Archived decisions
Appendix 3c
Meeting on the proposed closure of Chineham Park Primary School
Staff
At Chineham Park Primary School on 11 November 2009
Present: Chris Holt HCC
Martin Shefferd HCC
Jean Leigh HCC
Simon Selwood HCC
Michelle Vaughan HCC
Alison Greenaway HCC
16 staff including Gwen Clifford, Headteacher
HCC officers delivered a brief presentation on the purpose of the meeting, the processes and the timescales.
The following questions were asked:
1. What union involvement has there been in the process so far?
2. Why were the Marnel schools extended when there are surplus places in the area?
3. Why was no mention made in the 2006 school places plan about the proposed extension to the Marnel schools?
4. If the school closes does it mean that everybody will be made redundant?
5. Can admissions work with the school to place children in the school rather than Marnel or Merton?
6. Is the Local Authority taking the opportunity to close the school now that it is in a category when the surplus place issue existed in 2002 and nothing was done?
7. When considering the forecast numbers for the school how far from the school do you consider housing developments?
8. How important is the variety of provision in the decision making process? We are the only 1FE primary school in the area.
9. Is this closure just on the numbers in the area or also based on the quality of education we are providing?
10. When the decision is made on the 17 December will it be to either continue the process or stop it, or is there another course of action?
11. Will you take into account the plans and decisions that the Headteacher has put into place to help this community?
12. It has been rumoured that people knew about the decision before 15 October. Would people have known about this decision before that date?
13. Has no decision been made to close the school or is this process a waste of time?
14. What would happen between now and the decision day if the numbers were to go down?
15. If the decision is not to close and the numbers go down, what happens?
16. If the decision is to close the school will it still be August 2010?
17. How do you expect us to come to work every day and give 100% if you are seeking to close us before the two years given to us by Ofsted to get out of special measures?
18. The school was placed in special measures in January 2009, why did it take so long to get approval to consult on the closure?
19. Why was the IEB put in place?
Comments:
1. I am concerned about the welfare of the children if they had to move to another school. For many children this school is their home. They will not get the same attention in another school that they get here and some of their problems may get ignored. These children need a smaller school to get the attention they require.
2. One third of the parents do not have access to transport so getting to another school will be problematic.
3. The school does not just help the pupils, it also helps the parents.
4. Building work in the area has stopped at the moment but I would hate to think that the closure of this school is part of a cost cutting exercise.
5. It would appear that no account is being taken of the HMI report in July which states that the school is making satisfactory progress to move out of special measures. The school has regained the ground lost between January and July and both KS1 and KS2 show considerable value added.
6. It has been difficult to appoint good staff to the school and many appointments have been NQTs. In order to further their own career they move on after a short while meaning new staff are required on a regular basis.
7. I worked in another school in Basingstoke which had been judged to be outstanding. I did not know all the children at that school but I do at this one.
8. Some children do not want to leave the school at holiday times and would prefer to continue coming to school. A member of staff speculated that this is probably a measure of the home life of some of the children.
9. We recognise that we have to attract more pupils and we are seeking to do that, including a new website being set up, but we need time.
10. Some children enter the school with very low ability. Having a small school allows us to work with those children to get this level up.
11. A view was expressed that It is not just the pupils that are needy, some of the parents are also needy.
12. There is a very high proportion of temporary housing in the area which leads to significant turbulence in the number on roll.
13. We lost some children following the Ofsted inspection but have lost more since the approval to consult about the closure.
14. Families have been relocated during the rebuilding process of the houses in the area and are now moving back so there will be an additional demand for places at the school.
15. The school has worked hard on the community cohesion agenda and is getting this right. We have also removed the barriers to learning. Ofsted is about the learning that follows, we can get this right.
16. I don't see the point in closing the school and then reopening it in a number of years and, in the meanwhile, you are dumping children in other schools.
17. No parent would choose Chineham Park Primary School whilst it is under threat of closure but you have asked us to get the numbers up. We can't do that whilst the threat of closure remains.
18. You are not acknowledging the progress that has been made since January 2009. That is not just about the learning at the school. There are considerable health issues in the school and we have worked hard to create an environment to help both the children and parents.
19. We knew in December 2008 that the school was in difficulties following a monitoring visit. Ofsted visited four weeks later!
20. It feels like there are a lot of barriers being put in place to stop us helping the children.