Information on Loughborough

Cabinet asked to launch consultation exercise

Posted on 08/12/2009

Leicestershire Councty Council Cabinet Office

8 December 2009

Cabinet asked to launch consultation exercise

The County Council’s Cabinet will be asked to give the go-ahead to a consultation exercise about the future of a Leicestershire school at its meeting on December 15th.

Cabinet members will decide whether to launch an eight-week consultation about King Edward VII School in Melton Mowbray.

Parents, pupils, teachers and other stakeholders would be asked for their views on a range of options.

The governing bodies of Long Field School and John Ferneley College in Melton Mowbray have put forward a joint proposal for a long-term solution for the Melton and Vale of Belvoir schools’ partnership.  This would put learners first by ensuring schools have enough pupils and sufficient resources to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum and a full range of high quality GCSE choices.

The proposal would see the schools’ partnership comprise the two Melton secondary schools and Belvoir High School with the closure of King Edward VII School.  Under this proposal, the two Melton secondary schools would jointly manage the new Post-16 Centre on behalf of the partnership.

This proposal is being recommended as the preferred option of five, if Cabinet decides to consult.

At its last meeting, Cabinet asked County Council officers to look into another proposal put forward by the governing body of King Edward VII for the school to continue as an 11-19 school and manage the Post-16 Centre, with other partner secondary schools re-designated as 11-16 rather than 11-19 schools.

Although it has been carefully considered, this proposal would still see only around 300 11-16 year-olds attending the school.  The school could not deliver a broad and balanced curriculum with a wide range of GCSE options and would require a significant financial subsidy – costing council taxpayers around £750,000 a year.

This proposal does not have the support of the other two secondary schools in Melton Mowbray and Cabinet will be advised not to consider this as an option for consultation.

The Council’s original preferred way forward was to change the age range of King Edward VII from 11-19 to 16-19 so that the school became the provider for post-16 education to the partnership.  This would require the other two schools in the town to reduce their status from 11-19 to 11-16 schools.  Governors from Long Field School and John Ferneley College made clear they would not support this proposal.

If the consultation goes ahead, and the preferred option is agreed, there would be a phased movement of pupils.  From September, 2010 there would be no further Year 7 entrants to King Edward VII.  Current Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils would be given the opportunity to transfer to other partner schools in the area for the start of term in September, 2010.  Current Year 10 pupils would remain before moving to the new post-16 building at the beginning of the following academic year in 2011.  This would ensure that adequate arrangements are in place for those studying for their GCSEs.

Admission numbers and accommodation at John Ferneley College and Long Field School would be increased to take further pupils.

Ivan Ould, Cabinet Member for the Children and Young People’s Service, said: “The reorganisation of schools in Melton Mowbray and the Vale of Belvoir represents a long-term commitment by the County Council to transform schools, raise standards of achievement and give pupils wider curriculum opportunities.

“Consulting on King Edward VII is important in helping us to achieve our commitment to putting the needs of learners first and ensuring young people receive the best education possible.”

If a consultation exercise is launched, there will be the following options for King Edward VII School:

•John Ferneley College and Long Field School continuing to provide 11-19 education and jointly managing the post-16 provision with the closure of King Edward VII School

•Maintaining the status quo with a jointly managed post-16 provision

•Reducing the admission numbers at the other Melton secondary schools, with a jointly managed post-16 provision

•Amalgamating with another school (Long Field or John Ferneley), with a jointly managed post-16 provision

•Federating with another school or schools to increase support to King Edward VII, with a jointly managed post-16 provision.

Consultation documents would be distributed to a wide range of people, including: staff; governors; parents/carers; schools within the Partnership area; community users; and others with an interest in King Edward VII School.

The consultation exercise would run from 16th December, 2009 to 12th February, 2010.  The results would be presented to Cabinet in March, 2010.