Item No:C4a Appendix 3
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.,' ~'-.. , ITEM NO:C4A APPENDIX 3 Appendix 3 Responses from the Governinq Bodies or Headteachers of the six secondary schools most directlv affected bv the Learninq Futures: Secondary Education Review QIQ.Qosals: A. Proposal for Learning Campus on the Millbrook site - Millbrook B. Learning Futures Response - Mr Darryl Saxton, Chairman of Governors, Oaklands Community School C. Proposals for the development of a Learning Campus - Oaklands Community School, neighbouring primary and junior schools, and The Cedar Special School. D. Additional notes to support option 1 - Mr John Green, Chair of Governors, Bellemoor School E. Learning Futures Consultation - Mrs Sue Stanek, Chair of Governors, Regents Park Community College F. Letter to Clive Webster 29 September - Mr Richard Pearson, Chair of governors, Woolston School Language College G. Letter to Clive Webster 13 October - Mr Richard Pearson, Chair of governors, Woolston School Language College H. Letter to Cllr An Milton - Jane Butler, Chair of Governors, and Eric Freeman, Headteacher, Grove Park Business and Enterprise College ~ ~, A Learning Campus on the Millbrook Site A Draft Proposal Rationale: If Learning Campuses are to be the future provision for education in Southampton then the Every Child Matters (ECM) agenda must be at the heart of the vision. The Millbrook proposal is a bold vision predicated on the belief that it is indeed true that ECM must be central to the Learning Campus concept. This paper outlines a strategic overview of a Learning Campus and sets out to demonstrate why only the Millbrook site has the capacity to be developed in such a way as to provide wrap around care for students in their secondary years whilst also linking intol6+ provsion. The final aspect of the rationale is based on the strongly articulated view by all objective voices at the pre- statutory phase of consultation, that the loss of the MiIlbrook site from the educational portfolio would seriously disavantage future generations of pupils and parents in Southampton. In other words, the time has come to commit to a set of proposals which will enable the City to fully meet the needs of a changing and diverse population. No site in the City is better suited than MiIlbrook to adapt to future needs. Proposal: The proposal is to create a Learning Campus on the Millbrook site bringing together the full range of services including Sure Start, Health, Social Services and of course Education in one multi-purpose facility. In addition to this we propose to encorporate 16+ provision and provide a bridge into the colleges by committing to the delivery of 5 of the new diplomas using the Excellence Centre and Down to Earth. This will be incorporated into the development ofthe site following this timetable: By 2008 IT, Health and Social Care diplomas By 2009 Land Based and Environmental diploma based at Down to Earth managed by MiIlbrook staff and supported by Tauntens College By 2010 Public Services and Travel and Tourism diplomas (in partnership with Tauntens) This proposal would include a full range of academic GCSEs and individualised learning programmes for pupils who find mainstream provision difficult. Building on our extended schools status this would include specialised and out of hours provision, e-Iearning and a full work related programme. Location: The only possible location for such a vision is the Millbrook site. The amount of space available gives huge flexibility and room for growth in response to as yet unforeseen circumstances. It will be 'future proof'. Because of the space available;"arty building, refurbishment or alterations required could be carried out with minimal disruption to the education ofthe students. In addition to this, because many of the Millbrook buildings are fit for purpose and completely DDA complient, costs would be kept to a minimum. Logistics: In order to make this vision a reality,the Millbrooksiteneedsto be developedalong the linesproposedby the city architect. Unlike other proposals, bringing two schools together on the MiIlbrook site could be achieved with minimal disruption. Indeed there would even be capacity to build the new facilities while the old building continued to be used. There would be no need for 'annexation'. Any funding required could be quickly - - --- -- fS 1. Learnina: Futures - Response. Darryl Saxton !Jmjrman Of Governors.. Oaklands Community School I support Option 1- Close Millbrook school from September 2008 and transfer pupils to Oaklands, which would be expanded to 900 places. Continue to use Millbrook as an annexe until the Oaklands site has been developed and extended. I base my decision on the key considerations as laid out on page II in the City View Extra booklet. The issue can be summarised as follows. We have three schools in the North West of the City and we only require two~The three schools are, Redbridge, Millbrook and Oaklands. I have experience working with both Oaklands and Millbrook schools as I was the Community Police Officer for the area between 1981 and 2000. I have a great deal of respect for the staff at both locations and nothing I say should be taken as a slight against any current Staff or Governor at either location. It is clear nom the proposals that, following a decision regarding the future of Oaklands and Millbrook, Redbridge will expand by a further 150 places. Based on answers ITomAndrew Hind, the new catchment area for Redbridge would then be the West of a line running ,!o~-s~uth along Romsey Road and would therefore include all of the Millbrook School-site. It would seem a poor choice to have another school within the Redbridge catchment area but serving an area elsewhere. The Millbrook school site would be outside of its catchment area. It would be situated several miles ftom the Lordswood area and would mean a long journey to school for any pupils ftom that area. The Oaklands site is much closer, would be more centrally placed for the future catchment area and would see shorter journey lengths, of 1.5 miles or less, for the majority of its pupils. One of the important criteria for the decision should be to stop the loss of pupils ITom city schools to Hampshire schools. It would be expected that Oaklands , being on the edge of the city , would lose a fair proportion of its pupils to the nearby Romsey and other Hampshire schools. The data shows that this is certainly not the case. More pupils are lost out of the city from schools nearer the city centre than ITomOaklands. .- --. - - --- --- -- -- -nn.- n- -- -- on --- 2. This is a demonstration of the hard work that Oaklands staffhave undertaken to forge strong links with our feeder schools. They support the Oaklands ethos and so do local parents. The previous consultation showed a heavy response ITomparents on this point. They have responded that it is simply too far to go to the Millbrook site and they do not have confidence in that school. A new school on that site would have a difficult time in becoming established both by competition from a very near neighbour - the successful Redbridge school - and the reluctance of parents from the Lordswood area to support the school. This would result in the school having problems with achieving its full capacity whilst seeing more pupils leaving the city ITomthe Lordswood area. This would be the very opposite of the intention of the restructuring process. Oaklands has kept a good number of the pupils from its catchment schools and is also very popular with other nearby middle schools. This has enabled us to maintain our number on roll in excess of that predicted by the City Authority. This is a measure of the confidence displayed by parents in the management and leadership of Oaklands. There has been some disquiet and questions from parents regarding the 'hordes of Millbrook pupils' coming to the school following the Millbrook closure. Oaklands Governors and senior management have discussed this in some depth and have a devised a strategy to deal with the amalgamation so as to cause the minimum disruption to all pupils. W-ewould expect the numbers of pupils from Millbrook , after allowing for the expansion of Redbridge, to be in the region of 150 pupils, 30 in each of the five year groups. This would equate to an increase of about one class per year. I know that the majority of pupils trom Millbrook are as well behaved and able as the majority at Oaklands . The few that are disruptive would be no different from those currently at Oaklands. We have existing strategies to deal with such behaviour already and nothing would needto be changed in that respect. I am extremely passionate in"my demand that no pupil should lose out in their education due to the process of the Secondary School review. In this I include all pupils at any school. I am aware that the syllabus of several GCSE course at Millbrook and Oaklands are different. I strongly support the continuing of those courses that pupils have already started and this would mean that years 10 and 11 at Millbrook, already into their fmal GCSE preparation, should continue with their existing courses. This should be run at Millbrook with staff they already know and trust. It would mean the running of Millbrook as an annex for a minimum of two years ITom the date of c1osure. This would also assist in the integration of the pupils in the lower years. The newest, year 7, would never have been to Millbrook and therefore would be starting as Oaklands pupils. Years 8 and 9 would be able to undertake Oaklands GCSE courses without disrupting their learning. It would be important to recruit as many former Millbrook staff as funding would allow.