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Primary School and Platts Heath (Community) Primary School, Maidstone: Proposed Amalgamation – Outcome of Public Consultation

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Primary School and Platts Heath (Community) Primary School, Maidstone: Proposed Amalgamation – Outcome of Public Consultation Item No B2 By: Director - Operations To: School Organisation Advisory Board – 18 September 2006 Subject KINGSWOOD (COMMUNITY) PRIMARY SCHOOL AND PLATTS HEATH (COMMUNITY) PRIMARY SCHOOL, MAIDSTONE: PROPOSED AMALGAMATION – OUTCOME OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION. Classification: Unrestricted File Ref: ________________________________________________________________________________ Summary: This report sets out the results of the public consultation. It seeks the views of the School Organisation Advisory Board on the proposed amalgamation of Kingswood Primary School and Platts Heath Primary School by the issuing of a public notice for the closure of both schools and the establishment of a new combined school on the Kingswood Site, using existing Kingswood facilities. ________________________________________________________________________________ Introduction 1. (1) The School Organisation Advisory Board at its meeting on 8 June 2006 supported the undertaking of a public consultation on the proposal to amalgamate Kingswood Primary School and Platts Heath Primary School into a new Community Primary School on the Kingswood site. (2) Platts Heath and Kingswood Primary schools are located approximately two miles apart. Platts Heath Primary School is situated in Platts Heath village and about half of the school's pupils are drawn from within a one mile radius of the school. Kingswood Primary School is located within the village of Kingswood and approximately 60% of its pupils live within one mile of the school. (3) Platts Heath School is hampered by poor quality accommodation and a site which has little scope for development. Kingswood School has recently benefited from the replacement of mobile classrooms and now enjoys good quality accommodation, together with good on-site facilities, including playing fields (4) In January 2006 Platts Heath Primary School had 74 pupils on roll, with the capacity to accommodate 91 pupils (surplus of 18.68%). Kingswood Primary School had 69 pupils on roll and a capacity to accommodate 140 pupils (50.71% surplus). Thus, the combined rolls of the two schools was 143, but their total surplus capacity was 88 places (38.09%). (5) County average funding cost per pupil is £2,819 (£2,453 without SEN funding). The funding cost per pupil at Platts Heath School is £3,067 (£2,941 without SEN) and the funding cost per pupil at Kingswood is £3,421 (£3,147 without SEN funding). ed&libreports/2006/180906d B2:1 (6) For September 2006 admissions, 5 parents placed Platts Heath as their first preference while 4 placed Kingswood as first preference. (7) A map is attached in Appendix 1 which shows the location of the two schools and the current pupil distribution. Background Information 2. (1) In Maidstone Borough there are 53 primary schools with a combined net capacity of 13,337. There are currently 11,662 pupils attending these schools giving a surplus capacity of 12.6%. (2) As part of the Strategy, Recommendation 27 states that "wherever surplus primary capacity is projected to rise above 7% in any cluster area, proposals should be brought forward to reduce it to 5%”. The retention of a 5% surplus in any area (rather than zero) is considered to be 'good practice' to assist parental preferences being met, and to build in a contingency to deal with any unforeseen short-tem increase in pupil numbers. The DfES require all authorities to report annually on all schools with an excess of 25% surplus capacity, giving justifications why such schools are not being closed or having their net capacity reduced. The Proposal 3. (1) It is proposed that Platts Heath and Kingswood Primary Schools should amalgamate to form a new community primary school based in the Kingswood school buildings. (2) The school would have capacity to admit 150 pupils, aged 5 to 11 years, which is considered sufficient to meet the needs of both Platts Heath and Kingswood communities. (3) The amalgamation would be achieved by both schools closing and the new primary school opening at the earliest by 1 September 2007. (4) All children in Platts Heath Primary and Kingswood Primary Schools would be guaranteed places in the new school. The surplus capacity at Kingswood School (71 places) is sufficient to absorb almost the entire pupil population of Platts Heath School (74). For parents who do not wish to take up places at a combined Platts Heath/Kingswood school, places are available at Ulcombe CEP School. (5) Amalgamation would create a school of sufficient size to guarantee a more secure future for primary education within this rural area. The strengths of staff from both schools would be combined to provide a more comprehensive range of skills and expertise with which to raise standards, to the benefit of children from both communities. The larger team of staff would be able to share responsibilities, and would have access to a more flexible range of teaching resources. Opportunities for staff’s professional development would also be greater. (6) In amalgamating Platts Heath and Kingswood schools, both would close and a ‘new’ school would open on the Kingswood site. By adopting this strategy, rather than simply closing Platts Heath School, it is intended to establish that the new school at ed&libreports/2006/180906d B2:2 Kingswood would be recognised as the appropriate provision for both villages, with a sense of `joint ownership’ and support for it. Public Consultation Process 4. (1) A consultation document, a copy of which is attached as Appendix 2, was circulated according to the County Procedures for Review. This included Local Members, District Council, Parish Councils, local libraries, schools within the two Maidstone Clusters, Member of Parliament and other interested parties. (2) Approximately 1,000 copies of the document were circulated. (3) The document included a separate form on which respondents could express their views. (4) A public meeting was held at Kingswood Primary School on 13 July 2006. The meeting was chaired by Mrs P Stockell, KCC Member for Maidstone Rural West. Mr L Ridings, KCC Member for Sandwich (and Vice Chairman of the Council), Lord Bruce- Lockhart (KCC Member for Maidstone Rural East), Mr Hugh Robertson (MP for Faversham and Mid Kent), Dr. Ian Craig (Director of Operations), Mr Chris Jones (Area Education Officer), Mrs Hilary Macdonald (Local Education Officer) and Mr Tony Smith (School Organisation Officer) were in attendance. (5) There were 160 members of the public in attendance. Responses to the Public Consultation Written Responses 5. (1) In total, 358 written responses (letters, emails and consultation forms) had been received, of which 18 were in favour of the proposal and 340 were against. A Petition was also received in three parts, which was signed in total by 573 people – parents, staff, governors and members of the community - stating ‘signatories oppose the proposal for the amalgamation of Platts Heath and Kingswood Primary Schools’. (2) A summary of written responses is attached as Appendix 3. Responses to the main points are included in the Area Education Officer’s Comments in Section 14. Public Meeting Responses (3) A summary of comments, views and responses is attached as Annex 3. Views of the Local Member 6. (1) Lord Bruce-Lockhart, Local Member for Maidstone Rural East made the following comments on the proposal (from letter dated 26 July 2006): (2) I am totally opposed to the closure of Platts Heath School on the grounds that the County Council has recently confirmed it has a higher than average standard of education; it is financially viable; it has 74 pupils out of a capacity of 91, 45% of whom live within one mile of the school; and it is an essential part of the village community. ed&libreports/2006/180906d B2:3 (3) This consultation is stated to be about the reduction of surplus capacity in primary schools in Maidstone. This is right. It is, however, clear that there is absolutely no need to close Platts Heath School as the County Council has already achieved the reduction in surplus capacity in the Maidstone area that is required by the DfES and by the KCC’s own policy. (4) The Audit Commission’s submission to DfES states “Authorities should aim to have no more than 10% surplus overall and should address the situation as a matter of urgency at individual schools with more than 25%.” I understand the KCC Cabinet of 6 February this year agreed to adopt a new policy to reduce this to 5% or 7% surplus capacity in any area. (5) In the Maidstone area the current and forecast surplus capacity is 10.9%, close to the Audit Commission guidance. There are excellent proposals in the SOAB paper to put children’s centres into some town centre schools with large surplus capacities, and for a “desk top” exercise to reduce the “theoretical total capacity number” in seven schools totalling a reduction of 706 school places. This would very sensibly reduce the surplus capacity for Maidstone to 6% and achieve this with no closures. This therefore achieves both the DfES and the County Council’s objectives in reducing surplus capacity. (6) Platts Heath School is an outstanding small rural primary school serving its own distinct village. It has 74 children on roll out of a total theoretical capacity of 91. It has a high standard of education with six out of ten children this year achieving entry to grammar school. It has good PANDA and value added schools. The SATs results this summer again showed further improvement. The County Council’s Assistant Director of Education has confirmed that Platts Heath's standard of education is well above average. Most importantly of all, in a small school, its dedicated staff are able to deliver a high standard of personalised and individual learning. (7) Platts Heath School has a strongly supportive Governing Board. It has effective resource management and no financial deficit.
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