Agenda item

The Cabinet report sets out the findings of the meetings that have taken place with schools in the Coquet Partnership during the Spring Term 2022 to discuss the organisation of schools in the partnership, as requested by the first schools and in light of obtaining best value for capital funding for investment in schools in the partnership as allocated in the Council’s Medium Term Plan. Cabinet is also asked to permit the initiation of informal consultation on proposals for individual schools with stakeholders in the area served by Coquet Partnership.   Comments made by this Committee will be reported to Cabinet when they consider the item at the meeting on Tuesday 10 May 2022.

S Aviston, Head of School Organisation and Resources provided a detailed introduction to the report advising that the Council had approved the allocation of £25.5m of capital investment in schools in the Coquet Partnership. Before committing such investment to relevant school capital projects, Officers had met with school leaders collectively and individually in the partnership to discuss what structure of organisation of schools would be, in their view, the most effective in improving outcomes for pupils in all phases and for the long-term sustainability of the partnership.  The report set out the findings of those meetings, and as a result of feedback received by each Governing Body of the partnership schools to the Council, Cabinet was being asked to approve a six week consultation on proposals for a 2-tier structure in the Coquet Partnership with effect from 13 May 2022.

It was stressed by both the Chair and the Cabinet Member that, if Cabinet approval was provided, this was the start of the informal consultation, however there had been a great deal of work already undertaken with Schools and the review was not about school closures.

Members welcomed the investment in the Coquet Partnership, however questioned the support and challenge currently being offered to the schools in order to raise attainment levels, Members were advised that a number of packages had been put in place both within the partnership and in particular James Calvert Spence College (JCSC) following the Ofsted judgements of it requiring improvement. Recent Ofsted monitoring visits had judged that effective action was being taken and first schools were judged as being good.  It was difficult to make any prediction of results for this year, following the pandemic with STATs results expected the following week.

In response to a question regarding the potential for 450 pupils moving back into the Coquet partnership and possible consequences of falling numbers at other schools outside the partnership, Members were advised that discussions with these schools had already taken place and whilst it was thought they were supportive the results of any consultation would be waited.  At the current time there was a 23% surplus of places in the partnership and monitoring of both birth rates and housing development was undertaken yearly to feed into the School Organisation Plan. 

Work on developing costs and models for both Model A and Model B scenarios would be undertaken as part of any agreed information consultation and an outline business case would come to Committee if any changes were needed to budgets.  Council Officers would also broker a staff protocol agreement during this period.  It was clarified that there was no role for the Regional Schools Commissioner in this process as JCSC was a maintained school and it would be a Cabinet decision. The Local Authority would facilitate the consultation on behalf of the Head Teacher. 

In response to a question regarding the destination of post 16 pupils from JCSC it was confirmed that a key priority of the skills strategy was ensuring that pupils made the right choices at different key stages and the Local Authority’s role was to support school with their vocational offers.  The Educational Strategy Board and School Improvement Partnership reports which were scheduled for the next meeting would provide more detail.  Provision for pupils with SEND would also form part of the consultation process and a report would be coming to this Committee in September regarding provision in the whole of the County.

RESOLVED that Cabinet be advised that this Committee supported the recommendations outlined in the report.