Section 10 Consultation Report Bishop Chavasse

Prepared by Christine Bayliss For Tenax Schools Trust BACKGROUND

The Tenax Schools Trust is a multi-academy trust led by the Ofsted-rated ‘outstanding’ Bennett Memorial Diocesan School in Tunbridge Wells. The Trust submitted a bid to the Department for Education in 2015 for a new primary school in Tonbridge. The rationale for the bid was threefold: to enable Tonbridge parents to have the choice of a Church of Primary School as one does not currently exist in the Town; to cater for the rapid population growth and lack of sufficient places for reception aged children; and the need for more good and outstanding primary schools in the area. The bid promised a traditional primary education for 60 pupils in each year group underpinned by a Christian ethos. In terms of admissions, up to 25% of places (up to 15 places annually) will be allocated on the basis on parental attendance at a Church. The project is supported by Kent County Council as a key element of their strategy to meet demand for much needed primary places in Tonbridge.

The bid by Tenax Schools Trust was approved by the Department for Education in spring 2015 and moved into the pre-opening stage immediately thereafter. The pre-opening stage involves securing the site, applying for planning permission to be followed by construction of the permanent building and, in this case, temporary facilities for the first year of operation. It also involves setting up and running an application process for prospective parents and recruiting the head teacher and key staff.

The Education Funding Agency have secured land in Lane adjacent to the new housing development at Somerhill Green which, subject to planning consent, will be the permanent site for the school. Planning consultants Cushman and Wakefield have recently undertaken a pre-planning application consultation with the neighbouring population. A planning application for full planning permission for temporary buildings and outline permission for the permanent building was submitted to Borough Council on 19 December.

The school is due to open in September 2017 subject to the Secretary of State entering into a funding agreement with the Trust. Before doing this, she will want to be confident that the school will be good or better at its first Ofsted inspection, will be popular and financially viable. As part of that process the law requires Tenax Schools Trust to consult with the local community and other interested parties on their plans for the school. This consultation process is under the Section 10 Consultation (Section 10 of the 2010 Academies Act). CONSULTATION DESIGN and METHODOLOGY

The Trust agreed that there should be five questions for consultation with prospective parents, relevant organisations and the wider community. The questions asked for views on the need for a new school, its location, admissions, curriculum and ethos, as well as agreement that the Secretary of State should enter into a funding agreement with the Trust to open and run the proposed school.

1. Do you believe there is a need for a new Church of England primary school serving children aged 4 – 11 in South Tonbridge?

2. Would you support the new school being built on the vacant plot of land on Tudeley Lane, Tonbridge, adjacent to the Somerhill Green Housing Development?

3. Do you support the proposed Admissions Policy for the Bishop Chavasse Primary School and that specifically up to 25% of places (up to 15 annually) will be allocated on the basis of parental attendance at a Church of England church?

4. Do you support the vision & ethos and curriculum offer of the Bishop Chavasse Primary School?

5. Do you agree the Secretary of State for Education should enter into a Funding Agreement with the Tenax Schools Trust to open and run the Bishop Chavasse Primary School.

Information on the consultation was disseminated via a dedicated web page on the school website, a four page A5 consultation document (see ANNEX D) and an A5 double sided flyer. There were 161 web site hits during the consultation. Printed materials advertised a public meeting held on 12 December 2016 at the Angel Centre in Tonbridge along with summary information about the consultation. Around 500 of these leaflets were delivered door-to-door on the new Somerhill Green housing development and a neighbouring estate off Tudeley Lane. Formal consultation letters were sent from Ian Bauckham, CEO Tenax Schools Trust, to the Director of Children’s Services at Kent County Council and the Chief Executive of Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. Emails were also sent to the 135 residents who had signed up to support the bid. Stakeholder consultation emails were sent to local councillors, schools, nurseries and churches directing them to complete the online questionnaire. See list at Annex A. A dedicated telephone line was set up for enquiries and respondents were able to submit a hard copy of their responses as well as the online provision.

All of this was underpinned by extensive promotion to news outlets and via social media. An example of social media promotion included harnessing the support of the local MP, Tom Tugendhart, through his twitter account to promote the public meeting (illustrated in the photo opposite), news coverage in the local free paper the Tonbridge Times and further coverage in the Kent Courier. A dedicated Facebook account for the school was set up which also carried information and links to the web site.

The consultation ran from 1 December 2016 through to 11 January 2017. A total of 171 responses were received, 105 electronically and 66 were made by completing hard copy questionnaires. As well as the public meeting held on 12 December 2016 (see photo illustration below), the consultation team visited and engaged with stakeholders at:

• STEPS pre school based at St Stephen’s Church • Little Stars toddler group based at Tonbridge Baptist Church • Tonbridge Child Minders Association. • ‘Who lets the Dads Out’ – Christmas Party at St Stephens Church • Refresh session at St Stephen’s Church • Afternoon session at Sainsbury’s supermarket in central Tonbridge. •

SUMMARY OF RESPONSES TO CONSULTATION

A total of 171 consultation responses were received. The majority of respondents were ‘parents’ (98) followed by ‘individuals’ (64), ‘organisations’ (3) - and six ‘other’ respondents, including two blank responses.

Respondant Types

A parent An Individual Organisation Other

2% 4%

37%

57%

The overwhelming majority of respondents’ feedback was positive. The following section looks at the responses to each question in detail.

1. Do you believe there is a need for a new Church of England primary school serving children aged 4 – 11 in South Tonbridge?

Yes 148 86% No 10 6% Not Sure 13 8%

The responses to question 1 on whether there is a need for a new Church of England Primary School were overwhelmingly in favour. Responses from parents were overall more positive about the need for a new Church of England Primary School with 90% answering ‘Yes’ and only 4% saying ‘No’.

Comments from respondents included some from people who are concerned about the choice for local parents, referencing the fact that the school serving the area is undersubscribed and judged ‘Inadequate’ by Ofsted.

“Actually, although I agree there needs to be a new primary I am not sure why there needs to be a new CofE one when the current one in the area is undersubscribed and not meeting Ofsted requirements”.1

However, the majority were very positive with comments such as “As a committed Christian, give that there are no CofE schools at present, this would be very welcome” and “Especially in the TN9 area, new housing and an influx of new young families have put great pressure on our existing schools”.

2. Would you support the new school being built on the vacant plot of land on Tudeley Lane, Tonbridge, adjacent to the Somerhill Green Housing Development?

Yes 145 85% No 14 8% Not Sure 12 7%

The overwhelming majority of respondents support the new school being built on land on Tudeley Lane adjacent to the Somerhill Green housing development. Supportive comments include “An ideal location within walking distance of many family homes” and “There is high demand for school places. Seems a sensible place to build”. Additional comments from respondents are set out in full in Annex B.

15% of respondents were either ‘Not Sure’ or answered ‘No’ to the question of whether the school should be built on Tudeley Lane. While many respondents thought that the proposed site was an ideal location, a small number took the opportunity to raise concerns about traffic and potential road safety issues. The main concern expressed was around parents dropping off and picking up children, congestion and parking on the new housing development. This issue was also raised by a small number of residents who attended the public consultation meeting. For example, a local residents asked “Although there will be a drop-off zone, it is unlikely that parents will drop young children off and leave them. We will be very concerned if people start parking along local roads; there might be inadvertent damage to property. How will the drop-off zone be managed?” The Trust representative replied “We will be staggering events such as parents evenings and start and end times of pre school and after school activities. These will have a positive impact on managing traffic and access to the school. We will likely have a managed station with a minimum of two staff who would be visible and would escort children to the school entrance”. A full record of the public meeting and the questions and answers are set out in Annex C

1 St Stephen’s Primary school is a community school and NOT a Church of England school, despite the name.

3. Do you support the proposed Admissions Policy for the Bishop Chavasse Primary School and that specifically up to 25% of places (up to 15 annually) will be allocated on the basis of parental attendance at a Church of England church?

Yes 130 76% No 24 14% Not Sure 17 10%

While just over three quarters of respondents supported the proposed admissions arrangements where up to 25% of places will be allocated on the basis of parental attendance at a Church of England School, a minority were either ‘Not sure’ or said ‘No’. This is not unexpected as the debate about church schools and preferential admission arrangements is still a contentious issue.

There was a very small increase in positive responses from parents to this question that could reflect the fact that a significant number of St Stephen’s Church congregation completed the consultation questionnaire. Parents who answered ‘No’ to the questions made comments such as “This is not a fair system. Parents lie to get their children into church schools and you are promoting elitism”. On the other hand parents who agreed with the question made comments that tended to be very supportive. “I think it should be more than 15 places as there is no other C of E school in Tonbridge”.

4. Do you support the vision & ethos and curriculum offer of the Bishop Chavasse Primary School?

Yes 139 81% No 11 7.0% Not Sure 21 12%

8 out of 10 respondents confirmed that they support the vision, ethos and curriculum offer of the Bishop Chavasse Primary School. There were a small number of additional comments (See Annex B). Some were supportive: “I fully support the school having a Christian ethos as there is not currently the option to send children to a Church of England school in the town”, while some expressed concerns about exclusivity “Broadly speaking, I would be happy with the Christian ethos but feel very strongly that learning, understanding and acceptance of other faiths and non-faiths has equal importance”.

There were no specific questions around the vision and ethos at the public meeting.

5. Do you agree the Secretary of State for Education should enter into a Funding Agreement with the Tenax Schools Trust to open and run the Bishop Chavasse Primary School? (This is a critical step required for the Bishop Chavasse School to open.)

Yes 150 87% No 15 9% Not Sure 6 4%

The question is the statutory question required by section 10 of the Academies Act 2010. Just under 90% of respondents supported the question about whether the Secretary of State for Education should enter into a Funding Agreement with Tenax Schools Trust to open and run the Bishop Chavasse Primary School.

There were a small number of additional comments made by respondents to the consultation questionnaire that are set out in Annex B. They are mainly negative and summarise the respondent’s reasons for not supporting the overall proposition. Similarly at the public meeting, there was only one question around funding which was from an attendee who was concerned about funding for the school if it wasn’t full.

RESPONDING TO THE FINDINGS

The overwhelming support indicated by the responses as well as the general support received during face-to-face engagement means that there is no need to make substantive changes to the proposals.

Some issues raised by parents and local residents will be considered further by the Trust or will continue to be monitored. These are:

• Comments on the school design and planning matter including traffic management issues have been passed to the Education Funding Agency and their planning consultants for action and liaison with the officers at the local authority. The Trust will continue to raise the issues and ensure that it is a good neighbour. • The trust commits to monitor the effects of the admissions policies and make adjustments if it is necessary.

ANNEX A

List of Stakeholders consulted.

MP Tom Tugendhat

Kent County Councillor (Tonbridge) Cllr Richard Long

Kent County Councillor (Tonbridge) Cllr Christopher Smith

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Mrs Jill Anderson

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Owen Baldock

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Matthew Balfour,

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Mrs Sarah Barker

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Michael Base

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Mrs Pam Bates Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Mrs Sue Bell

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Robin Betts

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Timothy Bishop Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Peter Bolt

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Jon Botten

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Vivian Branson Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Mrs Barbara Brown

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Tom Cannon Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Martin Coffin

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor David Cure

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Roger Dalton

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Dave Davis CEng FICE

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Mark Davis

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Mrs Trudy Dean Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Tom Edmondston-Low BA

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Benjamin Elks Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Mrs Sandra Hall BA

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Steve Hammond

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Mrs Maria Heslop BA Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Nicolas Heslop BA (Hons

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Simon Jessel

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor David Keeley

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Mrs Ann Kemp

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Steven King BSc (Hons)

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Russell Lancaster BA

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor David Lettington

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Mrs Sasha Luck

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Brian Luker

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Daniel Markham

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Piers Montague

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Lee O'Toole

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Mrs Anita Oakley MA BA Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Mike Parry-Waller

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Steve Perry Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Mark Rhodes

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Howard Rogers

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Roger Roud Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Miss Janet Sergison

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Tim Shaw

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Miss Sophie Shrubsole Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Christopher Smith

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Sarah Spence BA (Hons)

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Allan Sullivan

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Mike Taylor

Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Frixos Tombolis Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Councillor Ben Walker

Primary St Stephen's Primary School Ms C Escombe, Headteacher School Derwent Lodge School Helen Hoffman Sussex Road Community Primary School Miss Sarah Bowles Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Mrs V E M Resch Children with Hearing Impairment

Hilden Oaks School Mrs K Joiner

Cage Green Primary School Mr Graeme Garthwaite

Long Mead Community Primary School Mrs Joanna Powell

Woodlands Primary School Mary Priestley

St Matthew's High Brooms Church of Mrs J Holt England Voluntary Controlled Primary School St Margret Clitherow Catholic Primary Ms Annemarie Whittle School Stocks Green Primary School Mrs P Crowhurst Bidborough Church of England Voluntary Mrs Julie Burton Controlled Primary School Preparatory School Mr Oliver Snowball

Southborough CofE Primary School Mrs Emma Savage

St John's Church of England Primary School Mr Daniel Turvey St Augustine's Catholic Primary School Mrs J Warren

Capel Primary School Mr Christopher Taylor

Temple Grove Academy Ms Sam Linton Hildenborough Church of England Primary Mrs Pamela Scott School Leigh Primary School Mr Daniel Eaton

Fosse Bank School Miss Alison Cordingley Pembury School Miss Jen Mayhew

Skinners' Kent Primary School Miss Sian Carr

St Barnabas CofE VA Primary School Mrs Moira Duncombe St James' Church of England Junior School Mr John Tutt

St James' Church of England Voluntary Mrs Melanie Shackleton Aided Infant School The Wells Free School Mrs Ani Lawrence

Bishops Down Primary School Mrs Clare Owen Speldhurst Church of England Voluntary Mrs Stephanie Hayward Aided Primary School Hadlow Primary School Mr Richard Rule

St Peter's Church of England Primary Miss Lynne Goreham School Claremont Primary School Mrs Sylvia Crockett

Shipbourne School Mrs Karen Dodd

Rusthall St Paul's CofE VA Primary School Miss Caroline Powell

The Mead School Mrs A Culley

Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Miss Julia Armstrong Aided Primary School Paddock Wood Primary School Mr Scott Opstad Broadwater Down Primary School Mrs V Lonie

St Mark's Church of England Primary Mr Robin Dungate School Primary School Mr Alex Cornelius

East Peckham Primary School Mrs Lorraine Wickens

Secondary Weald of Kent Mrs M E Johnson, Headteacher School Hillview School for Girls Hilary Burkett, Headteacher

Tonbridge Grammar School Ms Rosemary Joyce Mr John Coakley

The Judd School Mr Robert Masters

West Kent and Ashford College Mr Paul Hannan The Mr Daniel Hatley

Tonbridge School Mr T H P Haynes Mr J Withers

Hugh Christie Technology College Mr Jon Barker

Kent College Pembury Ms Julie Lodrick St Gregory's Catholic School Mr Stephen Adamson

Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys Mr John Harrison

Sackville School Mr John Hewitt Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School Mrs Lynda Wybar

The Skinners' School Mr Edward Wesson Skinners' Kent Academy Miss Sian Carr

Hadlow Rural Community School Mr Paul Boxall

Beechwood Sacred Heart School Mr Aaron Lennon Hadlow College Mr Paul Hannan

Rose Hill School Mr P D Westcombe Mr Wayne Barnett

Holmewood House School James Marjoribanks

Special Meadows School Mr Mike Price School Ridge View School Mrs Jacqui Tovey

Oakley School Mr Gordon Tillman

Broomhill Bank School Ms E Leitch The Quest School Mrs Anne Martin

Nursery Plaxol Nursery School Sally Shewell School Juniors Day Nursery Denise and Graham Fuller

Oaklands Michelle Aston

Teddies Tonbridge Nursey and Pre School Sam Booth

Asquith Tonbridge Day Nursery Janet Bellamy Littleview Day Nursery Rachel Carlow

The Rocking House Montessori Mrs O'Brien Kindergarten Nursery School

Mulberry Pre-School Nursery Patti Anderson Spelhurst Nursery School Elizabeth Pannell

Little Rascals Nurseries LLP Bumble Bees Private Day Nursey Angela Manser

Hawkenbury Nursery School

New World Montessori Holding Hands Pre-School Nursery Toni Pierce

Well Place Day Nursery Linda Purnell

The Mead School - Nursery Unit Jane Ovenden Barnies Day Nursey Ann Windsor

Rainbow Nursery Lorraine Evans Brenchley Pre-School Limited Sian Scovell

Kinderversity Emma Phillpott

Churches Tonbridge Parish Church The Rev'd Mark Brown Tonbridge Baptist Church Neil Durling

Tonbridge Evangelical Free Church Mr A J Harrison River Church Tonbridge Pete and Jeni Smart

Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church Reverend Father Peter Murphy

Christ Church United Reformed Church Sharon Tringham (secretary)

ANNEX B

Additional Comments in full.

Question 1 Do you believe there is a need for a new Church of England primary school serving children aged 4 – 11 in South Tonbridge? (Responses are verbatim.)

A critical addition to the growing part of the town A school for all, YES. Another school that legally discriminates children based on the religious beliefs of their parents, NO. Actually, although I agree there needs to be a new primary I am not sure why there needs to be a new CofE one when the current one in the area is undersubscribed and not meeting Ofsted requirements. (See footnote on page 6) Although not necessarily a Church of England Primary School As a committed Christian, give that there are no CofE schools at present, this would be very welcome Central or southern Tonbridge probably, but population growth is affecting the north of the town too. Competition for places getting worse - class sizes and funding getting worse Current schools are not all full, money should be given to raise their standards! Especially in the TN9 area, new housing and an influx of new young families have put great pressure on our existing schools. Especially with the amount of new houses being built Excellent proposal Funding and support should be given to St. Stephens in South Tonbridge to make this a good and sustainable school for existing pupils and the community. That could be expanded. A new school is likely to have a negative impact on them. Given the oversubscription of primary schools it is vital I went to a church of England school, and I feel its brings the right balance in a child's development and learning I would prefer a not religious school and Tonbridge definitely need another school particularly this area No before time No room left in the existing schools Not necessarily a church school Primary School are overflowing and there isn't a CofE school in South Tonbridge Primary Schools in general are needed Provided provision is made for children of other faiths Schools in Tonbridge are vastly oversubscribed and a new school is desperately needed. Supports the KCC Commissioning Plan The developments already built in South Tonbridge have already exceeded primary school places available The schools in Tonbridge are all over subscribed and there is an urgent need There are insufficient places at resent and the standard of education needs to reach a higher level There has been a need for several years There is a great need for more Primary School Places due to an increase in Tonbridge population in recent years There is inadequate provision and pupils are having to be schooled out of area. There is need for a new school to create additional places. It is not relevant whether it is CoE or not. There is no CofE school in Tonbridge and having this option is important We have ended up going to a village school outside of Tonbridge for our eldest despite living in South Tonbridge We need a new school but not one that indoctrinates children Whilst I appreciate the desire for Christian parents for their children to attend a faith school, I feel council money would be better pent improving and expanding an already local primary school. Yes, this is a huge gap in Tonbridge. Delighted it will be filled Yes, why not

Question 2 Would you support the new school being built on the vacant plot of land on Tudeley Lane, Tonbridge, adjacent to the Somerhill Green Housing Development? (Responses are verbatim.)

Absolutely thrilled at the prospect of Bishop Chavasse School opening on the door step All housing developments should include schools and other amenities Although concerned that it will mean more cars as it's not central An ideal location within walking distance of many family homes Catchment area must be local Far preferable to a small business park, we have a lot of industrial space left empty. Given the lack of affordable sites, we must take what is offered. Would have preferred a more central site but all are gone. Good location to serve ever expanding population of the area Great care and thought is required over the traffic access and parking arrangements. It is very close to a busy road and also close to a roundabout. Experience elsewhere suggests that simple measures such as double yellow lines will not prevent traffic from parking in areas where the risk of danger to the children can be high. I support this but there MUST be adequate provision for dropping off and picking up children by car or there will be serious congestion as well as safety issues In principle yes I am supportive. As a local Borough Councillor, my answer will be subject to the planning application process being successful - as Chairman of the Committee, I do not wish to prejudice my right to vote so I will not at this stage indicate how I vote at the Committee. In the absence of any other site being affordable/available Is there enough provision for the parents to drop off & pick up? Being double form entry, there will eventually be allot of cars in the immediate vicinity at peak times. It is a big concern & is one reservation I still have regarding sending my son. No existing brownfield sites should be used. Other plots might also be suitable including brown field sites Provided there is no unnecessary traffic congestion Slightly worried about traffic flow as there are already a number of schools in the area. Support should be given to expand improve other primary schools in the area, before filling the area that' is a primarily residential area that between the hours of 8 and 9am is already swamped with traffic going to existing schools. The plot is beautiful and has good excess (access?) The vehicular access to the site needs to be seriously considered - both Private and public transport provision There is high demand for school places. Seems a sensible place to build. This is a great location for the new school. Unsuitable, unhealthy site for a school Will probably be more infrastructure in the future around the area to support it but new school needed nearer current town. Would have been good to be a little more central, but understand why it's there Yes, there is a need due to new housing estate and lack of Primary schools in the area.

Question 3 Do you support the proposed Admissions Policy for the Bishop Chavasse Primary School and that specifically up to 25% of places (up to 15 annually) will be allocated on the basis of parental attendance at a Church of England church? (Responses are verbatim.)

Although parents may attend church just to get their child into the school. Apparently this supports stated views during the initial consultation by KCC As comments on number 1 - I would prefer a non religious school But think should be higher % Church attendance can only be beneficial Definitely Fulfils the need for a CofE Primary School in Tonbridge I am surprised there is not a greater percentage allocated on the basis of parental attendance at a Church of England church given admissions policies at other Christian schools in nearby towns I support a mix of both I think it should be more than 15 places as there is no other c of e school in Tonbridge If there was a demand could that percentage be raised? It’s not unusual to have such a policy, it can add to some of the community cohesion to have external activities for the children and parents. No objections to faith based admission and I am not a church attendee No one else has come forward to run such a school, what is wrong with a 25% church attendance, could be 50% and I would still be happy. Not in this day and age Possibly even higher percentage, but yes Schools should be for all. Seems an appropriate balance of faith and other perspectives Should be 33% That's a good thing. Be pleased there are other admission criteria too The Bishop Chavasse is a CofE sponsored school therefore some admission policy is removed the definition of what constitutes attendance will need to be clear There is at present no Church of England Primary School in Tonbridge so this adds to parental choice. There is only one Anglican designated school in the area and 1 RC school. Religious Foundation schools are highly respected This is not a fair system. Parents lie to get their children into church schools and you are promoting elitism. This is pointless - there is no justification for restricting access to places for non-Christians. Especially because actions of parents should not affect right to education for children. This policy would benefit and complement existing provision Yes but the head should be at liberty to make decisions outside of this policy on a case by case basis.

Question 4. Do you support the vision & ethos and curriculum offer of the Bishop Chavasse Primary School? (Responses are verbatim.)

Any parent who doesn’t support the ethos and curriculum should not apply in the first place. Apart from the stated ethos being "Christian", little evidence was supplied as to how such an ethos will be applied As far as I know Broadly speaking, I would be happy with the Christian ethos but feel very strongly that learning, understanding and acceptance of other faiths and non-faiths has equal importance. But would like to see all creative subjects having more input From my personal experience as a Bennett Memorial alumni I totally appreciate the excellence of The Tenax Schools Trust. The expansion of the trust across Tonbridge and Malling is something to be encouraged. I believe the Bishop Chavasse Primary School will provide local children with a valuable and wholesome education. I am nervous about an extremist element developing I fully support the school having a Christian ethos as there is not currently the option to send children to a Church of England school in the town Most definitely Not yet read Room for any sort of school not necessarily traditional The vision and ethos should build good citizens for the future

Question 5. Do you agree the Secretary of State for Education should enter into a Funding Agreement with the Tenax Schools Trust to open and run the Bishop Chavasse Primary School? (This is a critical step required for the Bishop Chavasse School to open.) (Responses are verbatim.)

At the end of the day, Bishop Chavasse will be a much needed school for the area. I am concerned about the limited on site parking at the proposed new school. There is no public transport to this area and the footpaths are in a very poor condition. With 420 (approx.) parents dropping off and picking up each day there will be a lot of congestion in Five Oak Green Rd. There is already queues of vehicles in both directions at the roundabout on Woodgate Way at peak times. There will also be a problem with visitor parking for open evenings and other events attended by parents. It would appear that there is some vacant land behind the Porsche showrooms to the east of the proposed school, maybe this could be acquired to help with extra car parking ?. At present Porsche utilise Five Oak Green Rd for their car transporters to off load vehicles and under Jaguar Land rovers proposals for their new showrooms they will also be using this road for car transporter access. This will make it quite dangerous for children coming and going. The exit from Five Oak Green Rd to the roundabout on Woodgate Way (A26) is difficult because you cannot see vehicles coming from the direction of Vauxhall roundabout on the Pembury Rd until the last moment. It could do with sightline improvements if more vehicles are to use this exit. I am very concerned about the impact of additional traffic approaching an already very dangerous roundabout. I do not feel that church attendance should be a criteria. I consider myself a Christian and I have had all my children baptised but I don't go to church, I don't feel the need to pray in a church I can do that anywhere therefore I feel that should be changed. Just because a parent doesn't go to church who is to say a child won't?' Also I know too many parents who go to church to get their choice of school and then stop going and that is wrong! It is a church School or a State School? Of course, they pay for other schools so this much needed school should be funded Please PLEASE PLEASE build a new and safe means of crossing the road between the Vauxhall Inn roundabout and the top of Tudeley Lane. This is a 60mph stretch of road (before changing abruptly to 30mph) and I have seen many near misses with school children on this piece of road. IT IS SO DANGEROUS! Please do something about this: a pedestrian crossing with traffic lights, and a reduced limit of 30mph, on this whole stretch of road is ESSENTIAL. Thank you. The central funding should be used elsewhere. There are other primary schools in the area that need help and funding to improve, which could easily with the right funding fulfil the needs of parents. Existing schools needing improvement should take priority over funding. A new school in the direct catchment area of a primary school that is in dire need of both pupils and funds should not take priority. Without question Yes its important to ensure running of the school

ANNEX C

Bishop Chavasse School Section 10 Public Consultation Meeting 12 December 2016

Site

Q: Where is the location exactly? A: At the bottom of Tudeley Lane, Tonbridge.

Q: Where is the access road? A: Opposite the entrance to the new Somerhill Green housing development.

Q: The access from the lane seems potentially unsafe for pupils and there is no public transport available. A: We will be taking measures to make the access and site safe for children, for example:

- There will be double yellow lines along the road - There will be a dedicated drop-off zone within the site for parents - There will be provision for up to 70 car parking spaces within the site to accommodate parents evenings and other such events - Kent County Council will be enforcing traffic laws

Q: Is there any flexibility in the number of car parking spaces? It is likely that up to 40 will be taken up by the staff leaving around 30 for others. A: We have been asked to include 70 spaces in the current plans, but the developer might amend the number of spaces as the planning application progresses. We will take account of your and the community’s views.

Q: Although there will be a drop-off zone, it is unlikely that parents will drop young children off and leave them. We will be very concerned if people start parking along local roads; there might be inadvertent damage to property. How will the drop-off zone be managed? A: We will be staggering events such as parent’s evenings and start and end times of pre school and after school activities. These will have a positive impact on managing traffic and access to the school. We will likely have a managed station with a minimum of two staff who would be visible and would escort children to the school entrance.

Q: Somerhill Green housing development is only 196 houses and there is very little curb space for street parking; at least 300 children will be attending from other areas. The local pathways are not suitable for people and small children to use to walk to school. A: These are very helpful messages for us to take into consideration. We understand that we need to get the specification and amenities right and we will take your comments away for further consideration.

Q: Traffic approaches the existing roundabout at high speed. Will speed restrictions be put in place? A: That is a very helpful suggestion and we will report that to Kent County Council and consider it as part of the planning application. There is also another planning scheme being submitted and both applications will consider any traffic issues. There will be time to submit all comments regarding the site part of the formal planning application process.

Q: Are there areas of flooding? A: The site has been assessed as Flood Zone 2. The Redrow planning has mitigated the flood risk.

Q: What about additional surface water from the A21? A: An urban drainage system will need to be installed. The site already has planning permission for a business park and flood risk analysis would have been undertaken as part of that process. In addition, the school will have less hard standing which will reduce the risk of flooding further.

Q: Will that mean less parking spaces if there is a flood risk? A: No. The type of surface will be porous and allow drainage.

Q: Will both applications be considered together/referenced to each other? A: The other application will be put to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, but all highways are the responsibility of Kent County Council. The education planning consultant stated that it would be helpful for any views to be forwarded in writing and provided his details for members of the public to contact him. [[email protected]]

Building

Q: Will the first cohort of 60 children have the full range of facilities? A: Some play space will be provided which will be fenced off from the remainder of the site on which the permanent structure will be built.

Q: How much recreation space will there be once the permanent build is in place? A: There will be a significant amount of space, including landscaping to the side and rear of the site in addition to play areas.

Pupil numbers

Q: Do you have a view on the number of pupils in the short term? There is a concern about potential impact on local schools. A: Kent County Council indicated a shortfall of 30 places in 2016 and 30 places in 2017. Since then, the Council have indicated that the need for additional school places has increased further as the number of parents being turned away has increased. The population is growing and the government has given Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council challenging house building targets up to 2030. These are the principal reasons why the application was approved to open the new school.

School admissions

Q: Is the percentage of places (up to 25%) allocated to children from families with a commitment to the Christian faith the same as for other schools in the Trust? A: No. Admission to some of the other primary schools in the Trust is not faith based; admission to the is all faith based.

Q: How will the admissions arrangements work in practice? A: Up to 15 places will be allocated each year to children from families with a commitment to the Christian faith. If the number of applications is below 15 the remaining places will be offered to children of families of other faiths and none.

Q: Will checks be undertaken? A: Yes. Faith based applications will need to be witnessed by a minister who will complete an additional form.

Q: The admissions policy mentions Church of England. Is it just the Church of England. A: Yes, just Church of England.

Q: What will the number of pupils be when the school is full? A: 420.

School funding

Q: Will funding be available regardless of the number of pupil places? A: The Department for Education will provide indicative funding estimates based on the likely number of pupils attending the school. Any overpaid funding e.g. as a result of the pupil number being lower than predicted, will have to be repaid. There will be some diseconomies funding available in the initial years to support the school as it grows to capacity.

Staffing

Q: Will staff be SEN (special educational needs) trained? A: Yes. We will have staff who will work with pupils with specific needs. Annex D