HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Decision Report :

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1) Summary of Decision Area:

1.1. This report considers the implications of unfilled places at Yateley Infant and St. Peter's Junior schools and, following consultation with the schools', their wider communities and interested parties, recommends that statutory notices be published setting out the County Council's intention to amalgamate the two schools to form a one form entry (210 place) primary school.

1.2. As the governing bodies of both schools have indicated their support for amalgamation the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education) can decide whether to proceed to the next stage

2) Issues Covered in Report:

- outcome of consultations

- pupil numbers and surplus places

- pre-school provision

- pupil achievement

- suitability and condition of school buildings

- financial implications

3) Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

3.1. Public notices be published, in accordance with Sections 10 and 15 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 for the closure of Yateley Infant School and St. Peter's CE VA Junior School, Yateley, with effect from 31 August 2010 and the establishment of a new one form entry voluntary controlled Church of England Primary School, in the current premises of Yateley Infant School, with effect from 1 September 2010.

3.2. That discussions continue to agree a suitable site and/or buildings for the relocation of Footprints Pre-school.

MAIN REPORT

1) Contextual Information:

1.1. At his Decision Day on 11 October 2007, the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education) received a report seeking authority to consult on the possible closure of Yateley Infant and St. Peter's CE VA Junior schools, and the creation of a 210 place primary school on one of the school sites, with continued early years provision. A copy of the report is attached as Appendix C.

1.2. The proposal came about following discussions between local authority officers, diocesan officers and the headteachers and governors of the two schools. Both governing bodies were concerned about the decline in primary school age children in the area and wished to consult parents, staff and the wider schools' communities on the view that a primary school would present a better opportunity to build on and improve the quality of children's education and their standards of attainment. The governing bodies of both schools recognised that declining rolls impact on schools' budgets and consequently staffing levels, presenting considerable challenges in maintaining high quality curriculum delivery.

1.3. Consultations have now been undertaken in two stages; firstly on the general principles of amalgamation to form a new primary school, and secondly on the specific proposal that emerged.

2) Key Issues:

2.1. Pupil numbers and school capacities.

Table 1 (table from Oct 2007 paper updated)

2.2 Pre-school provision

There are two pre-schools, one located on the site of Yateley Infant and the other in buildings surplus to the current requirements of St. Peter's Junior School. Any proposals affecting the schools will need to ensure that alternative accommodation is identified to secure the continuation of this provision in the area.

2.3 Suitability of school buildings and sites

The choice of building is influenced by the capital cost of adaptation as a primary school. The infant building is in good condition, having been substantially refurbished in recent years. It is, therefore, possible to provide a four class good quality temporary building, and internal alterations to the infant school building to provide specialist facilities suitable for a one form entry primary school, within the available budget of £ 500k. No similar investment has been made in the St Peter's building, which means that the estimated cost of upgrading the condition and adapting the building at the same level as proposed for the infant school, would be in the region of £3.2 million.

3) Consultations

3.1. Following authorisation to undertake local consultations,(see appendix C) letters were sent to headteachers and chairmen of governors of local schools on 31 October 2007 and similar letters were sent to parents of children attending the two schools, staff, governors trade union representatives and other interested parties. Staff and parents of children attending St. Peter's Junior and Yateley Infant schools, together with parents of children attending the pre-schools on the schools' sites also received a consultation document, attached to which was a response form asking whether they agreed or disagreed with the proposal to amalgamate the two schools. The document and response form were also made available on the web.

3.2. A public consultation meeting was held on 7 November 2007 and four drop-in sessions were held during early November 2007. A further letter to parents was issued on 9 November 2007 and a meeting with staff took place on 13 November 2007.

3.3. The majority of responses (89%) were in favour of the amalgamation. More responses were in favour of the new school being established on the St Peter's Site (81 responses) than the Yateley Infant site (54 responses). In terms of the status of the new school, opinion was evenly divided between voluntary aided, voluntary controlled and community.

3.4. On 6 February 2008 a letter to parents from the authority and the governing bodies informed them of the outcome of consultations and of the need to carry out a second phase of consultations on a specific proposal which identified the status of the new school and its location. The letter advised parents that the second stage of consultations were expected to take place in the summer term 2008.

3.5. In keeping with the regulations governing changes in school organisation the diocese applied for approval from the Secretary of State to establish a 210 place (one form entry) voluntary controlled primary school on the Yateley Infant School site and for the competition process to be waived. In the absence of a decision from the Secretary of State parents were informed by letter on 4 July 2008 of the intention to proceed with the second phase of consultation on the specific proposal, and that this would take place in the autumn term 2008. The Secretary of State's approval to waive the need for a competition was received on 25 November 2008.

3.6. The second phase of consultation took the form of a letter issued on 8 December 2008 to parents, staff and governors of the two schools and other interested parties. A copy of the consultation letter and full list of consultees is given in Appendix E. In addition, a drop-in session was held at Yateley Infant School on 12 January 2009.

3.7. 14 responses to the consultation letter were received, and 20 persons attended the drop-in. A summary of the issues raised is given in Appendix D.

3.8. The responses from the governing bodies of the two schools are particularly important and are reproduced in full in Appendix D.

4) Response to issues raised in the consultations

4.1. Is the reorganisation supported in principle?

a) In common with the initial consultation, almost all responses indicated that they were in favour of the amalgamation.

4.2. Location of new school

a) A number of the respondents argued that the school should be established on the St Peter's site. These mainly cited that the St Peter's building would provide all the required accommodation in a permanent building, with space left over for pre-school or other uses. A comparison with the accommodation which will be available on the Yateley Infant site indicates that both options provide a similar range of spaces. Using the St Peter's building for a one form entry primary school with the full range of specialist facilities required in a primary school will use all the accommodation available and will not leave space for any other uses, in which case the existing pre-school playgroup would need to be relocated.

b) Some respondents expressed the view that the Yateley Infant site is too small for a one form entry primary school and the larger St. Peter's School site would be better. Whilst it is true that the Yateley site is the smaller of the two, it measures 1.5 hectares, which is well in excess of the guideline site area of 1.1 hectares recommended by the Department for Children Schools and Families for a one form entry primary school. The Yateley site will facilitate the provision of a junior school size playing pitch and space for other recreational activities.

c) Several respondents commented that an advantage of the St Peter's site is the availability of two hard play areas, which could be used to separate infant and junior age children at break times. Proposals for the new school on the Yateley site include plans for two separate hard play areas.

4.3. Status of new school

a) Some respondents have questioned why the new school should have a religious character. As stated in paragraph 3.5, the diocese has received consent to publish proposals for a voluntary controlled school with Church of England status outside the competition requirement. This reflects the current status of St Peter's and continues Church of England involvement in primary education in the locality, which has existed continuously since the establishment of Yateley National School in about 1865.

b) The proposed voluntary controlled status will not affect admissions to the school as it would continue to serve a local catchment area.

4.4. Concern was expressed about the use of temporary buildings in the proposed new primary school and assumptions made that these would be used to house the displaced St. Peter's children whilst the infant age children would be housed in the permanent building.

a) The temporary accommodation would be of good quality and would satisfy present day insulation, acoustic and ventilation standards. It is intended that the building would be located such that it would not conflict with the provision of permanent buildings which would be constructed when funding is available. Whilst there would inevitably be some separation from the existing permanent building, the utilisation of the classrooms would be determined by the headteacher, and may well vary from year to year as the school's requirements evolve.

5) Pre-school provision

5.1. There are currently two pre-school playgroups accommodated on the school sites. Yateley Community Playgroup is housed in a temporary building on the Yateley Infant Site. Footprints pre-school occupies two classrooms in St Peter's Junior School that are currently surplus to school requirements. Both provide 24 (full time equivalent) places.

5.2. If the new school is established on the Yateley Infant site, there will be no need for Yateley Community Playgroup to be affected. Footprints Pre-school will have to be rehoused as it is not likely to be practicable to remain in the St Peter's building in isolation. Discussions are in progress with Footprints to identify a suitable alternative location and / or buildings to which they could relocate.

5.3. As explained in paragraph 4.2, using the St Peter's building for the primary school will require all the accommodation in the permanent building, which would mean that both Footprints and Yateley Community Playgroup would have to be relocated, within the site or elsewhere.

6) Financial implications

6.1. Provision of a one form entry primary school on the Yateley Infant site in permanent buildings would cost in the region of £2.1 million. Capital funding at this level is not currently available. It is, nevertheless, the intention to provide permanent buildings as soon as funding can be identified. In the meantime, as stated in paragraph 2.3, the cost of temporary classrooms can be met from the available capital resources.

6.2. As explained in paragraph 2.3, the cost of providing a one form entry primary school in the St Peter's building would cost in the region of £3.2 m and is not affordable.

6.3. The proposed new primary school will be funded on the basis of Hampshire's local management formula for a one form entry primary school. By closing two schools and opening one there will be a net saving of £75k per annum which will be recycled within the overall schools' budget. Revenue balances from the closing schools will transfer to the new school.

7) Staffing implications

7.1. If the amalgamation is approved, a temporary governing body will be formed and will appoint the headteacher for the new school, followed by the appointment of other staff. As far as possible, the appointment process will include ring fencing existing staff so that they have the first opportunity to be appointed to the new school. The County Council values the skills and experience of the staff at Yateley Infant and St. Peter's Junior Schools. Every effort will be made to redeploy any staff who may be displaced into appropriate alternative posts and to avoid redundancies.

7.2. As a voluntary controlled school, all staff in the new school will be employed by the County Council. In some cases this will involve a change of employer (as staff at a voluntary aided school are employed by the governing body) with conditions of service protected by statute and/or TUPE.

8) Implementation

8.1. If it is agreed that the amalgamation should proceed, public notices will be published jointly by the County Council and the Winchester Diocese, setting out their intention that the existing Yateley Infant and St. Peter's Junior schools will close and a new voluntary controlled Church of England primary school will be established in the current Yateley Infant premises. The notices would run for a period of six weeks during which time objections or other representations can be made. A final decision will then be taken by the County Council in the summer term.

8.2. The timetable above will allow sufficient time for the establishment of a temporary governing body and appointment of a head teacher so that the new school would open in September 2010.

8.3. In parallel with this, discussions will continue to agree suitable arrangements for the relocation of Footprints Pre-school.

9) Outline of Options:

9.1. Option 1:

a) To proceed with the proposal in accordance with the consultation, using the Yateley Infant building and site.

9.2. Option 2:

a) To amalgamate the two schools using the St Peter's building.

9.3. Option 3:

a) Not to proceed.

10) Option Analysis / Comparison:

10.1. Option 1 will achieve the intended result at an affordable cost. Yateley Community Playgroup would be untouched. Footprints Pre-School will need to be relocated.

10.2. Option 2 will require a further round of consultations, thereby prolonging the period of uncertainty and would not be affordable in view of the significant cost of using the St Peter's building. Both Yateley Community Playgroup and Footprints Pre-School would need to be relocated.

10.3. Option 3 would not address the surplus places issue The schools would continue to be vulnerable to the impact of falling rolls and may not be viable in the longer term.

11) Conclusions:

11.1. The recommendations in this report represent the opportunity to create a robust primary school designed to meet the needs of children across the full primary age range. There is strong support for the amalgamation of the two schools; the main issue being the location of the new school, particularly as the proposal is to use temporary buildings until a permanent extension can be funded.

11.2. On balance, particularly as both governing bodies have indicated their support, it is felt that the advantages of proceeding outweigh the alternatives, and consequently that public notices should be published.

11.3. This action is fully supported by the Winchester Church of England Diocese.

12) Recommendations:

Please see Executive Summary for recommendations.

CORPORATE OR LEGAL INFORMATION:

IMPACT ASSESSMENTS:

1. Equalities Impact Assessment:

a) Equalities issues have been considered and no adverse impact identified.

2. Impact on Crime and Disorder:

a) These proposals will have no impact on crime and disorder.

3. Climate Change:

a) How does what is being proposed impact on our carbon footprint / energy consumption?

· The proposal has a positive impact by using buildings that meet present day environmental and energy consumption standards.

b) How does what is being proposed consider the need to adapt to climate change, and be resilient to its longer term impacts?

· No specific measures have been identified,.

Appendix C

Copy of previous report

Contact: Chris Holt - Head of School Organisation

Tel: 01962 845673 E-mail: [email protected]

Alex Munro - School Organisation Officer

Tel: 01962 846462 E-mail: [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 The purpose of this report is to seek authority to consult on the proposal to amalgamate Yateley Infant and St Peter's CEVA Junior Schools to form a 210 place one form entry primary school. The proposal has come about following discussions between local authority officers, diocesan officers and the headteachers and governors of the two schools. Both governing bodies are concerned about the decline in primary school population in the area and wish to consult parents, staff and the wider schools' community on the view that a primary school would present a better opportunity to build on and improve the quality of children's education and their standards of attainment.

1.2 The governing bodies of both schools recognise that declining rolls impact on schools' budgets and consequently staffing levels, presenting considerable challenges in maintaining high quality curriculum delivery. It is also the case that limited financial resources are diverted from other schools to manage the consequences of declining pupil numbers and the associated diseconomies of scale, through the real-term protection element of the Local Management of Schools formula to support curriculum delivery and to help cover the running costs of under-occupied school buildings.

1.3 The issues raised in this report reflect the County Council's corporate strategy:

· Hampshire safer and more secure for all;

· Maximising well-being;

· Enhancing our quality of place,

through the possible provision of a primary school reflecting the County Council's primary school building brief, designed to improve teaching and learning facilities, and through the exploration of opportunities to meet the extended schools agenda. The impact on the Every Child Matters agenda and the associated desired outcomes are set out in section 8.

2 Recommendations

2.1 That the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education) approves consultations taking place during the autumn term 2007 with parents, staff, governors, Winchester Diocese and other interested parties on the possible closure of Yateley Infant and St Peter's CEVA Junior Schools, Yateley and the creation of a 210 place primary school on one of the school sites with a continuation of early years provision;

2.2 That a report on the outcomes of the consultations be prepared for submission in spring 2008.

3 Strategic implications of surplus places

3.1 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. The need for school places changes 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.

3.2 The number of schools with 25% or more surplus places is an element of the County Council's Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA). In recent years the number of Hampshire schools in this category has risen as a result of demographic pressures, but has remained in line with the national average. In January 2007 the figure in Hampshire was 52.

3.3 The underlying trend of significantly falling rolls continues to exert pressure in spite of measures to reduce surpluses through area reviews and local re-designation and re-use of general teaching spaces. The number of primary schools with more than 25% surplus places is forecast to rise to around 70 if measures do not continue to be taken. Both Yateley Infant and St Peter's CEVA Junior Schools have surpluses significantly in excess of 25%, as shown in Table 1.

4 Pupil numbers and schools' capacities

4.1 Table 1 shows schools' capacities, present and projected numbers on roll (NoR) and surplus places for the Yateley Infant and St Peter's Junior Schools.

Table 1

4.2 The combined forecast number on roll of 185 in 2012 is significantly below the current 355 place capacity of the two schools. These numbers are predicated upon the continued pattern of approximately three quarters of children living within the Yateley Infant School's catchment area attending the school and a little over half of these children transferring to St Peter's Junior School.

5 Context

5.1 Yateley Infant is the linked feeder school to St Peter's. The two schools operate on separate sites approximately half a mile apart and serve an established, largely urban area in north east Hampshire.

5.2 The proposal, if implemented, would reduce the number of surplus places in line with the County Council's Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) target and would retain primary school provision within the community. The governing bodies wish to consult the schools' communities on the proposal to create a viable primary school with high quality teaching and learning facilities and continued early years provision on site. Governors are keen for consideration to be given as to how existing provision for children, families and the wider community might be further enhanced.

6 Early years education and childcare and extended schools

6.1 Pre-schools operate at both St Peter's Junior and Yateley Infant schools in separate buildings on the school sites via third party providers. Each setting offers 26 sessions morning and afternoon for five days per week throughout school term times. The County Council's Early Education and Childcare Unit has identified the pre-schools as an integral part of early years provision needed within this area of the county.

6.2 By 2010, all primary schools are expected to be delivering the core offer of extended services after consultation with children, parents and local community partners. This includes access to childcare at or through the school from 8.00 am - 6.00 pm all year round, parenting support including information sessions, parenting programmes and family learning, study support and activities for children, swift and easy referral to support services for families and children. The amalgamation proposal presents opportunities to identify local priorities as part of the consultations and to ensure that extended services are at the heart of planning for school improvement.

7 Financial implications

7.1 Any future strategy will need to be self-financing in terms of capital funding. A primary school would be located in one of the two present school buildings, with land sales expected to realise a capital receipt which would be used to fund the work necessary to create a primary school. Discussions with landowners / developers, Hart Borough Council and Winchester and Portsmouth Diocese will be undertaken with the aim of maximising capital receipts from the sale of land to ensure the financial viability of any proposed amalgamation. A more detailed financial appraisal will form part of the report on the outcomes of any consultations.

8 Every Child Matters agenda

8.1 The amalgamation proposal supports the desired outcomes of the Every Child Matters agenda:

Being healthy: (enjoying good physical and mental health and living a healthy lifestyle) - by considering options which will maximise opportunities for children to walk or cycle to school, thus increasing opportunities for exercise and reducing car dependence;

Staying safe: (being protected from harm and neglect) - by having access to a secure learning environment and good pre-school provision;

Enjoying and achieving: (getting the most out of life and developing the skills for adulthood) - by providing the facilities to support a high standard of education for children in suitable buildings within their own community;

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 continuing to provide primary education as close to pupils' homes as is 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.

9 Consultation

9.1 If consultations are agreed, formal meetings will be arranged with governors, staff and parents of the two schools. In addition the local County Councillor and Hampshire Action Team, Winchester and Portsmouth Diocese, the appropriate trade unions, Hart Borough Council, parish councils,. local strategic partnership, primary care trust and member of parliament will be consulted, along with other interested parties in the wider schools' community.

10 County Council Policy Requirements

10.1 Legal implications - none.

10.2 Financial implications - see section 7.

10.3 Personnel implications - none.

10.4 Impact assessment - a full impact assessment will be undertaken in conjunction with the consultation process.

10.5 Crime prevention issues continued primary education and early years provision in the area offer opportunities to continue and build on good childcare facilities, parenting skills and citizenship.

11 Conclusion

11.1 The declining pupil numbers at Yateley Infant and St Peter's Junior Schools are a cause of concern for the governing bodies and the local authority. The governing bodies' request for the County Council to consult their schools' communities about a possible amalgamation to form a primary school is a way forward which offers the potential to safeguard primary and pre-school age provision in the area, improve the learning environment, and enhance community facilities.

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

Appendix D

Summary of consultation responses

1. The following responses were received to the consultation letter dated 8 December 2008.

2. Comments received from the governing bodies:

Yateley Infant School

"I can report that at yesterday's quorate YIS Full GB meeting there was a unanimous vote to support the Local Authority's proposal to establish a Church of England Voluntary Controlled, through-primary school on the current Yateley Infant School site."

St Peter's Junior School

"I can hereby confirm that the view of the Governing Body of St Peter's CE Junior school on the Local Authority's proposal to establish a CofE Voluntary Controlled, through-primary school on the current Yateley Infant School site remains supportive.

Whilst individual members of the GB have expressed personal regrets that it is not financially possible to establish the primary school on the larger St Peter's site, and also that the school could not take the full Voluntary Aided character, the consensus, strategic view of the GB has remained unchanged since the proposal was originally discussed with the governing body members on 3rd July, 2008.

Furthermore, although we accept the considered view of the Local Authority professionals that there is insufficient capital receipt available from the sale of school land for major development purposes in the next several years, we expect the new school to have first call when funds are finally available. We would then expect the Local Authority to use the capital available for the establishment of permanent accommodation in place of the temporary provision implied by the initial scheme.

We also feel that it is clearly the role of the new school's initial Temporary Governing Body, and the Headteacher that they appoint, to establish the detailed layout and mode of operation of the school to maximise the benefit to the children's education."

3. Record of drop-in session held at Yateley Infant School on 12 January 2009:

The session was attended by 9 parents, 5 governors, 3 pre-school representatives, 1 teacher and both Head Teachers, with local authority officers in attendance. Most of those attending were in favour of the amalgamation, with concerns expressed regarding the impact on the pre-schools; the adequacy of proposed accommodation and site; the implications for school staff. Views were expressed that St Peter's site and buildings should be used as they would provide more space.

Appendix E

Copy of consultation letter

To Parents, staff and governors, Yateley Infant and St Peter's Junior Schools and other statutory consultees.

8 December 2008

Amalgamation of Yateley Infant School and St Peter's CE Aided Junior School

Initial consultations took place in the autumn of 2007 on proposals to amalgamate Yateley Infant and St Peter's Junior Schools. Since then, comments received have been considered in detail and more work has been done to analyse the various options to achieve this amalgamation. Discussion with representatives from the governing bodies of the two schools has also continued during this period.

We are now able to let you have firm proposals, on which we will appreciate your comments, as follows:

1. For the County Council to propose the closure of the current Yateley Infant and St Peter's Junior Schools, with effect from 31 August 2010.

2. For Winchester Diocese to propose the establishment of a Voluntary Controlled (Church of England) Primary School, for 210 children age 4 - 11, on the site of Yateley Infant School, with effect from 1 September 2010. Additional accommodation will be provided by the County Council, initially in the form of a temporary building pending the availability of funding for a permanent extension to the existing buildings.

From the outset, the school will have good and suitable accommodation for its full number of pupils, and appropriate arrangements will be made for the existing pre-school playgroups currently operating from the two school sites.

The proposed new school will have Voluntary Controlled (Church of England) status. This will not be a factor in determining the admission of pupils to the school, but will relate more to the school's ethos and values.

If you would like to find out more, we will be holding a drop in session at Yateley Infant School on Monday 12 January 2009, from 1.00 pm to 5.00 pm..

We welcome your comments on these proposals, which will be taken into account by the Diocese and County Council when a decision is taken whether to proceed to the next stage, which will involve the publication of a public notice giving a formal period in which objections can be made.

Any comments should be sent to Ian Lawson, School Organisation Officer, Children's Services Department, The Castle, Winchester SO23 8UG, e-mail: [email protected], to arrive by 30 January 2009.

All comments received will by considered by the Diocese and the County Council's Executive Member in March, when decisions will be taken whether to publish statutory notices for these proposals. These will give a further six week period for formal objections before a final decision is made on this reorganisation.

Tony Blackshaw

Diocesan Director of Education

John Coughlan

Director of Children's Services

In addition to parents, staff and governors, this letter was sent to:

Teachers Liaison Panel

UNISON

GMB

TGWU (Unite)

Chief Executive, Hart District Council

Town Clerk, Yateley Town Council

Winchester Church of England Diocese

Portsmouth Catholic Diocese

Hampshire Early Years and Childcare Partnership

Yateley Community Pre-school

Footprints Pre-school

Head Teacher and Chair of Governors:

Westfields Infant School

Westfields Junior School

Newlands Primary School

Yateley School

Frogmore Infant School

Frogmore Junior School

Potley Hill Primary School

Frogmore Community College

Councillor Adrian Collett

Gerald Howarth MP