Matters to Be Specified in Section 15 Proposals to Discontinue a School

MATTERS TO BE SPECIFIED IN SECTION 15 PROPOSALS TO DISCONTINUE A SCHOOL

Extract of Schedule 4 to The School Organisation (Establishment and Discontinuance of Schools)(England) Regulations 2007 (as amended):

Contact details 1. The name of the LA or governing body publishing the proposals, and a contact address, and the name of the school it is proposed that should be discontinued.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU17 9BA Dunswell Primary School

Implementation 2. The date when it is planned that the proposals will be implemented, or, where the proposals are to be implemented in stages, information about each stage and the date on which each stage is planned to be implemented.

31 August 2014

Consultation 3. A statement to the effect that all applicable statutory requirements to consult in relation to the proposals were complied with.

All statutory requirements for consultation have been adhered to.

4. Evidence of the consultation before the proposals were published including: a) a list of persons and/or parties who were consulted; b) minutes of all public consultation meetings; c) the views of the persons consulted;and d) copies of all consultation documents and a statement of how these were made available.

a) The consultation has included: Staff, Governors and parents of children attending Dunswell Primary School Staff, Governors and parents of children attending Woodmansey CE VC Primary School Ward Councillors Dunswell Parish Council

Woodmansey Parish Council David Davis MP Cottingham High School Beverley High School Beverley Grammar School Trades Unions and professional associations York Diocesan Board of Education

b)Minutes of the public consultation meetings are attached as Appendix 1. c) Responses to the consultation from parents, children, staff, governors and members of the local community are enclosed as Appendix 2. Responses were made available to Cabinet members when considering the publication of the proposals. d)Consultation documents were sent to all consultees by post and email. They were also available on the Council’s website and could be obtained from the School Organisation Officer. The consultation documents are enclosed as Appendix 3.

Objectives 5. The objectives of the proposal.

The objective of the proposal is improve the efficient use of school funding and to achieve a more efficient organisation of schools.

There have been a number of meetings, discussions and exchanges of correspondence between Dunswell Primary School and the Council in recent years concerning the adequacy and suitability of the school’s accommodation and facilities. There have also been discussions on the potential impact that a proposed new school on the Kingswood Parks estate in Hull, due to open in September 2014, could have on pupil numbers at Dunswell Primary School.

Dunswell Primary School - Pupil Numbers

Dunswell Primary School is classified by the Department of Education as a rural school. The school has capacity for 84 pupils. Eighty nine pupils were on roll in the October 2012 pupil census. Of these 89 pupils, 22 live in the Dunswell catchment area. This means that 67 (74%) of the pupils on roll are from other schools’ areas, including 39 who live on the Kingswood Parks estate.

Pupil numbers have fluctuated over the years and were as low as 59 children in 2007. These fluctuations can be caused by a variety of factors including the availability of places at alternative schools and the relative popularity of both Dunswell Primary School and other accessible primary schools. A table showing the actual and projected numbers on roll at the

2 school is included in the consultation document enclosed as Appendix 1.

Schools with a low proportion of catchment area children are much more dependent on and susceptible to a range of external factors which can affect their pupil numbers. Such schools can be subject to wide fluctuations in numbers over relatively short periods of time. Small schools can be particularly vulnerable to such fluctuations because a small movement in numbers can represent a significant proportion of the school’s pupils on roll.

Woodmansey CE VC Primary School – Pupil Numbers

Woodmansey CE VC Primary School has capacity for 52 pupils and had 55 pupils on roll in October 2012. Of these 55 pupils, 34 live in the school’s catchment area and 21 (38%) of the pupils live in the catchment areas of other schools, with 14 living on the Kingswood Parks estate.

As with Dunswell Primary School, pupil numbers have fluctuated over the years: just 22 were on roll in 2006. The school’s popularity has improved since 2006 but, as with Dunswell, a significant proportion of the school’s pupils are from outside the catchment area.

Proposed New Primary School – Kingswood Estate

Plans are being progressed by Hull City Council to open a 315 place primary school with nursery facilities on the Kingswood estate. Capital funding for the scheme has been approved and a building contractor has been appointed. There have been several consultation events, the latest in March 2013, where the plans for the new school were on display and representatives from the City Council and the contractor were present to discuss the proposals. A planning application has been submitted and it is anticipated that work will start on site in the summer.

The new school would open in September 2014 and there is also an option for future expansion which would increase the capacity to 420 places. Extensions to other schools in the area would be considered if required to meet the future demand from the estate.

Over 40% of the children on roll at Dunswell live on the Kingswood Parks estate. A smaller number of children from the same area attend Woodmansey CE VC Primary School.

Most parents prefer to send their child to a local school. The primary school on Kingswood Parks is likely to be an attractive option for parents from the Kingswood estate given its location and ease of access, its modern accommodation and nursery provision. Some parents will still prefer to send their children to a rural or village school. However, it is highly likely that the demand for places in East Riding schools from parents living on Kingswood will be substantially reduced.

School Funding

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council receives one of the lowest levels of funding for schools in the country. The new national funding arrangements for schools introduced this year also mean that there is now more limited local discretion in determining local funding formulae. Local authorities are therefore less able to adopt local funding formulae which suit the existing arrangements of schools and the current distribution of pupils between schools.

The patterns of school place provision in East Riding have been reviewed to see if changes can be made which will ensure that the limited funding available is distributed to schools in a way which secures the most effective use of that funding for the education of children.

Since 2000, we have closed or amalgamated 20 schools, small and large. By doing this, we have redistributed nearly £2 million to all schools in East Riding. The schools that have taken pupils in from the closed schools will also have received the pupil led funding which has helped to make these schools more viable and sustainable.

If a primary school is closed, the lump sum element of the school’s funding (£130,000) is distributed to the remaining primary schools through the other factors in the local funding formula. The funding allocated under the Minimum Funding Guarantee is also redistributed in the same way. The schools receiving the pupils on roll at the school which is closed also benefit by receiving more per pupil funding.

With regards to the financial position of the two schools affected by this review, both Dunswell Primary School and Woodmansey CE VC Primary School currently have surplus balances and are expected to be viable in the foreseeable future. As with other small schools, the cost per pupil in each school is above the average for schools in East Riding. Under the 2013/2014 financial year funding formula, Dunswell Primary School will receive £404,709, based on 89 pupils being on roll, equivalent to £4,547 per pupils. Woodmansey CE VC Primary School, with 60 pupils on roll, will receive £379,766, equivalent to £6,329 per pupil. The average per pupil cost of the 42 primary schools with up to 100 pupils on roll is £5,099 and for all schools is £3,737.

Although Dunswell Primary School’s financial position is more advantageous in many ways than that of the school in Woodmansey at present, it is more susceptible to the potential competition for pupil numbers that will arise when the new school in Hull opens. There are also a range of other factors which have to be taken into account.

Standards and Diversity 6. A statement and supporting evidence indicating how the proposals will impact on the standards, diversity and quality of education in the area.

Dunswell Primary school was inspected by OfSTED in 2010 when it was judged to be satisfactory. In a more recent inspection in 2012, the school was judged to require improvement. The latest inspection was undertaken under the new framework for inspection where there is no longer a category of ‘Satisfactory’. Woodmansey CE VC Primary School was last inspected in 2011 when it was judged to be satisfactory. It has not been inspected under the new OfSTED

Dunswell Primary School is a community School, Woodmansey CE VC Primary School is a denominational voluntary controlled school. There are 76 non-denominational primary schools in East Riding of Yorkshire and 49 primary schools with a religious character.

Provision for 16-19 year olds 7. Where the school proposed to be discontinued provides sixth form education, how the proposals will impact on: a) the educational or training achievements; b) participation in education or training; and c) the range of educational or training opportunities, for 16-19 year olds in the area.

The school is a primary school

Need for places 8. A statement and supporting evidence about the need for places in the area including whether there is sufficient capacity to accommodate displaced pupils.

The Dunswell site and accommodation will be retained for use by Woodmansey Primary School. All children currently being educated on the Dunswell site will remain there until they leave the school or until there is sufficient capacity at the Woodmansey site to accommodate them.

There will not therefore be the need for additional places elsewhere.

When the Dunswell site is no longer required, children from Dunswell and Woodmansey will all be accommodated on the Woodmansey site.

9. Where the school has a religious character, a statement about the impact of the proposed closure on the balance of denominational provision in the area and the impact on parental choice.

n/a

Current School Information 10. Information as to the numbers, age range, sex and special educational needs of pupils (distinguishing between boarding and day pupils) for whom provision is made at the school.

Number on roll in the January 2012 census: 86 Number on roll in the October 2012 census: 89 Number on roll in the January 2013 census: 88 In January 2013 there were: 42 boys and 46 girls on roll; and one child had a statement of special educational needs, seven at school action plus and five at school action.

Displaced Pupils 11. Details of the schools or FE colleges which pupils at the school for whom provision is to be discontinued will be offered places, including: a) any interim arrangements; b) where the school included provision that is recognised by the LA as reserved for children with special educational needs, the alternative provision to be made for pupils in the school’s reserved provision; and c) in the case of special schools, alternative provision made by LAs other than the authority which maintains the school.

It is proposed that places would be offered at Woodmansey CE VC Primary School to the pupils of Dunswell Primary School, although parents would be able to express a preference for an alternative school, and if places were available they would be offered a place.

With the exception of children who will be in Year 6 and who will be transferring to Secondary education in September 2014, all children on roll at Dunswell Primary School in the summer term 2014 will be offered a place at Woodmansey CE VC Primary School. The Dunswell Primary School site will be retained and used by Woodmansey CE VC Primary School from 1 September 2014. All children attending Dunswell Primary School at the date of closure will continue to be educated on the Dunswell site until such time as they can be relocated to accommodation on the current site of Woodmansey CE VC Primary School.

12. Details of any other measures proposed to be taken to increase the number of school or FE college places available in consequence of the proposed discontinuance.

The proposal is to reduce the number of places therefore no additional places will be provided.

Impact on the Community 13. A statement and supporting evidence about the impact on the community and any measures proposed to mitigate any adverse impact.

The school has provided the following information on community involvement:

1) The wider community does not use the school premises for extracurricular activities because of the availability of the nearby Dunswell Sports Hall. This hall is just two and a half minutes’ walk from the school. It has extensive changing facilities, with showers / a well equipped kitchen / multiple table tennis tables and a huge range of sports equipment / excellent staging and stage lighting (both the school's) and large storage areas in addition to the large main hall. Importantly, the regular funding received by the sports hall from our school use adds very significantly to the current and future viability of these excellent and convenient whole community facilities. Cessation would critically compromise a well-used sporting venue.

2) The school is involved in the community as follows:

Carol singing at Kingswood Asda and our local garden centre, Coletta's, at Christmas, to which the whole community are invited, embracing the whole adjacent Kingswood / Hull and Dunswell community area.

Major drama performances at Christmas, Easter and the end of the summer term, to which the whole community are again invited, embracing the adjacent Kingswood /Hull and Dunswell community area. School visits to Kingswood cinema and bowling involving the parental community.

Community volunteers as well as parents assist the school with reading support.PTA fairs and events at the sports hall and elsewhere, involving the whole wider community, as above.

Visits to Ings Lane garden centre plus Coletta's for plant study Ed. Visits,

Involvement in the local community garage and shop - "real maths" buying expeditions for children, working to buy items within individual shopping budgets. This all forms part of wider class local area studies.

School discos, termly, plus the Easter "eggstravaganza" rolling competitions, which are attended by the community, too.

Visits by classes to Thompson's farm to see the birth of calves etc.

Visits to St. Faiths, Dunswell Lane.

Links with "China Red" have included whole class meals to celebrate Chinese New Year.

The local publican from "The Ship" gives talks about local history and maritime history to the KS2 classes.

We link with the pub - The Ship - for a major community "Frost Fair" event every Christmas.

The local pub bring their chicks in at Easter for the children, too.

The school uses a local retired builder for all minor repair works, and has employed local firms Land Plan and JR Turnbull in recent self-help land works and all weather astroturfing of the new grassed area, now available on site to our children.

John Barker, who owns nearby Plaxton growers, provides all our bedding plants for the extensive planters and tubs around our site. We sell his plants at Christmas, and profits are recycled into school funds.

There are close links with the local private playgroup - including reciprocal visits - and their staff work at the school as our lunchtime supervisors. This gives excellent continuity of provision for the EYFS children. The playgroup is successful and viable because parents see it as a mechanism for entry into our school. With no onward feeder school, the playgroup's continuation would be compromised

As detailed above, the school has use of the village sports hall and playing fields. A letter from the Village Institute, who manage the facility, is included in the correspondence. The funding that the school pays to the Village Institute constitutes the majority of their income. Although there is income from other lettings, it is the view of the Chair of Trustees that should the school close, the sports hall and fields would not be financially viable and therefore would have to be sold.

An independent playgroup operates in the village and provides early education and childcare for around 26 children. A letter from the playgroup is enclosed in the correspondence. The majority of the children at the playgroup are from Hull and attend either because they have siblings attending Dunswell Primary School or because their parents intend for them to attend Dunswell Primary School. If Dunswell Primary School closes, the playgroup feels that there would be insufficient numbers for the playgroup to continue. The closure of the playgroup would also have an impact on the Church as they would lose their income from the rent of the accommodation.

Arrangements for the use of the village sports hall will continue whilst children are being educated on the Dunswell site. The sports hall is used by the community for a variety of activities not related to the school. There is

also usage of the sports hall by organisations and individuals from a wider area. The continued use of the sports hall whilst the Dunswell site is retained would allow the management committee some time to look at developing alternative sources of funding and new users to replace the school income.

A similar situation would apply to the playgroup. Parents in the Dunswell area would still have the option for their children to access their early education entitlement at the pre-school should they wish. Parents from outside the catchment area with children being educated on the Dunswell site may also wish to continue to use the playgroup for their children’s early education. There are no extended services being provided in the area, and this could be an avenue that the playgroup explore as well as looking at the potential for additional care provision.

14. Details of extended services the school offered and what it is proposed for these services once the school has discontinued.

The school does not offer any extended services.

Travel 15. Details of the length and journeys to alternative provision.

Woodmansey CE Primary School is 1.8 miles from Dunswell Primary School.

The furthest that a catchment area pupil would have to travel is 2.075 miles to Woodmansey CE VC Primary School. The school is on a major road between Dunswell and Woodmansey villages.

As children currently educated at Dunswell Primary School will remain on the site for the remainder of their primary education, their travel arrangements will not change.

Children from Dunswell starting school for the first time wil be educated at the Woodmansey site.

16. The proposed arrangements for travel of displaced pupils to other schools including how they will help to work against increased car use.

As the Dunswell site is to be retained for use as an annexe until the displaced pupils have left or can be accommodated on the Woodmansey site, there will be limited impact on car usage.

Related Proposals 17. A statement as to whether in the opinion of the LA or governing body, the proposals are related to any other proposals which may have been, are, or are about to be published.

There are no related proposals.

Rural Primary Schools 18. Where proposals relate to a rural primary school designated as such by an order made for the purposes of section 15, a statement that the LA or The governing body (as the case may be) considered: a) the likely effect of discontinuance of the school on the local community; b) the availability, and likely cost to the LA, of transport to other schools; c) any increase in the use of motor vehicles which is likely to result from the discontinuance of the school, and the likely effects of any such increase; and d) any alternatives to the discontinuance of the school, as required by section 15(4)

a) the likely effect of discontinuance of the school on the local community;

The local authority has considered the impact on the local community and has received representations from parents, members of the local community and organisations likely to be affected. Information and comments on these are contained in 13 above.

b) the availability, and likely cost to the LA, of transport to other schools;

Free home to school transport has to be provided by the Council for children of compulsory school age who are attending their nearest school and have to travel more than two miles for children aged under eight years or more than three miles for those aged eight years and over. The Council also provides free transport to a child’s catchment area school if that school is not the child’s nearest school.

Children attending Dunswell Primary School at present are not entitled to free home to school transport. There would be no change to this position for the children who continue to be educated at the Dunswell site.

There are areas within the Dunswell catchment area which are further away from Woodmansey CE VC Primary School than the distances mentioned above. At present there are no children that qualify. Should any child qualify

for free transport in the future, transport would be arranged in accordance with our normal policy and practice. Children resident outside the Dunswell and Woodmansey catchment area would not qualify for free transport.

As the there are no children currently entitled to transport, there is no additional cost.

c) any increase in the use of motor vehicles which is likely to result from the discontinuance of the school, and the likely effects of any such increase;

If the Dunswell site is retained, there would be little impact on transport arrangements, including car traffic. Over time, the volume of car usage would be expected to decrease as successive intakes to the school would include a higher proportion of catchment area resident children.

When children from Dunswell start at the Woodmansey site, the home to school travel distance for some parents would increase by up to 1.7 miles per journey. A number of Dunswell resident parents would possibly choose to transport their children to school in Woodmansey by car. This increase in car usage will be more than offset by the corresponding reduction in car usage as the number of out of catchment area children reduces.

d) any alternatives to the discontinuance of the school,

A suggestion was received that the school could share a headteacher with Woodmansey CE VC Primary School which would reduce costs for both schools.

Collaborations between schools and the sharing of headteachers produce some savings for schools. The level of funding that the individual schools receive is not affected and there are no benefits to the overall Schools Budget. The option also does not fully address the difficulties that the schools would face if pupil numbers decline when the new school Kingswood Parks Primary School opens, nor does it address the oversupply of school places in the Dunswell and Woodmansey areas.

Maintained nursery schools 19. Where proposals relate to the discontinuance of a maintained nursery school, a statement setting out: a) the consideration that has been given to developing the school into a children’s centre and the grounds for not doing so; b) the LA’s assessment of the quality and quantity of alternative provision compared to the school proposed to be discontinued and the proposed arrangements to ensure the expertise and specialism continues to be available; and c) the accessibility and convenience of replacement provision for local

11 parents.

The school is a primary school

Special educational provision 20. Where existing provision that is recognised by the LA as reserved for pupils with special educational needs is being discontinued, a statement as to how the LA or the governing body believes the proposal is likely to lead to improvements in the standard, quality and/or range of the educational provision for these children.

There is no existing provision that is reserved for pupils with special educational needs that is being discontinued.