BURNLEY HIGH SCHOOL Section 10 Public Consultation

BURNLEY HIGH SCHOOL

Section 10 Public Consultation:

From 28th October 2013 to 16th December 2013

Contents

1. Executive Summary ...... 2

2. Local Context ...... 5

3. Proposal ...... 6

4. Consultation scope and methods...... 9

5. Quantitative response from questionnaires ...... 19

6. Qualitative response from stakeholder meetings ...... 38

7. Conclusions ...... 40

8. Further Work ...... 41

Appendix 1 – Survey Questionnaire ...... 42

Appendix 2 – Prospectus (separate attachment) ...... 51

Appendix 3 – Letter from David Fishwick ...... 52

1. Executive Summary

1.1. Chapel St takes seriously the need to consult as community engagement is an extremely vital part of the strategy to build a locally-owned and needed school community, and an essential aspect of Chapel St’s ethos as an organisation committed to building and strengthening local communities. In line with requirements within Section 10 of the Academies Act 2010 for appropriate consultation, we also see it as a non- negotiable in order to develop the school that our students and families need and want. We have, therefore, consulted widely on the Free School proposal for the setting up of Burnley High School (BHS) to open September 2014 with the first cohort of Year 7 classes.

1.2. In winter 2013, we undertook the Section 10 (S10) Community Consultation in Burnley. Stakeholders were made aware of the consultation through extensive publicity, including widespread coverage in local media, as well as a concerted effort to make contact with key stakeholders and the local community.

1.3. At the time of the S10 Consultation, negotiations over the preferred site were ongoing. As such, we were unable to provide detail as to the exact location of BHS. Despite this, we included a question inviting respondents to participate in a further consultation over the site once the location was made public.

1.4. A separate consultation regarding the proposed site of BHS is therefore being planned, and will commence in line with progress on site negotiations.

1.5. We began our formal S10 Consultation on 28th October 2013, concluding on 16th December 2013, thus giving well over 6 weeks outside of holiday times in order to allow ample time for people to reflect and respond.

1.6. We wanted to ensure that we achieved a good breadth of engagement with the community and achieved this through emails, press releases, media coverage, online surveys, individual contact made via ‘phone, posters on display throughout the community, public meetings and direct mailing. We are therefore confident that we have reached the wider community and provided its diverse constituents with an opportunity to engage in the consultation process.

1.7. We initiated direct contact with a large number of stakeholders, including staff in Early Years settings, Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and local community groups and organisations. In addition, we have attended meetings with a number of groups and contacts where we have also achieved a good rate of response.

1.8. As well as conducting public meetings, our local team have taken time to talk personally with key stakeholders. They have spent significant lengths of time meeting on a one-to- one basis with those who preferred this kind of communication as this was more appropriate for some groups. This means that the breadth of engagement achieved by the consultation was coupled with good depth.

1.9. As well as meeting parents and carers at consultation events and meetings, we conducted outreach activities to encourage communication with the local community - including an event in Tesco Padiham during a busy period.

1.10. Throughout the consultation period, a campaign was undertaken by certain groups in order to encourage the expression of significant opposition to the BHS proposal. This campaign took the form of several items in the local press, including some misleading, but strongly-held, assertions, as well as mass communications to membership bodies asking for opposition responses to be submitted to the official consultation. Chapel St sought to deliver a fair and open consultation process, and are keen to listen to and understand all points of view – positive and negative. As such, the results of this consultation include all responses received during the consultation period.

1.11. Of significant note, and of particular encouragement, is that despite the negative campaign, and extensive press coverage, the majority of respondents are in favour of both the need for a new secondary school, and of the proposal for the Department for Education to enter into a Funding Agreement with Chapel St to open Burnley High School.

1.12. Additionally, of all the parents/carers of eligible-aged children who responded to the consultation (87 in total), only 2 expressed opposition to the need for a new secondary school.

1.13. Our extensive publicity and engagement activity has resulted in a total of 201 responses from a wide range of stakeholders, including:

Parents and carers – not only those who will send their children to BHS in September 2014, but those who may choose BHS in future years Early Years settings Primary Heads and staff Secondary Heads and staff Lancashire County Council Burnley Borough Council Local business leaders Local faith groups and leaders Local community groups and Community Centres Local residents Local sports clubs Local Amateur Groups Local health care providers Local MPs Local councillors Teachers’ unions, including Unison, NUT, NAHT, ATL and NASUWT Emergency services Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) Skills Funding Agency Local post-16 education providers.

The majority of responses received have been positive, with 88 (44.22%) strongly agreeing and 31 (15.58%) agreeing that ‘a new secondary school is needed in the area’ – thus confirming the community need for Burnley High School remains strong. This is in comparison to 64 (32.16%) and 3 (1.51%) strongly disagreeing or disagreeing that a school is needed. Indeed, the overwhelming majority of responses from local parents were in favour of the BHS proposal.

In order to demonstrate balance, we would also point out that a number of the stakeholders have had reservations - namely representatives of teaching unions and some politicians. These mainly consisted of principled objections to Free Schools, as

well as concerns regarding surplus places in the borough, rather than concerns specific to the education offer presented in the consultation process. We will outline the concerns that were raised later in this report and will continue to communicate with all these groups to make sure we listen to their feedback and concerns.

We specifically asked the following question, being mindful that this was the central question emphasised in Section 10 of the Academies Act 2010 and requiring a definitive answer:

Do you support the proposal for the Department for Education to enter into a Funding Agreement with the Chapel Street Community Schools Trust to run the proposed Burnley High School? This would mean that you agree that the Department for Education should fund Burnley High School when open with Chapel St as the sponsor.

The response was:

Yes 116 (59.18%) No 64 (32.65%) Don’t Know 16 (8.16%)

We, therefore, conclude that there is strong support for this project to go ahead.

We will be publishing the key findings of our consultation process through our website, blog and newsletters, as well as information on how we will remain in contact with the local community. We are keen to show that we want to be responsive to all comments made. Where individual respondents have asked questions or made suggestions we will make sure we respond to them.

2. Local Context

2.1. BHS is a response to the demand of parents and carers, leaders and the local community for a new secondary school in Burnley. In 2012 Chapel St began to explore the demand for a new secondary school, given the desire amongst parents for outstanding educational outcomes. Since then, the Chapel St team have had the privilege to work with many local community members, leaders and partners, and continue to work hard to foster a spirit of partnership across the whole community.

2.2. Our proposal was approved by the Department for Education in Spring 2013 to move into the pre-opening phase. BHS plans to admit 90 students per year, delivering a specialism in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) with an emphasis on sustainability, and following the National Curriculum. BHS will adopt a project-based learning and individualised educational approach, enriched by local volunteer support, to meet the need for outstanding educational outcomes.

3. Proposal

3.1. Chapel St’s proposal, which is listed below, was explained in detail in the S10 questionnaire, together with the BHS Prospectus, both of which were available to all respondents and are included as appendices to this report.

3.2. Educational offer

Chapel Street Community Schools Trust is the sponsor of Burnley High School, a new state-funded secondary school due to open in September 2014. It already sponsors Atherton Community School, a Free School that opened successfully in September 2012, as well as Tyndale Community School in September 2013.

Chapel St Schools put children first, developing well-rounded, confident and caring young people who care about their community and are prepared for a life of learning. Recognising the vital role that parents and carers play in their child’s learning, we seek to involve families at every step along the way and thus help to accelerate a child’s development and enrich family life. While acknowledging and supporting families to play a vital role we also know it takes a community to raise a child. To this end we look forward to engaging and equipping local residents, leaders and groups to invest in the lives of children and families and ensure that Burnley High School becomes a hub of community activity and life.

In our bid to develop a child-centred, family focused and community-minded school, we are pleased to have this opportunity to consult with local residents and groups and in so doing begin the work of engaging the wider community in conversations about the exciting future of Burnley High School.

Burnley High School will open in September 2014 welcoming our first group of children into Year 7. The school will serve families throughout Burnley.

A summary of some of the key features of this new school include:

A specialism in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) with an emphasis on sustainability, and following the National Curriculum An excellent education individually tailored to each student in a deliberately smaller school (90 students per year). Our sister school in Atherton is already seeing outstanding results A focus on sustainability and a low-carbon future, helping students to both gain a greater understanding of these issues and take advantage of the changing employment market An outstanding Executive Principal, Elizabeth Haddock, has already been appointed A staff member as a coach for every student to build children’s confidence, aid motivation and raise achievement An active partnership with parents and carers, working alongside them in educating their children A Christian ethos, welcoming families of all faiths and none.

3.3. Admissions

BHS wishes to work in harmony with the locally coordinated admissions procedures. Within our consultation processes we were clear about our admissions numbers,

process, policy and procedures. Our Admissions Policy has been publicised and made available online.

3.4. School ethos

We also made sure we covered information about our Christian ethos and culture, taking time to reassure stakeholders that our designation as a school of religious character is an inclusive one. BHS will be open to all regardless of faith, ethnicity, educational need, gender or sexual orientation. As well as clear explanation in the Prospectus and details held on the website, in the questionnaire we stated the following:

“Informed by our Christian values a Chapel St School provides a place of grace, love and fellowship where children know that they are part of a supportive local community, valued for who they are and developed according to their unique strengths and potential. Staff will work with people of all faiths and no faith to realise this vision for all children, families and the wider community to work together for the good of the whole community. What are your views about this statement?”

Respondents were asked whether they accepted or rejected this statement or indeed, had no view. Of the 201 that responded, 70.16% (134) stated that they accepted the statement, 15.71% (30) had no view and 14.14% (27) rejected the statement.

Furthermore, our questionnaire asked:

“Is the Christian ethos of Burnley High School a key reason why you would choose to send your child to our school?”

Out of the 185 respondents who chose to answer this question, 55.14% (102) stated that this was a key reason. 14.05% (26) did not know, and 30.81% (57) stated that this was not a key reason.

3.5. Special Educational Needs (SEN)/Inclusion

Because of our inclusive ethos we gathered information and feedback around our SEN policy and focus. Inclusion is central to our vision and ethos, underpinning educational opportunities and sponsoring success and achievement for all. We will invest in children with SEN and develop students who are especially gifted or talented in certain areas.

We asked the following in the questionnaire:

“The proposed Burnley High School will work to the SEN Code of Practice. Children who have Special Educational Needs or Disabilities will be welcome at our school and will have a range of provision from in-class differentiation to additional support where needed. Would you like to comment regarding Special Educational Needs or Disabilities provision?”

Any hard copy questionnaires distributed were given with relevant information about the school and information showing how to access information from the website.

A total of 43 comments were made. Many (16) were explicitly supportive of this statement, including one who commented that “Other mainstream schools can lack support when it’s required, this sounds very good - something I feel very strongly about”. Several (17) commented that SEN provision within the borough was already strong but

did not go on to suggest that this indicated the statement was not valid in the case of BHS.

One respondent objected that “Free schools are now only providing in-class support delivered by teaching assistants to SEN pupils instead of the much needed one-to-one teaching, by qualified SEN teachers.” Our proposals detailed that Burnley High School will create a personalised programme for each SEN child, which will give them the support they need to flourish whilst allowing them to spend the majority of their time in class.

Other comments were as follows:

Existing provision: 19 respondents took the opportunity to state that other schools in Burnley already offer SEN provision. 5 stated that there was nothing in the statement that did not apply already to all schools.

Questions: One respondent expressed concern that enquired as to whether BHS was specifically aiming to admit SEN students.

4. Consultation scope and methods

4.1. The table in section 4.5 lists the stakeholder groups, the methods used to inform them of the consultation and the methods used to record their views.

4.2. Formal Public Consultation meetings:

As part of this consultation, two public consultation meetings were hosted by Chapel St and were held on the dates listed below.

Attendees had the opportunity to meet members of the Chapel St team, the Chief Executive of Chapel St, and the Executive Principal for BHS at each meeting. Each meeting covered the major issues addressed in the consultation and provided an opportunity for any questions to be raised and answered.

The meeting on 13th November 2013 was chaired by Russell Rook, and consisted of a parents’ forum followed by an open question and answer session for anyone to attend. The mood in the parents’ forum was very positive, with a wide range of community members, parents, and children in attendance. The whole Chapel St team stayed after the closure of the parents’ forum to talk to the wider group of attendees and provide them with the opportunity to ask any further questions. The following open question and answer session was less well attended, with a few union representatives and community members in attendance.

The event on 4th December 2013 took a different format, running as an afternoon drop-in session where members of the community could attend to meet with members of the Chapel St team, in order to ask any questions they may have. This session ran for four hours.

Attendance at these events varied greatly, but amounted in total to approximately 210 attendees.

4.2.1 13th November 2013 (Parents’ Forum, followed by S10 Q&A) Approximately 205 people attended the first event. The event was publicised through local press, posters, email notices, newsletters, website information and media, and attendees included parents and carers, and members of the wider community. The parents’ forum consisted of a presentation on the proposal, together with updates on progress in order to ensure that respondents to the consultation were fully informed. Students from Atherton Community School gave a presentation to the meeting, in order to give an accurate picture of a typical Chapel St school’s life and culture.

It also provided an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions about any subject to do with the school, including all aspects of the site, and questions covered educational progress, whether all teachers would be fully qualified, staffing levels and capacity, and provision for SEN pupils.

The following S10 Question and Answer session was attended by 6 people, and largely covered concerns from local union representatives and a community resident. Questions covered the evidence gathered in support of the initial school bid to the Department for Education, the impact of BHS on other school provision in the area, and potential impact on community cohesion efforts within the borough.

4.2.2 4th December 2013 The second event took the form of an open drop-in session, taking place through the afternoon from 12.00 – 16.00, and was held at Burnley Life Church. 4 people attended this event. The event was advertised through local press, email notices, newsletters, website information and media, as well as personal invitations and telephone calls. Attendees included local residents, a local union representative and a local journalist. Areas of enquiry included the impact of BHS on existing schools, the effect on community cohesion, and the location of the school.

4.3. Table of Stakeholders, Methods of Publicity and Methods of Consultation

The local team have been regularly engaging local community groups on the progress of the BHS project. Below are some of the groups that team members have talked with or presented to in the consultation period.

Stakeholder group Methods of Publicity Methods of consultation Prospective • Press releases • Consultation questionnaire parents/carers • Press coverage, (including letters responses and editorial content) • Parents’ Forum Events • Online publicity (Burnley High • Public Consultation Q&A School website and central Chapel Event St website) • Public Consultation Drop-In • BBC Radio Lancashire interview Event with Chapel St CEO (15th • Distribution of link to online December 2013) questionnaire survey • Emails and letters to those on • Letters and email database (200+) contributions to the • Wide distribution of posters, consultation process including display in high footfall public areas in the BB12 postcode, and local Early Years’ settings. • Parents’ Forum events • Shopping centre outreach Early Years Settings • Email and telephone contact • Consultation questionnaire made, Prospectus and link to responses consultation questionnaire shared; • Parents’ Forum Events groups included Whitegate • Public Consultation Q&A Childrens’ Centre, Igtenhill Event Nursery, Taywood Nursery, • Public Consultation Drop-In Igtenhill Surestart, and Chai Event Centre. • Distribution of link to online questionnaire survey • Letters and email contributions to the consultation process Local primary school • Email and telephone contact • Consultation questionnaire head teachers, staff, made, Prospectus and link to responses and governing bodies consultation questionnaire shared; • Public Consultation Q&A groups included Wheatley Lane Event Primary School, St Anne’s, St • Public Consultation Drop-In John’s, Hapton CE Methodist Event Primary, Barden Primary, Igtenhill • Distribution of link to online Primary, Rosegrove Infants, and St questionnaire survey

John’s (Higham) – (see full list in • Letters and email section 4.4.3) contributions to the • Lancashire County Council also consultation process shared information on the consultation process with all local schools. Local secondary • Email and telephone contact • Consultation questionnaire school head made, Prospectus, link to responses teachers, staff, and consultation questionnaire, and • Public Consultation Q&A governing bodies invitation to all public events Event shared; groups included Sir John • Public Consultation Drop-In Thursby Community College, Unity Event College, Shuttleworth College, • Distribution of link to online Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic questionnaire survey College, and Hameldon • Letters and email Community College. contributions to the • Lancashire County Council also consultation process shared information on the consultation process with all local schools. Lancashire County • Email and telephone contact made • Minutes of the Burnley Action Council and Burnley with both Councils Partnership Executive th Borough Council • Chapel St CEO attendance at meeting (14 November Burnley Action Partnership 2013) meeting, attended by Chief • Distribution of link to online Executive of LCC, BBC’s Leader of questionnaire survey the Council, and other BBC • Letters and email Council Officers contributions to the • Personal invitation to participate in consultation process consultation sent to Kaarina McCooey of LCC, who coordinated the Local Authority response Local Community • Email and telephone contact made • Consultation questionnaire Groups with Community Solutions, responses Gannow Community Centre, • Public Consultation Q&A Nelson Town Hall, Burnley Event Information Centre, Big Local • Public Consultation Drop-In (Gannow), Vanguard Community Event Centre, Stoneyholme & • Distribution of link to online Daneshouse Youth & Community questionnaire survey Centre, Bleak House Community • Letters and email Centre, Stoops & Hargher Clough contributions to the Community Centre, Belmont consultation process Community Centre, Playleadership Centre, Fraser Street Project Ltd and Padiham Youth Centre. • Posters, questionnaires, and Prospectuses distributed • Chapel St CEO attendance at Burnley Action Partnership meeting, attended by Terry Hephrun of CVS, Barbara Trencher of Prince’s Charities, and Helen Campbell of Burnley

Children and Young People’s Trust. Local Sports Clubs • Email and telephone contact • Consultation questionnaire made, Prospectus, link to responses consultation questionnaire, and • Public Consultation Q&A invitation to all public events Event shared; groups included • Public Consultation Drop-In Lowerhouse Cricket Club, Event Rosegrove Junior Football Club, • Distribution of link to online Burnley Football Club, and Burnley questionnaire survey Cricket Club • Letters and email • Posters, questionnaires, and contributions to the prospectuses distributed consultation process Local Amateur • Email and telephone contact • Consultation questionnaire Groups made, Prospectus, link to responses consultation questionnaire, and • Public Consultation Q&A invitation to all public events Event shared; groups included Burnley • Public Consultation Drop-In Youth Theatre, Greenbock Event Amateur Dramatics • Distribution of link to online • Posters, questionnaires, and questionnaire survey prospectuses distributed • Letters and email contributions to the consultation process Housing and • Email and telephone contact • Consultation questionnaire Residents’ made, Prospectus, link to responses Associations consultation questionnaire, and • Public Consultation Q&A invitation to all public events Event shared; groups included Calico, • Public Consultation Drop-In and Palace & Woodbine Residents Event Association • Distribution of link to online • Posters, questionnaires, and questionnaire survey Prospectuses distributed • Letters and email contributions to the consultation process Local Business and • Email and telephone contact • Consultation questionnaire Community Leaders made, Prospectus, link to responses consultation questionnaire, and • Public Consultation Q&A invitation to all public events Event shared; including Gary Entwistle of • Public Consultation Drop-In Cherry Tree Bakery, Sean Holly of Event ESP, David Fishwick of Burnley • Distribution of link to online Savings and Loans, and Mark Hirst questionnaire survey of Community Solutions. • Letters and email • Posters, questionnaires, and contributions to the Prospectuses distributed consultation process Local Faith Groups • Email and telephone contact • Consultation questionnaire made, Prospectus, link to responses consultation questionnaire, and • Public Consultation Q&A invitation to all public events Event shared; contacts included the • Public Consultation Drop-In Methodist Superintendent Minister, Event the Church of England Area Dean, • Distribution of link to online All Saints Church of England, the questionnaire survey

Salvation Army, The Mission • Letters and email (Nelson), Rosehill Baptist, contributions to the Hurstwood Church, Burnley and consultation process Pendle Faith Centre, and Building Bridges Inter Faith group • Posters, questionnaires, and Prospectuses distributed SACRE • An offer was made to deliver a • Consultation questionnaire presentation to the SACRE group responses meeting taking place on the 25th • Letters and email November 2013 by Peter Baker. contributions to the SACRE declined the offer of a consultation process presentation, but did distribute questionnaires to their members. • Invitations to the public events were distributed within SACRE. Local Healthcare • Email and telephone contact • Consultation questionnaire Providers, made, Prospectus, link to responses Community, and consultation questionnaire, and • Public Consultation Q&A Public Health invitation to all public events Event organisations shared; groups included Kiddrow • Public Consultation Drop-In Lane Surgery, St Peters Centre, Event Youthwork, NACRO (employment • Distribution of link to online and skills agency), Inspire (Drug questionnaire survey and Alcohol Recovery), Community Alcohol Service (Burnley, Pendle & Rossendale), Burnley Youth Offending Team, Brook (Sexual Health Services). Emergency Services • Email and telephone contact • Distribution of link to online made, Prospectus, link to questionnaire survey consultation questionnaire, and • Public Consultation Q&A invitation to all public events Event shared; contact made with local • Public Consultation Drop-In Policing team, fire services and Event ambulance service • Letters and email • Chapel St CEO attendance at contributions to the Burnley Action Partnership group, consultation process attended by Victoria Crorken of Lancashire Constabulary, Dianne Gardner of LCC Public Health, and Mark Hutton of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. Skills Funding • Email and telephone contact • Distribution of link to online Agency made, Prospectus, link to questionnaire survey consultation questionnaire, and • Letters and email invitation to all public events contributions to the shared. consultation process Local Union • Email and telephone contact • Consultation questionnaire Representatives made, Prospectus, link to responses consultation questionnaire, and • Public Consultation Q&A invitation to all public events Event shared; Unions included Chris • Public Consultation Drop-In Holdsworth (NUT - Burnley Rep), Event

North West Regional Office – NUT, • Distribution of link to online Lancashire Office – NUT, North questionnaire survey West Regional Office – NASUWT, • Letters and email Bob Waring - Lancashire Branch contributions to the Secretary (ATL), Jim Howarth – consultation process Lancashire Branch Secretary (ATL), and Rod Marsden - Lancashire Branch President (ATL). Post-16 Education • Email and telephone contact • Consultation questionnaire Providers made, Prospectus, link to responses consultation questionnaire, and • Public Consultation Q&A invitation to all public events Event shared; groups included Burnley • Public Consultation Drop-In College, UCLAN Campus, and the Event UTC. • Distribution of link to online questionnaire survey • Letters and email contributions to the consultation process

4.4 Engagement activities and meetings with stakeholders

4.4.1 Engaging parents and carers In order to engage parents and carers in the wider community, Chapel St and the BHS team have engaged in a number of ways both prior to and during the consultation period. It was our aim to engage those parents and carers who would not only send their children to BHS in September 2014, but with those who may choose BHS in future years. Our approach has been not only to work with the projects in the community but to engage parents and carers in and around pre-school groups. In addition to regular contact with Early Years settings, we sent a mailshot to 20,000 homes to raise the profile of Chapel St in the community, and therefore the consultation process also.

The following depicts the progress we have made in our engagements.

Tesco Padiham: We engaged with a range of shoppers in Tesco Padiham during a busy shopping period, and a public information stand was set up and staffed between 10.00 and 16.30. A wide range of community members were engaged, with a number of different groups being offered the opportunity to provide their views to the consultation. Shoppers were given the opportunity to meet with members of the project team, as well as other volunteers, and ask questions regarding the school. In general, the reception was positive.

Public meetings: During the formal consultation, we hosted public meetings where parents and carers could come and ask questions about BHS. The Parents’ Forum and the following Consultation Q&A Session was very well attended by 200 parents, carers, and children. Families represented were clearly excited by the prospect of the school but keen to receive assurances concerning the location of the school site.

Parent Liaison: The BHS Parent Liaison team worked throughout the consultation process in order to make and maintain contact with all interested parents and carers. A mailing list was kept of all interested parties, and regular communication – including newsletters with updates on the progress of the BHS project – was made throughout. Every parent that the team engaged with was informed of the consultation, and encouraged to ‘spread the word’ in order to maximise the reach of the consultation. This team has been crucial in properly understanding the concerns of local parents and carers.

The main concern expressed by parents was regarding the location of the school site. As this information was not publically available throughout the consultation period, this represented a challenge, although Chapel St and the Parent Liaison Team sought to reassure all concerned that as soon as information was publically available, they would be kept informed.

4.4.2 Early Years Settings Contact was made with the following local Early Years settings, and most were followed up by members of our local team:

Whitegate Childrens’ Centre, Igtenhill Nursery, Taywood Nursery, Igtenhill Surestart, and Chai Centre.

Publicity and information (including copies of the BHS prospectus and Consultation Questionnaire) was distributed, and communication with all Early Years groups is continuing.

4.4.3 Primary and Secondary School Heads, staff and governors Head teachers at all local primary and secondary schools were emailed directly during the consultation process and invited to complete a questionnaire. The email gave web-links to the BHS website from which the prospectus could be downloaded, and the questionnaire completed online.

Contact was made with the following schools:

Primary Schools: Lowerhouse, Igthenhill, Hapton, Whittlefield, Wheatley Lane, Rosegrove Infants, St Annes (Edgeside), St John’s (Reed), Heasandford, St Paul’s (Nelson), Padiham Green, St John’s (Cliviger), St John’s (Higham), Worsthorne, Briercliffe, Barden Primary, Holy Trinity CofE, Christ the King RC, Brunshaw, St Leonard’s, St John the Baptist RC, Wellfield CofE Methodist, Stoneyholme, St Stephen’s, St Peter’s CofE, St Mary’s RC, St James Lanehead CofE, Casterton, Rosewood Primary, Springfield Community, St John the Baptist RC, Padiham Primary, St Augustine’s, and St Mary’s Magdalene. Secondary Schools: Sir John Thursby Community College, Unity College, Shuttleworth College, Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, and Hameldon Community College.

In total, 42 respondents identified themselves as staff members or Governors at local schools (14 from Primaries, and 28 from Secondaries). Communication and contact with all schools is ongoing.

4.4.4 Lancashire County Council The Chapel St team members continue to build and enjoy positive relationships with Lancashire County Council officers, and the LA has a representative (Ajay Sethi) on the BHS Project Steering Group.

4.4.5 Faith Groups When planning the consultation we recognised the role that local churches and faith groups would have in enabling us to reach the wider community. A meeting was held at Life Church in Burnley, and all local Church leaders were invited to attend in order to submit their views to the consultation. Despite a wide range of invitations, only two faith leaders attended, although several invitees submitted their responses to the consultation separately.

4.4.6 Local businesses Emails and letters were sent to the following local businesses and business organisations as part of the consultation: Cherry Tree Bakery: contact made with CEO, Gary Entwistle; ESP: contact made with Sean Holly; Burnley Savings and Loans: contact made with David Fishwick, a high- profile local businessman with significant media profile. A supporting letter was received, and is included in this report as Appendix 3. Mr Fishwick writes:

“From the information we received from David Trott, it is clear that Burnley High School is to be a family focussed secondary school, which aims to benefit the local community. I feel this is an excellent initiative, and one that will provide a good level of education and support to children in Burnley.”

4.4.7 Local MPs, Local Councillors, Cabinet members Input into the consultation was invited from local MPs, Councillors, and Cabinet Members. Both the MP for Burnley and the MP for Pendle are supportive of the school proposal.

4.4.8 Teachers’ Unions As part of the consultation process, contact was made with representatives from Unison, NUT, NASUWT, NAHT, and ATL. Representatives were invited to participate in the consultation process, made aware of the dates of all public events, and given links to the Prospectus and online survey. This resulted in significant response to the consultation process. Lancashire Unison, along with other unions, publicised the consultation and invited all members to contribute to the process through their website on 4th December 2013. The local teaching unions have coordinated a campaign against the school, being ideologically opposed to the policy, and have raised concerns as to how Burnley High School might impact other local secondary schools.

A group of local leaders and stakeholders including Julie Cooper (Leader of Burnley Council), Building Bridges and a number of unions, such as ATL and NUT, issued a press release on 10th December 2013, published by local media outlets raising concerns about the “…effect on other schools and the diversion of funds towards the free school proposal.”

The consultation has encouraged a wide range of community members and organisations to share views and concerns about the creation of Burnley High School. It has been essential for the sponsors, both in the context of the consultation, for the long term success of the project and for the integrity of Chapel St as a community organisation to hear and record the views of those opposed to the project and to provide opportunities for honest and open dialogue between a wide range of leaders and stakeholders.

Despite the coordination of a negative campaign, the consultation results show a majority in favour of BHS. It is also worthy of note that of all the negative responses received throughout the consultation period, only 2 of these came from those who identified themselves as having a child of eligible age to attend BHS.

4.5. Publicity, Press and Media Engagement Throughout the consultation period, a number of articles and letters were published in the local newspapers. The list below shows the publication, date, and headline, together with a link to the online content (correct as of 30th January 2014).

Lancashire Telegraph: 28th October 2013 – ‘‘Free school’ views sought for Burnley High Street’ (http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/10767587.___Free_school____view s_sought_for_Burnley_High_Street/?ref=rss) Burnley and Pendle Citizen: 28th October 2013 – ‘‘Free school’ views sought for Burnley High Street’ (http://www.burnleycitizen.co.uk/news/burnley/10767587.___Free_school____vie ws_sought_for_Burnley_High_Street/?ref=rss) Lancashire Telegraph: 25th November 2013 – ‘Letter: The facts about Free Schools’

(http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/opinion/letters/10832465.Letter__The_fact s_about_Free_Schools/) Lancashire Telegraph: 26th November 2013 – ‘Fall in roll brings fear for Burnley schools’ (http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/10835040.Fall_in_roll_brings_fear_fo r_Burnley_schools/) Blackburn Citizen: 6th December 2013 – ‘Darwen academy in link to new free school’ (http://www.blackburncitizen.co.uk/news/darwen/10860568.Darwen_academy_in _link_to_new_free_school/) Burnley Express: 7th December 2013 – ‘Free school will take money from existing schools’ (http://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/letters/free-school-will-take-money- from-existing-schools-1-6300930) Burnley Express: 9th December 2013 – ‘Anger grows over proposed “Free School”’ (http://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/education/anger-grows-over- proposed-free-school-1-6304135) Lancashire Telegraph: 11th December 2013 – ‘Campaign to stop Burnley's first free school launched’ (http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/burnleypendlerossendale/10869833. Campaign_to_stop_Burnley_s_first_free_school_launched/) Burnley and Pendle Citizen: 11th December 2013 – ‘Campaign to stop Burnley's first free school launched’ (http://www.burnleycitizen.co.uk/news/10869833.Campaign_to_stop_Burnley_s_f irst_free_school_launched/) Burnley Express: 13th December 2013 – ‘New school will be a real benefit to the whole town’ (http://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/letters/new-school-will-be-a- real-benefit-to-the-whole-town-1-6314799) Pendle Today: 13th December 2013 – ‘Why the opposition Building Schools for the Future was an expensive failure’ (http://www.pendletoday.co.uk/news/letters/why-the-opposition-building-schools- for-the-future-was-an-expensive-failure-1-6314818)

Burnley High School has also used various other marketing tools to engage with the local community during the consultation process. These include:

News updates on the school's website: http://www.burnleyhighschool.co.uk Regular email updates and communications Leaflets delivered to over 20,000 homes Posters displayed throughout the local community of BB12 and in local businesses.

5. Quantitative response from questionnaires

5.1. Chapel St published a detailed prospectus that outlined its vision for transforming education and the community through the school. This was made available in all contexts alongside the questionnaire. It should be noted that not every questionnaire was completed in full and there were a number of examples where respondents answered more than one category. We have had 201 completed questionnaires both online and in hard copy but when analysing results you will note that rarely have we had all questions responded to.

The first section of this questionnaire aimed to establish the profile of the respondents. The answers to this tranche of questions are presented in table 5.2.

Note: We received 201 completed questionnaires; however, not all respondents answered every question, and on some questions respondents selected more than one option. Therefore, total number of responses may vary between questions. This is identified throughout the following data.

. 5.2. Table showing profile of respondents

Question Possible Answers (267 responses – some Number & % of respondents ticked more than one option) respondents What connection do you have Parent/carer of child at a local primary school, with the proposed Burnley 79 39.30% nursery, or Children’s Centre High School, if any? Staff/Governor at local primary school, nursery, 14 6.97% or Children’s Centre Parent/carer of child at local secondary school 11 5.47% Staff/Governor at local secondary school 28 13.93% Local business 9 4.48% Local resident 66 32.84% Local community/faith group 46 22.89% Member of Emergency Services 2 1.00% Other 8 3.98% No choice made 4 1.99%

Of those who selected ‘Other’, six identified themselves in the following ways:

"Concerned member of the public" "Member of Association of School and College Leaders Lancashire" "A knight of St Columba" "Local Teacher" "Interested in education and community cohesion in Burnley" "Grandparent"

Note: Whilst the survey allowed respondents to tick all the boxes that applied, a comparison of responses to this question with others on individual forms shows that some respondents chose just one fitting category as the ‘best fit.’ In particular, respondents stating that they were parents with children at a local school did not also

tick ‘local resident.’ The data on postcodes below therefore give a more accurate impression of the geographic spread of respondents.

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (194 responses) respondents Please specify your age: 16-24 12 6.19% 25-34 28 14.43% 35-44 49 25.26% 45-59 63 32.47% 60+ 42 21.65%

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (193 responses) respondents Please specify your gender: Male 77 39.90%

Female 116 60.10%

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (193 responses) respondents Do you have a child that you would expect to be Yes in 2014 52 26.94% eligible to attend the School when it opens? Yes in 2015 or later 35 18.13% No 106 54.92%

Of the 87 respondents that answered ‘Yes’ to the previous question, the following questions were asked:

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (86 responses) respondents Do you live in Burnley? Yes 81 94.19%

No 5 5.81%

Note: Details and count of postcode areas of the 5 respondents that answered ‘No’ to the question ‘Do you live in Burnley?’

BB4 (2) BB8 (1) BB9 (1) BB12 (1)

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (72 responses) respondents How far are you prepared for your child to travel to get Less than 1 mile 6 8.33% to their local school? 1 mile 4 5.56%

2 miles 21 29.17%

3 miles+ 41 56.94%

Note: Several respondents specified an acceptable travelling distance but NOT a form of transport. Several respondents selected more than one acceptable travelling distance; in each case the greatest travelling distance was taken as the acceptable distance, seeing as each distance was seen as acceptable.

Respondents were invited to add any comments regarding travel issues they wanted to share. In some cases, respondents used this opportunity to comment on the application in general – in these instances, we have moved these comments to the table detailing general comments in section 5.4. Travel-related comments covered the following main topics:

General support for a local school: three respondents commented on their preference for a local school, in order to reduce travel and commuting times, while one noted they would prefer not to send their child out of Burnley for their schooling.

Difficulty of commenting while site unconfirmed: four respondents noted that it was difficult to make specific comment on travel until the preferred site was announced.

Provision of transport: two respondents enquired what transport provision would be made available, and one expressed a preference for prefects to have a presence on school buses.

The profile of the respondents appears to be fairly evenly split between those who identify themselves as: parents/carers of children in an Early Years setting, Primary school, or Children’s Centre (39.30%); a local resident (32.84%), or; member of a community/faith group (22.89%).

The geographical spread of the respondents shows that a great number of respondents came from the north Burnley area, although the outliers and wider spread of responses are worthy of note.

Local view of respondents’ location

Wider view of respondents’ location

5.3. The profiling shows the number of people who have responded via the questionnaire are generally local people with an interest either in their community or in their children’s future. This sets the context for the second section of the questionnaire, which asked for opinions on various aspects of the new school. The results of these questions are outlined below:

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (199 responses) respondents A new secondary school is needed in the area. Do you Strongly agree 88 44.22% agree with this statement? Agree 31 15.58%

No view 13 6.53%

Disagree 3 1.51%

Strongly disagree 64 32.16%

Note: further analysis was undertaken on the responses to the previous question. When stratified against the question ‘Do you have a child that you would expect to be eligible to attend the School when it opens?’ a clear pattern emerges. The table below shows the spread of responses for both of these questions:

A new secondary school is needed in the area. Do you agree with this statement?

Strongly Strongly Grand Row Labels [Blank] Agree No view Disagree agree disagree Total [Blank] 1 1 1 1 4 8 Do you have No 31 11 3 3 58** 106 a child that would be Yes in 2014 37 13 2 52

eligible to Yes in 2015 or later 1 19 6 7 2* 35 attend BHS? Grand Total 2 88 31 13 3 64 201

From this table, we can see the following points: * Of all respondents with a child that would be eligible to attend BHS, only 2 disagree that a new secondary school is needed in the area ** The majority of those who disagree a school is needed (58) do not have a child of eligible age.

This reflects a pattern that was observed in the public sessions – parents are strongly supportive of the BHS proposal, whereas opposition tends to originate from other groups.

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (194 responses) respondents Burnley High School will ensure that it provides places Strongly Agree 70 36.08% for children of all abilities, most of whom will come from the local area. We intend to attract local pupils Agree 53 27.32% from the immediate area surrounding the school. Do you agree with this statement? No view 16 8.25%

Disagree 15 7.73%

Strongly Disagree 40 20.62%

Note: One respondent selected 'Agree' and 'Strongly Disagree'; as these responses are contradictory this respondent was discounted.

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (190 responses) respondents For pupils starting in September 2014, Burnley High 87 45.79% School are running their own admissions process. This Yes means that parents are able to make an application for 65 34.21% a place directly to the school, in addition to applying for No other school places with the Local Authority. If the Don’t know school is oversubscribed (i.e. has more applications 38 20.00% than there are places available), then the following criteria will be used to allocate places: First priority will be given to students with a statement of Special Educational Needs where Burnley High School is named on the statement; second priority to Looked After Children; third priority to students with exceptional medical, social or welfare reasons; fourth priority to children with siblings at the school; and fifth priority according to the closest applicant as measured by straight line distance between the child’s home address and the School. Do you agree with these criteria?

Respondents were invited to add any comments regarding the admissions criteria that they wanted to share. In some cases, respondents used this opportunity to comment on the application in general – in these instances, we have moved these comments to the table detailing general comments in section 5.4. Admissions-related comments covered the following topics:

Requests for faith-based places: three respondents requested provision of faith-based places in the BHS admissions criteria.

The similarity of BHS to the LA application criteria: two respondents noted that the BHS admissions criteria were based on the local authority admissions criteria, but did not indicate if they supported or rejected this approach.

Comment on the different timescale for BHS applications: five respondents commented that the extended timescale for BHS applications might disrupt the Local Authority process.

Preferences for other groups to be given priority: some respondents argued that certain groups should be given higher priority in the admissions process. Five argued against the priority given to SEN pupils; one argued that siblings should be given top priority; one argued that distance to the school should be top priority; while one suggested that pupils with social, medical, and welfare supporting reasons should be prioritised.

General support: some respondents offered comments of support to the project, including “I know there is a desperate need for this school in the area. Many local parents are extremely concerned about secondary education” and “I think it is good that you can apply directly."

General comments: other comments were of a more general basis, and included: comments about the difficulty of commenting on distance measurements while the preferred site was unknown; a concern that BHS was running its own admissions process; and a query about how siblings could affect the admissions criteria in the first year of the school.

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (191 responses) respondents Informed by our Christian values a Chapel St School Accept 134 70.16% provides a place of grace, love and fellowship where children know that they are part of a supportive local No view 30 15.71% community, valued for who they are and developed according to their unique strengths and potential. Staff will work with people of all faiths and no faith to realise this Reject 27 14.14% vision for all children, families and the wider community to work together for the good of the whole community. What are your views about this statement?

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (185 responses) respondents Is the Christian ethos of Burnley High School a key Yes 102 55.14% reason why you would choose to send your child to our school? No 57 30.81%

Don't Know 26 14.05%

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (191 responses) respondents Do you agree with the proposals that Burnley High Yes 118 61.78% School will admit 90 pupils into Year 7 from September 2014 and 90 per year thereafter? No 58 30.37%

Don't Know 15 7.85%

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (196 responses) respondents Do you support the proposal for the Department for Yes 116 59.18% Education to enter into a Funding Agreement with the Chapel Street Community Schools Trust to run the No 64 32.65% proposed Burnley High School? This would mean that you agree that the Department for Education should fund Burnley High School when open with Chapel St as Don't know 16 8.16% the sponsor.

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (188 responses) respondents A careful balance of academic education and Strongly agree 130 69.15% enrichment activity is a good learning experience for pupils. Do you agree? Agree 44 23.40%

No view 9 4.79%

Disagree 2 1.06%

Strongly Disagree 3 1.60%

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (190 responses) respondents The proposed Burnley High School will promote an Strongly agree 131 68.95% attitude of inclusion, a ‘can do’ culture, discipline and hard work. Do you agree with these principles? Agree 39 20.53%

No view 12 6.32%

Disagree 4 2.11%

Strongly Disagree 4 2.11%

Respondents were invited to share any comments they wished in response to the following statement:

In some cases, respondents used this opportunity to comment on the application in general – in these instances, we have moved these comments to the table detailing general comments in section 5.4. SEN-related comments included:

General support: Twelve respondents offered general support for the statement, such as “Great. With a little help pupils often sail ahead.”, “This approach is both fair and necessary. I

have no problems at all with it”, and “I would like my son to attend this school primarily due to the proposed size of the school as I believe that the proposed smaller than average size of the school will be the best environment for my son who has dyspraxia”.

Similar policies in existing provision: Sixteen respondents noted that other secondary schools in Burnley offer a similar policy, and that provision for SEN pupils exists elsewhere.

General comments: Other comments included a concern that SEN provision shouldn’t affect provision for other pupils; a comment that all children should be given an equal chance; and a comment that there is no proof that BHS will provide the SEN provision detailed.

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (187 responses) respondents Pupils should be encouraged to understand Yes 170 90.91% environmental issues and put into practice ways of looking after their school and community. Do you No 2 1.07% agree? Don't know 15 8.02%

Question Possible Answers Number & % of (184 responses) respondents Burnley High School will offer a specialism in science, Yes 122 65.24% technology, engineering and maths. Do you agree with this choice of specialism? No 33 17.65%

Don't know 29 15.51%

Question Possible Answers (147 responses, total Number & % of number of votes shown for each option) respondents The proposed Burnley High School (i) Family Learning/Adult will have strong links with the wider education/evening classes 75 19.08% community in the local area and share its resources. Which of the following facilities would you be (ii) School hall or meeting room facilities 37 9.41% interested in being able to use if they were available? Please highlight only (iii) Healthcare services 33 8.40% your top 3 choices. (iv) Child care 20 5.09%

(v) Online centre 29 7.38%

(vi) Out of school hours clubs 97 24.68%

(vii) Sports facilities 93 23.66%

(viii) Other 9 2.29%

Note: Out of 201 responses, only 147 chose answers for the previous question. In cases where a survey did not select any option for this question, this was discounted from the percentage total. Not all respondents selected exactly three options; in these cases, all votes were counted regardless of how many options were selected, and the percentage share was calculated from this total. Therefore, while the total vote count for all options does not equal 147, the percentage shows the share of all votes submitted and will totals 100%.

Question Possible Answers (153 responses) Number & % of respondents What do you think are the most Excellent academic facilities 66 13.78% important aspects of the proposed Burnley High School? Please tell us Good levels of achievement and your top 3 choices. attainment by pupils 81 16.91%

Students in smart uniform 14 2.92%

Inspirational teachers 73 15.24%

Facilities open to the community 8 1.67%

Christian ethos 67 13.99%

Parent/carer involvement 28 5.85%

Consistent and effective discipline 49 10.23%

Good sports facilities 12 2.51%

A curriculum that mirrors real life situations 40 8.35%

Good student/family pastoral support 41 8.56%

Note: Out of 201 responses, only 153 chose answers for the previous question. In cases where a survey did not select any option for this question, this was discounted from the percentage total. Not all respondents selected exactly three options; in these cases, all votes were counted regardless of how many options were selected, and the percentage share was calculated from this total. Therefore, while the total vote count for all options does not equal 153, the percentage shows the share of all votes submitted and totals 100%.

5.4. In total, 75 general comments were made on the consultation questionnaires returned, covering the following main topics:

General support: seven messages of general support were added (e.g. ‘I am really looking forward to this new school opening and offer my complete support to all involved in the creation of what I believe will be the best educational offering in Burnley’, ‘My son is already in Year 7 at another high school in Burnley can he repeat Year 7 with Burnley High School?’, ‘I wish this was available when my children were that age’, ‘I believe there is a lot of support amongst parents who would like more choice and Burnley High School has made a commitment to only employ fully qualified teachers. I am looking

forward to hopefully securing a place for my son at this school next year....after listening to the children's points of view at the opening evening it has made me very confident that this school is 100% the right choice for my son’.)

Surplus places: Many respondents (18) expressed concerns regarding the level of surplus places in Burnley, and the effect that BHS would have on this situation (e.g. ‘There are already over 800 spare places. The facilities in the BSF schools are excellent. You would only be taking pupils from these schools’, ‘there are currently schools in Burnley that cannot fill their classrooms due to a lack of students in Burnley and the surrounding area’, ‘The town has surplus places as it is and another secondary school will only exacerbate the problem’, ‘there are already approx 750 surplus places for the next academic year in the town's secondary schools’).

The effect on other schools in the area: The impact of BHS on existing school provision in Burnley was commented on by 18 respondents (e.g. ‘I am very unhappy with the impact this proposed free school will have on our existing schools’, ‘All the facilities are all widely available in the town already’, ‘Good work has gone on in the current schools in recent years’, ‘I feel that there has been a major investment in education in the Burnley and Nelson area and there is not enough pupils for the schools that are here at this time’, ‘This will have a detrimental effect on other secondary schools in the area’).

Taking money away from other schools: Following press reports that stated BHS would take money away from the budgets of existing schools, some respondents (8) commented on the costs of the proposals (e.g. ‘I see this as a colossal waste of public funds and would hold this view regardless of the ethos of the school or the facilities it would provide’, ‘Funding for the new school will take away money from LA schools so disadvantaging these pupils’, ‘The proposed new school will only take away funds from existing provision in Burnley’, ‘There is no need for public money to be spent on more Secondary provision in Burnley’).

Community Cohesion: Two respondents suggested that BHS would contribute to racial tensions in the community (e.g. ‘it will further contribute to racial/religious segregation within this town’, ‘opening yet another high school in the Burnley area will lead to more division in the community and will start to destroy community cohesion’).

General Opposition: Some (13) respondents took the opportunity to express general opposition to the project (e.g. ‘Please abandon this plan now’, ‘Should not be happening’, ‘We do not need this school’).

General questions: ‘Are you in touch with the newly opened University Technical College in Burnley? This is also a new school, opened in 2013, providing high-quality education with an engineering and science emphasis, recruiting at 14. Can you see a way you can work in partnership with each other? Why don't you share a building, if only temporarily?’, ‘As with other schools will you have a school governing body & if not how does that work?’, ‘How much PE would the pupils be undertaking?’.

6. Qualitative response from stakeholder meetings

6.1. As described above, in addition to the questionnaires, feedback and comments have been received from targeted stakeholder meetings.

The public consultation meetings listed in Section 4.2 were transcribed and a representation of the questions and answers is presented in the following table.

6.2. Table of questions and responses representative of those given at public consultation meetings

Questions raised at Consultation event Responses given to questions 1. What is the progress at other Chapel St Response by Elizabeth Haddock: Schools? Progress at BHS’s partner school, Atherton Community School, is above national average targets. This is based on optional and government tests to ensure standardisation and consistency. 2. Are all teachers fully qualified? Chapel St only appoint highly qualified teachers. Chapel St schools, including BHS, teach the National Curriculum. 3. Will you teach the National Curriculum? All Chapel St schools, including BHS, teach the National Curriculum. 4. Will teachers be allowed to join unions? Yes, absolutely. Staff in existing Chapel St schools are union members, and we hope to have good and positive relationships with the unions. 5. How do you manage to cover all the In line with the method used while opening subject specialisms with fewer staff? Atherton Community School, we will cover all the bases through effective recruitment, and staff will take on several responsibilities. Any gaps in provision will be identified, and services bought in if necessary. 6. What is the provision for statemented A SENCo will be appointed to lead on this area pupils? of provision, and as shown in Atherton Community School, staff will go the extra mile to provide outstanding care for all pupils. In addition, coaching and mentors will start to work with all pupils from Easter 2014. 7. Why did you choose STEM as the STEM was chosen as a result of discussions specialism? with local teachers and business and community leaders. Given the region's heritage as the engine room of the industrial revolution and the challenges to train young people for new, and in some cases yet-to-be invented, careers and industries, it was felt that a solid background in science, technology, engineering and Maths would equip learners for success in the workplace and provide a future workforce that could re-establish Burnley as a hub of new technologies, green industry and innovation. 8. What will you do about the effect you will BHS will benefit other schools in Burnley as it will have on other schools in the area? add to the diversity and quality of secondary education on offer. Given the daily exodus from the town, where over 400 students leave Burnley to go to secondary schools in other towns every day, BHS will help to raise the reputation of

Burnley schools as a whole providing pupils with an exciting opportunity to access a different model of education in their home town, providing parents and carers with more reason to use local schools and raising the profile of Burnley schools as a whole. Certain schools will be adversely affected, particularly where undersubscribed and struggling to attract pupils, with Burnley High School providing another option and greater competition. Following the vision and the ethos of the trust, Chapel St schools are committed to playing their part in the local family of schools and staff and teachers work hard to develop partnerships and foster collaboration between schools. As a result of the Burnley High School will aim to work with and contribute to the ongoing improvements and strategy for secondary education in the town. 9. Where will the school be located? As the negotiations over site are still underway, we are unable to share any information on the potential location of the school, beyond that it is intended to be sited in the BB12 area. As soon as we are in a position to share more detailed information, we will ensure that it is communicated to all stakeholders and the wider community as quickly as possible.

6.3. Meetings with stakeholders gave people the opportunity to explore the proposal in more detail, and ask questions to address any concerns they may have. Generally, the reaction from parents in the local area is incredibly positive, although concerns from the wider community were noted and should be mentioned: - Those involved with existing school provision shared concerns regarding the impact of the proposal on their establishments, fearing that BHS would take pupils away from their schools. - Concerns were raised over BHS taking money away from the Burnley budget, despite reassurances that the school would be funded per-pupil, in line with all other schools. - Some respondents expressed specific concerns about the future of the undersubscribed Hameldon School in Burnley should BHS open.

7. Conclusions

7.1. The results of the questionnaire have shown that while opposition to the BHS proposal exists, there remains a strong desire for the school amongst local parents in the community. A significant campaign to elicit negative responses to the consultation did not outweigh the support of local parents to increase the quality and choice of educational provision in Burnley through supporting the vision and plans for Chapel St’s Burnley High School.

However, in the spirit of genuine engagement and enquiry, Chapel St wishes to listen to those voices that expressed opposition, and where possible calm nerves and fears through assurance, as well as regular and open communication with all stakeholders.

Respondents showed that they are very much in favour of Burnley High School’s following aims: to provide for pupils of all abilities; to be an establishment for the benefit of local pupils; to offer a Christian ethos, inclusive and welcoming to those of all faiths and none; balancing academic education and enrichment activity; promoting an attitude of inclusion, a ‘can-do’ culture, discipline and hard work; encouraging pupils to understand environmental issues, and look after their school and community; and offering a specialism in STEM.

The results of the questionnaire, taken together with the positive tone of all our encouraging meetings with parents, have informed the view that people are in favour of the proposals and the vision of education and community that Chapel St have outlined.

The fundamental objective of the consultation process was to ascertain the level of support for the Chapel Street Community Schools Trust to enter into a Funding Agreement with the Department for Education to run the proposed Burnley High School. The responses received through 201 questionnaires returned has demonstrated that 59.18% of respondents have confirmed that they support the proposal.

The consultation process has been invaluable in facilitating engagement with the community as a whole and with the wide array of stakeholders. The outcomes of engaging with the widest possible range of people will prove invaluable in future months and years when the Burnley High School team can build upon the relationships formed during this consultation phase.

8. Further Work

8.1 Moving forward, Chapel St is committed to the following:-

8.1.1 Developing clear lines of communication with relevant stakeholders and keeping them informed of progress i.e. updating the website provided for all the community, setting up Participation Groups for parents/carers; community representatives; and business forums, as well as conducting ongoing consultation – as we will always want to relate to our local community as the School opens and develops.

8.1.2 Researching and communicating on key issues raised by the consultation, such as site progress, how we will approach SEN provision, further explaining the choice of specialism, and transport to the school site, once the location is announced.

8.1.3 Continuing to develop relationships with key local agencies, both statutory and voluntary.

8.1.4 Developing relationships with local schools and communicating the vision of the School to prospective parents and carers.

8.1.5 Developing links with local charities and partners that may enrich the educational provision at BHS

Signed on behalf of Chapel St Community Schools Trust

Dr Russell Rook, CEO, Chapel St 25th February 2014

Appendix 1 – Survey Questionnaire

Chapel Street Community Schools Trust is the sponsor of Burnley High School, a new state- funded secondary school due to open in September 2014. It already sponsors Atherton Community School, a Free School that opened successfully in September 2012 as well as Tyndale Community School in September 2013.

As part of its formal responsibilities, the Chapel Street Community Schools Trust is required to consult with parents and carers, as well as the local community and other key stakeholders about this proposed new school. This consultation process is being undertaken from Monday 28th October 2013 and concluding on Monday 16th December 2013.

Burnley High School will open in September 2014 welcoming our first group of children into Year 7. The school will serve families throughout Burnley.

A summary of some of the key features of this new school include:

Throughout the Autumn, Winter and into the Spring of 2014 we will be holding regular Parent

Forum meetings which will give parents and carers the opportunity to discuss the plans for the school with senior staff.

If you would like to find out more details about Burnley High School, please download our prospectus from www.burnleyhighschool.co.uk. You can also phone our Parent Helpline number (07739 407464) and speak to one of our Parent Liaison Team, or email [email protected]

This questionnaire aims to help gather views on plans for Burnley High School. We would like to know what you think about our proposals and are consulting with all potential parents and carers as well as the wider community.

Your view is important to us and we welcome your response. Please help us by ticking the boxes as appropriate, and do feel free to add additional comments in the space provided.

SECTION ONE… ABOUT YOU

Q1. What connection do you have with the proposed Burnley High School, if any?

 Parent/carer of child at a local primary school, nursery, or Children’s Centre  Staff/Governor at a local primary school, nursery, or Children’s Centre  Parent/carer of child at a local secondary school  Staff/Governor at a local secondary school  Local business  Local resident  Local community group / faith group  Member of the Emergency Services  Other (please specify) ______

Q2. Please specify your age and gender

 16 - 24  25 - 34  35 - 44  45 - 59  60 +  Male  Female

Q3. Do you have a child that you would expect to be eligible to attend the School when it opens?

 Yes in 2014  Yes in 2015 or later  No

If you have answered ‘No’ to the above question, please go on to Section Two.

Q4. Do you live in Burnley?

 Yes  No

Q5. How far are you prepared for your child to travel to get to their local school? How do you travel?

 Less than 1 mile  1 mile  2 miles  3 miles +  By car  By bike  By bus  Walking  Other: (e.g. car sharing)

Q6. If you have any comments about travel issues that concern you, please add these below. ______

N.B. As soon as we know the exact location of the site for Burnley High School, we will be consulting on this. If you would like to respond to this site consultation, please tick this box and ensure you have completed your contact details on the last page.

 Please contact me when the site consultation takes place.

SECTION TWO… ABOUT THE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS

Q7. A new secondary school is needed in the area. Do you agree with this statement?

 Strongly agree  Agree  No view  Disagree  Strongly disagree

Q8. Burnley High School will ensure that it provides places for children of all abilities, most of whom will come from the local area. We intend to attract local pupils from the immediate area surrounding the school. Do you agree with this statement?

 Strongly agree  Agree  No view  Disagree  Strongly disagree

Q9 (a) For pupils starting in September 2014, Burnley High School are running their own admissions process. This means that parents are able to make an application for a place directly to the school, in addition to applying for other school places with the Local Authority. If the school is oversubscribed (i.e. has more applications than there are places available), then the following criteria will be used to allocate places:

First priority will be given to students with a statement of Special Educational Needs where Burnley High School is named on the statement; second priority to Looked After Children; third priority to students with exceptional medical, social or welfare reasons; fourth priority to children with siblings at the school; and fifth priority according to the closest applicant as measured by straight line distance between the child’s home address and the School.

Do you agree with these criteria?

 Yes  No  Don’t know

Q9(b). Do you have any further comments to add about this year’s admission process for Burnley High School?

______Q10 (a) Informed by our Christian values a Chapel St School provides a place of grace, love and fellowship where children know that they are part of a supportive local community, valued for who they are and developed according to their unique strengths and potential. Staff will work with people of all faiths and no faith to realise this vision for all children, families and the wider community to work together for the good of the whole community. What are your views about this statement?

 Accept  No view  Reject

Q10 (b) Is the Christian ethos of Burnley High School a key reason why you would choose to send your child to our school?

 Yes  No  Don’t know

Q11. Do you agree with the proposals that Burnley High School will admit 90 pupils into Year 7 from September 2014 and 90 per year thereafter?

 Yes  No  Don’t know

SECTION THREE ... ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Q12. Do you support the proposal for the Department for Education to enter into a Funding Agreement with the Chapel Street Community Schools Trust to run the proposed Burnley High School? This would mean that you agree that the Department for Education should fund Burnley High School when open with Chapel St as the sponsor.

 Yes  No  Don’t know

Q13. A careful balance of academic education and enrichment activity is a good learning experience for pupils. Do you agree?

 Strongly agree  Agree  No view  Disagree  Strongly disagree

Q14. The proposed Burnley High School will promote an attitude of inclusion, a ‘can do’ culture, discipline and hard work. Do you agree with these principles?

 Strongly agree  Agree  No view  Disagree  Strongly disagree

Q15. The proposed Burnley High School will work to the SEN Code of Practice. Children who have Special Educational Needs or Disabilities will be welcome at our school and will have a range of provision from in-class differentiation to additional support where needed. Would you like to comment regarding Special Educational Needs or Disabilities provision? ______

Q16. Pupils should be encouraged to understand environmental issues and put into practice ways of looking after their school and community. Do you agree?

 Yes  No  Don’t know

Q17. Burnley High School will offer a specialism in science, technology, engineering, and maths. Do you agree with this choice of specialism?

 Yes  No  Don’t know

SECTION FOUR …YOUR COMMENTS

Q18. The proposed Burnley High School will have strong links with the wider community in the local area and share its resources. Which of the following facilities would you be interested in being able to use if they were available? Please highlight only your top 3 choices.

 Family Learning/Adult education/evening classes  School hall or meeting room facilities  Healthcare services  Child care  Online centre  Out of school hours clubs  Sports facilities  Other (please specify):______

Q19. What do you think are the most important aspects of the proposed Burnley High School? Please tell us your top 3 choices.

 Excellent academic facilities  Good levels of achievement and attainment by pupils  Students in smart uniform  Inspirational teachers  Facilities open to the community  Christian ethos  Parent/carer involvement  Consistent and effective discipline  Good sports facilities  A curriculum that mirrors real life situations  Good student/family pastoral support

Q20. Do you have any other comments or questions? (Alternatively you can email your comments to [email protected])

……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

SECTION FIVE … YOUR CONTACT DETAILS

(Please use capitals)

Please return your completed questionnaire at the latest by the consultation closing date of Monday 16th December 2013; by email to [email protected], or by hand or by post to:

Full Name:

Address:

Postcode:

Email:

Telephone (landline):

Telephone (mobile):

S10 Consultation (FAO Jeff Brunton) Life Church, Sycamore Avenue, Burnley, Lancashire, BB12 6QP

Thank you for taking the time to respond – your feedback is greatly appreciated. All views will be carefully considered.

Appendix 2 – Prospectus

Please see this as separate attachment.

Appendix 3 – Letter from David Fishwick