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Brecon High School and Gwernyfed High School Consultation Report

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Brecon High School and Gwernyfed High School Consultation Report Final Version 25th August 2016 Brecon High School and Gwernyfed High School Consultation Report - Responses August 2016 1 Final Version 25th August 2016 (Blank Page) 2 Final Version 25th August 2016 CONTENTS PAGE 1. Quality 04 2. Post 16 Education 13 3. Travel 44 4. Welsh Medium Education 58 5. Finance 75 6. School Buildings 98 7. Surplus Places and Capacity 111 8. Impact on Pupils and Wellbeing 115 9. Impact on Staff, Leadership and Management 124 10. The Proposal and Facts and Figures 133 11. The Consultation Process 178 12. Equality and Diversity 209 13. Community 214 14. Local Economy 217 15. Alternative Options 224 3 Final Version 25th August 2016 1 Quality 1.1 General 1.1.1 Where is the cited evidence that the Proposal The intention of the Proposal is to establish a sustainable secondary school will make a difference to learning outcomes? infrastructure that could deliver high-quality education within financial and demographic constraints. Through a larger critical mass of leaners there will be greater opportunities to share good practice both within and across departments. Leadership structures will be more resilient to changes in staffing. 1.1.2 How does POWYS COUNTY COUNCIL expect The Proposal of providing educational provision across the current sites from the resultant amalgamated school will comply September 2017 will ensure that there is minimal disruption to the experiences with guidance in 1.3 of the WG schools of the learners. The equivalent standard of education for the pupils of organisation code in providing at least the Gwernyfed High School can be delivered immediately upon establishing the equivalent standard of education for the pupils new school. The time between September 2017 and movement to a new of Gwernyfed High School from day one? building will be used by the leadership team with the support of the Local Authority to ensure that policies and procedures are embedded including curriculum timetabling and staffing 1.2 Quality of Staff – Gwernyfed and good relationship with pupils 1.2.1 The shadow governing body of the New School The statement contained within the Consultation Document does not infer that would be expected to appoint high- quality current staff are not quality. It asserts that any appointments would be of high teaching and staff who would be able to provide quality staff. The Authority acknowledges the ongoing improvement at excellent learning experiences, teaching, care, Gwernyfed High School in response to being judged as ‘adequate’ for support and guidance;' . How does this not performance and ‘adequate’ for prospects for improvement by Estyn, and suggest that Gwernyfed high school doesn't congratulates the school for coming out of the Estyn monitoring category in provide this and what evidence does the council February of this year. have to support this statement? 1.2.2 The Proposal for the interim dual-site school solution expects a shadow governing body to “appoint high-quality teaching etc.” What evidence is there that the current teaching and support staff are not high-quality? 4 Final Version 25th August 2016 1.2.3 Provide evidence that the current teaching and support staff at both Brecon and Gwernyfed High Schools are not “high-quality” or “able to provide excellent learning experiences, teaching, care, support and guidance.” 1.3 Choice of Subject KS3, KS4 and Post 16 1.3.1 Explain what is meant by “to maximise the The consultation document states, ‘The Council believes that a school with a curriculum benefits at Key Stage 3…” What minimum of 600 pupils in KS3 and KS4 would have average year groups of 120 benchmark is being compared here? pupils, which would help maximise the curriculum benefits and lead to improved outcomes.’ As a pupil population grows so does a school’s capacity to: deliver a wider range of viable subject options at key stage 4; increase the number of teaching staff; and thereby improve the range of subject specialism. 1.3.2 Explain what is, and whether there is, a sound The figure of 600 pupils was agreed by officers of the Authority, in discussions evidence basis for the Council’s “belief” that a with PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), following their Study into the Viability of rural high school needs to be at least 600 pupils Secondary Schools. The Authority currently funds KS3 and KS4 classes that strong at KS3 and KS4. deliver core curriculum subjects on a teacher-pupil ratio of 1- 23, apart from subjects which have a health and safety aspect where it is expected that no class has more than 20 pupils. E.g. science – (these classes make up approximately 20% of the curriculum). In future, it is expected that the maximum teacher-pupil ratio will not exceed 1 – 30/31 for core curriculum subjects. The Authority’s School Reorganisation Policy 2015 states the following in relation to size of schools: ‘For secondary phase provision, the Council aspires to have schools with at least 600 pupils in Years 7 to 11. This would allow average year group sizes of a minimum of 120 children. 5 Final Version 25th August 2016 The Authority’s optimum model for post-16 education is for centres to be able to provide 25 subjects, with a minimum class size of 12 or above. This will enable the Authority and schools to meet the requirements of the Learning and Skills (Wales) Measure 2009 whilst minimising the need for inter-school travel. However, it must be recognised that in some situations, geographic or linguistic issues make the aspirational targets for size of schools difficult to achieve, and consideration will be given to the specific circumstances of each school under consideration.’ 1.3.3 Please explain how “an average of 120 students As a pupil population grows so does a school’s capacity to: deliver a wider per KS3 & KS4 would help maximise curriculum range of viable subject options at key stage 4; increase the number of teaching benefits and lead to improved outcomes”. staff; and thereby improve the range of subject specialism. In this context, ‘outcomes’ refers to the choice available to pupils at key stage 4 with wider choice regarded as a positive outcome. 1.4 Size of School 1.4.1 You state that the new school is the council’s The county council commissioned a study by Price Waterhouse Cooper to aspiration for a size of school. report on the potential financial viability of each of the secondary and of the Where is the data and statistical analysis which overall provision of secondary education across the county. The report shows that this will educationally benefit concluded that ‘all the schools appear to be reaching a point where their children? options are extremely limited and there is a tangible risk that schools will become finance, rather than curriculum led’, and that ‘in light of the forecasted, deteriorating financial position of the whole county provision, even a concerted, joint effort of cost management may not be enough to avoid the requirement to examine structural changes to the education provision across the county’. As a pupil population grows so does a school’s capacity to: deliver a wider range of viable subject options at key stage 4; increase the number of teaching staff; and thereby improve the range of subject specialism. 6 Final Version 25th August 2016 1.5 Special Measures/Estyn 1.5.1 If the four schools become two neither will be The Proposal is not about the current situation of removing a school from subject to special measures for the next two special measures due to a reorganisation process. The intention of the years. Is this motivation for Powys County Proposal is to establish a sustainable secondary school infrastructure for the Council to proceed with this Proposal and a future that can deliver high-quality education. Should the Proposal be convenient, short term solution to what appears implemented, Welsh Government and Estyn will expect the school to be to be a historic and deep rooted problem? There continually monitored. appears an obvious loophole in the process which you have exploited to your advantage. 1.5.2 What systems will you implement which, for All schools in Powys are monitored through the Regional School Improvement these two years, education standards will be Strategy through a team of Challenge Advisers deployed through the regional monitored and reviewed adequately and any consortium for South West and Mid Wales, namely ERW. This consists of a shortfalls and inadequacies addressed core visit during the Autumn Term annually at which a school is categorised for promptly? standards and also the capacity to improve and placed on a matrix. This matrix determines the support required by a school. The support required is then brokered through the designated Challenge Adviser to ensure appropriate improvements are made. 1.5.3 What form will your support take during the Officers from the Authority through the Regional School Improvement strategy transitional period - when staff will be working will with the leadership team of the school provide a bespoke menu of support across two sites - to convince us that the to ensure there is a smooth transition. The deployment of staff will be the Proposals will benefit our children’s education? responsibility of the leadership team 1.5.4 Where are the latest Estyn inspection figures? Estyn did not carry out a full inspection of Brecon High School In 2014. It pg. 29 quotes an annual review in 2014. What carried out a monitoring visit following the core inspection of 2012. During the was the Estyn feedback on Curriculum and monitoring visit Estyn evaluated progress against the recommendations of the Quality in 2014? core inspection and therefore did not make judgement relating specifically to the quality indicators of the Common Inspection Framework.
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