to replace both of the existing schools, would be strongly resisted locally. Even with some adjustments to catchment areas, an academy sited at Staunton, jointly serving Leigh Park and the Warblington area with Park Community School, would be likely to exacerbate current out-of-area movement from the Warblington area in particular. This report has already mentioned concerns about school attendance if there were no provision on the Staunton site.

7.6. There are grounds, however, to pursue the concept of an 11-16 academy on the Staunton site with a strong skills-based emphasis. Under this option Warblington School would be retained. It would be important for the academy to be set up within the context of the collaborative arrangements currently in place in the Leigh Park area, in particular the Leigh Park Community Improvement Partnership (CIP), the 14-19 Consortium and local post-16 colleges, the Federation of Havant Schools and the County Council. A community based sponsor, or sponsors, could build upon the existing established collaborative links and develop further initiatives to address the skills gap in the area, both at school level and among adults.

7.7. An appropriate approach to securing community-based sponsorship of an academy, which has been successful elsewhere in the country, would be to seek joint sponsorship from high quality and high achieving local further and higher education providers. There are currently 16 academies in England established or in the process of being established with this form of sponsorship. While building on existing collaboration, this approach would offer scope for significant improvement in skills based facilities for under-16 pupils in the area and enhancement of provision for adults. There is also potential for standards across the board at Staunton to be significantly improved.

7.8. It is recommended, therefore, that the "preferred option" for further consultation for Staunton Community Sports College should be the establishment of a 700 place academy on the existing site, with sponsorship from locally based further and higher education providers and an emphasis on the provision and development of diploma pathways. A key element of the proposed consultation would be to seek suitable sponsorship.

7.9. In parallel to any future consultation programme, the County Council would continue informal discussions with the DCSF and OSC. If, after consideration of consultation responses, the Cabinet decided that an academy was the best option for the Staunton area, the DCSF would require an Expression of Interest to be submitted jointly by the County Council and sponsor(s) for Ministerial consideration.

7.10. If the Secretary of State agreed support for an academy, there would be further consultations as part of the feasibility stage.

8 All-through provision

8.1. The possibility of establishing an "all-through" school was given more prominence in the consultation document than in the July report. The consultation document put forward a primary/secondary model of an all-through school, but this could be extended both into early years and to encompass the expanding 14-19 curriculum. At a comparatively early stage in the consultations a view emerged that such a structure might be appropriate for the Staunton community.

8.2. A wide range of consultees felt that an arrangement whereby pupils studied within the context of an over-arching educational framework from the earliest primary years could be appropriate for the area. They felt it could be a powerful influence in ensuring that some of the county's most disadvantaged children were given coherent educational and social support, with minimal disruption from school transfers, throughout their development.

8.3. If the all-through route were to be pursued, much would depend on the views of the governing bodies of Staunton's linked primary schools, together with the views of parents, staff and pupils. Responses indicate that there is currently no support for an all-through school on one site from local headteachers in the CIP area.

8.4. Since the end of the consultations, headteachers and officers have visited two all-through schools, in Doncaster and Herefordshire. These visits confirmed that the principle of all-though provision could offer potential for the raising of standards and minimising disruption at the age of transfer. The issues involved, however, are complex and it is not proposed to consult on a structural change to existing primary provision in the Leigh Park area as a preferred option. Therefore, no primary schools are proposed for closure.

8.5. The recommended approach for consultation for Staunton, however, offers the opportunity to develop further the principles of all-through provision in the area through discussion with potential academy sponsors and primary schools in the area. An evolutionary approach would probably be most appropriate, with initial work focusing on the opportunities for collaboration between Staunton and its main linked primary schools.

9 Federation

9.1. Section 4 of this report refers to the Havant Federation of Schools, which can best be described as what the DCSF terms a "soft federation", under which all schools retain their governing body but share a joint governance/strategic committee without delegated powers.

9.2. The Guidance on the School Governance (Collaboration) (England) Regulations 2003 gives advice on statutory collaboration between maintained schools under section 26 of the Education Act 2002.

9.3. This guidance deals only with the statutory collaboration of maintained schools under section 26 of the Education Act 2002. It

explains the arrangements for maintained schools to discharge their functions jointly and set up joint committees. It stresses that the DCSF would encourage other collaborative arrangements between schools, and also between maintained schools and other institutions (such as City Technology Colleges, academies, independent schools, and further education institutions) but emphasises that such arrangements may not include arrangements for the joint discharge of functions, or formal joint committees, between the governing bodies of maintained schools and institutions not maintained by a local education authority (e.g. an academy).

9.4. This means that, if an academy were established on the Staunton site, no formal federation arrangement would be possible. Other forms of local collaboration could, of course, be explored, as suggested in section 8 above.

10 Children's Trusts

10.1. Children's Trusts bring together all services for children and young people in an area, underpinned by the Children Act 2004 duty to cooperate, to focus on improving outcomes for all children and young people.

10.2. The DCSF states that the essential features of a Children's Trust are:

i) A child-centred, outcome-led vision for all children and young people, clearly informed by their views and those of their families

ii) Inter-agency governance, with robust arrangements for inter-agency co-operation

iii) Integrated strategy: joint planning and commissioning, pooled budgets

iv) Integrated processes: effective joint working sustained by a shared language and shared processes

v) Integrated front-line delivery organised around the child, young person or family rather than professional boundaries or existing agencies.

10.3. Revised guidance on the "duty to cooperate" was published on 18 November 2008.  The guidance aims to help partners engage more effectively within the Children's Trust and to promote a step change in early intervention, in narrowing the gap, and in the involvement of schools. In future, all schools should be strongly supported by their Children's Trust and have real involvement in the strategic work of the Trust.

10.4. By 2010, Trusts should have in place consistent, high quality arrangements to provide identification and early intervention for all children and young people who need additional help.  Local authorities have a key role in driving change.

10.5. Hampshire's Children's Trust (known as Hampshire's Children and Young People's Partnership) is committed to upholding the rights of children and young people, as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and is determined to make Hampshire a better place for children and young people.

10.6. The draft Hampshire Children and Young People's Plan for 2009-2012, currently out to consultation, states that, by 2010, the authority will have developed and agreed a model for Children's Trust arrangements that builds on the strategic work of Hampshire's Children and Young People's Partnership and is understood, valued and implemented at local level.

10.7. The work of the CIP could well be developed into a more formal Children's Trust structure to support the new academy and inter-school collaboration.

11 Proposals for other mainstream secondary schools

11.1. Although the future role of Staunton has been the main focus to emerge from the consultations, there has been a substantial programme of consultation and further work in relation to the other eight mainstream schools.

11.2. Taking into account views expressed by governors and other consultees, Table 1 sets out suggested revised capacities for further consultation. These are briefly explained below.

i) No change is now proposed to the capacity of Park Community School which would remain at 900. The governing body wishes to see this raised to 1,000, although if this expansion took place it could affect the viability of a school on the Staunton site.

ii) There is now no proposal to consult further on the closure of Staunton Community Sports College but it is proposed to reduce the capacity from 903 to 700, to reflect forecast demand for places

iii) A reduction from 977 to 750 places at Warblington is now proposed, rather than 800 as suggested by the governing body. This is considered the maximum feasible capacity following careful review of number on roll projections and the recommendation that Staunton should be retained. The remodelled building could, however, include flexibility to increase its capacity should further demand emerge in the future.

iv) The proposed reduction in capacity from 1,098 to 1,050 at Cowplain Community School reflects projected demand, including from the West of Waterlooville MDA, and remains unchanged from the previous consultation;

v) The proposed reduction in capacity from 744 to 600 places at Hayling College reflects projected demand and remains unchanged;

vi) The proposed reduction in capacity from 1,500 to 1,100 at Horndean Technology College reflects projected demand and remains unchanged;

vii) Projected numbers on roll at Crookhorn for 2018 include an additional 320 pupils to take account of the West of Waterlooville MDA.

viii) The proposed reduction from 840 to 810 places at Purbrook Park reflects likely demand.

ix) The proposed reduction in capacity at Oaklands Catholic Voluntary Aided School from 1,453 to 1,300 to link to its current admission number remains unchanged.

12 Special schools

12.1. There have been further detailed discussions with the special schools in the area: Glenwood, Prospect and Rachel Madocks. All three schools have been included in the authority's bid for its initial BSF project.

12.2. There is a local need to consider the range of provision for secondary age children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which officers are currently pursuing in parallel to the proposed consultation on mainstream proposals. The provision of respite care on the Rachel Madocks site is also under active consideration, but this would not be funded through BSF.

13 Financial implications

13.1. There will be significant implications for the County Council's capital programme which will be addressed through the BSF national funding model, although it is likely that significant funding shortfalls will need to be addressed, as is the case with existing BSF projects in other authorities.

13.2. The substantial reduction in surplus places will bring savings in schools' revenue costs and deliver better value for money.

13.3. Academies are funded directly from the DCSF on a comparable basis to other schools in the academy's area with similar characteristics. Each academy receives a General Annual Grant from the Secretary of State to meet its normal running costs, which includes an allowance to cover the costs of services usually provided by the local authority. Further work will be undertaken in parallel with the consultation to establish the full financial implications of setting up an academy.

14 Corporate priorities

14.1. The proposals in this report strongly support the County Council's corporate priorities relating to well-being and enhancing the quality of place.

14.2. They also support the following outcomes of the Children Act set out below, with a summary of how the proposals in this report contribute to their achievement:

14.3. being healthy: (enjoying good physical and mental health and living a healthy lifestyle) - by ensuring that the Healthy Living Centre and specialist sports provision on the Staunton Community Sports College site remain in place and that the curriculum includes the consideration of health issues;

14.4. staying safe: (being protected from harm and neglect) - by incorporating positive safety features in new buildings and on sites, including traffic management;

14.5. enjoying and achieving: (getting the most out of life and developing the skills for adulthood) - by ensuring that:

- all schools are adapted to fit young people better for changing curriculum demands and a range of leisure and sports facilities;

- ensuring pupils achieve in such a way as to prepare them for the future;

14.6. making a positive contribution: (being involved with the community and society and not engaging in anti-social or offending behaviour) - through a curriculum that meets pupils' individual needs and equips them with the ability to manage their lives effectively within a range of social demands;

14.7. economic well-being: (not being prevented by economic disadvantage from achieving their full potential in life) - by providing high quality relevant education in enhanced settings that prepares pupils for the world outside school.

15 Impact Issues:

15.1. The following have been identified as potential impact issues the County Council would need to be aware of if it were asked to implement the proposals in this report.

15.2. If Staunton remained open, no changes would be needed in families' current arrangements for travel to school. This would allay concerns expressed during consultations about carbon footprints, associated green issues and, in particular, fears over school attendance.

16 Risk Issues:

16.1. The following have been identified as possible risk issues for the County Council to consider if it were asked to implement the proposals in this paper:

16.2. The main risk continues to be that, despite the strategies set out in this report, insufficient pupils might be available for schools in the eastern sector. If an academy were to open on the Staunton site, this might be seen as more attractive by local parents who might previously have sent their children to Warblington or schools outside the immediate area, with a consequential impact on Warblington numbers in particular.

16.3. If a bid for an academy was unsuccessful, the closure of Staunton would remain an option.

17 Conclusions:

17.1. Careful consideration of consultation responses, together with further analysis of number on roll projections leads to the view that the closure of Staunton Community Sports College and the re-distribution of its pupils to other schools is unlikely to be the most effective way to raise educational standards in the area and reduce surplus places.

17.2. Maintenance of the status quo is not an option.

17.3. The setting up of an academy to replace Staunton, buttressed by challenge and support from sponsors, provides a framework capable of securing improved student attainment whilst acting as a beacon for local community regeneration.

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