<p>Minutes of the Parents’ and Public meeting regarding the consultation on the proposal to close Rossmore Community College held at 6.30 pm on Tuesday 5th May 2009 at Rossmore Community College</p><p>Present:</p><p>7 parents Sally Apps Headteacher, Rossmore Community College Luana Girling Chair of Governors, Rossmore Community College Cheryl Owen Unison Rev Tim Gomm Rossmore Community College and Good Shepherd Church Tracey Downton Staff and Unison representative, Rossmore Community College Cllr Tony Woodcock Portfolio Holder for Supporting Children and Young People, Borough of Poole</p><p>LA officers in attendance:</p><p>Anne Newton Strategic Director (Children’s Services), Borough of Poole (BOP) Colin Payne Academy Project Manager, BOP Stuart Twiss Head of Children and Young People’s Services – Strategy, Quality and Improvement (CYPS SQI), BOP Tracey Comper HR Manager, Borough of Poole, BOP David Alderson CYPS SQI Improvement Advisor, BOP Nicola Keynes Senior Education Officer (Planning and Development), BOP John Dimbleby CYPS SQI, BOP (Minute taker)</p><p>Sponsors:</p><p>Chris Shepperd Diocesan Director of Education, Diocese of Salisbury Jacky Mack Director of Partnership and Widening Access, Bournemouth University Bruce Freeman Project Manager, Church Academy Services Ltd</p><p>Building Schools for the Future:</p><p>Barry Watts Programme Director</p><p>Anne Newton (AN) welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked Mrs Apps for hosting the meeting at the school. </p><p>AN explained that the purpose of the meeting was to consult parents and other interested parties on the proposal to close Rossmore Community College with effect</p><p>1 from 31st August 2010 and to establish in its place an Academy with effect from 1 st September 2010.</p><p>AN introduced Colin Payne, Rossmore Academy Project Manager for Poole, who made a short presentation setting out the background to the Academy proposal, the three options put forward and the process and timescales for decision making.</p><p>A film made by students of Rossmore Community College about the Academy proposal was shown.</p><p>AN invited the representatives of the sponsors of the proposed Academy to introduce themselves and to say a few words. Jackie Mack, Director of Partnership and Widening Access, Bournemouth University introduced herself. </p><p>Chris Shepperd, Director of Education, Salisbury Diocese, introduced himself. He said that Salisbury Diocese has been working with schools for hundreds of years. He paid credit to Mrs Apps and her team had come alongside and helped move forward on the Academy proposal.</p><p>AN invited open questions.</p><p>Q. Our son attends Rossmore School and will be moving into Year 10 in September. Although this project is great for the future, these will be the most important years of his life. How can you guarantee that these years won’t be disrupted for him?</p><p>AN replied that there was no cause for concern as there were assurances that current learners would not be disrupted.</p><p>Chris Shepperd said that a key part of the school’s plan has been Transition Planning and the transition from Year 10 to Year 11 is most important.</p><p>Q. Will teachers have to re-apply for their jobs?</p><p>Tracey Comper, HR Manager, Borough of Poole, explained that under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE), staff would have protection and move over to the new Academy. There may be a new staffing structure for the Academy and staff will be consulted on this. There is a strong trade union representation in the school and union representatives will work hard to oversee the process. </p><p>Q. Our daughter, who was at Manorside when Alderney Middle School combined with Trinidad First School, had a lot of trouble with supply staff coming and going. Will all staff be in place by Sept 2010 or will this happen again?</p><p>AN replied that she would expect there to be concern on this issue. She explained that she had moved to Poole from an area where there were 2 academies and there were no staff issues at the handover. She added that it was important to get the</p><p>2 staffing of the new Academy right in order that there were wider curriculum opportunities, as well as stability, for students.</p><p>Colin Payne added that there will be strong governance at the front end that starts to drive the school forward. </p><p>Q. What happens if no-one wants it?</p><p>Colin Payne replied that it was the Local Authority’s job to listen to what people had to say through the consultation. Law requires this. So far the feedback on the Academy proposal has been positive with the overwhelming majority of people in favour.</p><p>Q. Our son who has Autism is coming to Rossmore in September? Will the Opening Minds Pathway continue to help these difficulties?</p><p>Chris Shepperd replied that the sponsors were keen to build on what is a successful initiative that makes an enormous difference to young people and move it in a different direction. They want to cater for every youngster and their specific needs. The new Academy will provide a personalised curriculum fit for every pupil. </p><p>Q. Will you be closing any other schools?</p><p>Nicola Keynes, Senior Education Officer (Planning and Development), Borough of Poole, replied that there were currently falling numbers in the secondary phase. However, there was an explosion in birth rates currently in the primary phase, which would feed through to the secondary phase from 2014 onwards. Therefore, there are no plans to close any schools.</p><p>Q. Was there an idea to integrate Winchelsea School on the Rossmore site?</p><p>Nicola Keynes explained that this proposal was considered as part of the Building Schools for the Future project but was not taken forward because it was not popular with Winchelsea parents. There are no plans to co-locate or amalgamate Winchelsea. </p><p>Will there be a new Uniform?</p><p>Jackie Mack explained that there would be a new uniform, new logo and a new name for September 2010 but that the details of these had not yet been decided. The students will have input into this.</p><p>AN added that the Academy will need to establish its identity. The LA will be working with the sponsors to support that.</p><p>3 Q. Our son goes to a feeder school, yet we had no idea that this meeting was taking place, except for a very small article in the Echo</p><p>Colin Payne said that it was very disappointing to hear that as copies of the consultation document and notice of the meeting had been sent out to all of the feeder schools.</p><p>Q. Is there an explanation for the low attendance at this meeting?</p><p>AN replied that many parents are happier to write in with their views rather than face the intimidation of an open forum. </p><p>Q. I was a Governor when I noticed that kids are more likely to achieve when their parents attend school meetings. How can you change the parents?</p><p>AN replied that when she was a teacher, it was frequently the parents that staff wanted to see the most who never showed up. She agreed that more engagement with parents gave children a better chance of learning.</p><p>Chris Shepperd said that celebratory evenings were needed to celebrate the good things that kids do and invite the parents in. It was likely that these events would be well attended by parents.</p><p>Q. There is a stigma about Rossmore, we don’t get good publicity here. We want to attract people back to this school and we want our grandchildren to come here, but people will always say it is still Martin Kemp Welsh – it’ll never change.</p><p>Colin Payne replied that change can happen with the right sponsors. Where he worked previously, there used to be schools where no-one wanted to go to yet today they are the most hi-tech and most popular.</p><p>Q. But there’s no discipline, it’s the worst it has ever been – pupils think it is okay to kick punch and spit at other kids and teachers. How would the Academy change this?</p><p>AN replied that the sponsors will put in the behaviour framework for the new Academy. The LA were working with the current schools leadership on behaviour.</p><p>Jackie Mack agreed that this was a strong theme.</p><p>Chris Shepperd said that when he walked through the school he did not experience vast amounts of bad behaviour. He was hopeful that the reputation of the current school could be overcome. So long as the kids are treated well, properly and e the good things they do are celebrated, then there will be the right balance to move things forward.</p><p>Councillor Woodcock, Portfolio Holder for Supporting Children and Young People, addressed the meeting. He said that the questions raised were understandable.</p><p>4 This is a school that needs a step change to become a different community school. Mrs Apps has done a wonderful job but there is still room for more improvement. The two Sponsors, Bournemouth University and The Church of England, will give kids aspirations such as “I can get to University”. But this will not become a good school unless parents become involved; they need to take an interest in the new exciting courses on offer. He said he was really excited about this proposal because there is a lot more to come from this school and your questions say that there is more to come from this community. The Academy will bring out the best in all the children.</p><p>AN thanked everyone for attending the meeting. </p><p>The meeting closed at 7.40 pm.</p><p>5</p>