Public Notice Complete Proposal Proposed Closure of Broadwoodwidger Community Primary School, Devon 1. Proposal and contact details Notice is given in accordance with section 15(1) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 that Devon County Council intends to discontinue Broadwoodwidger Community Primary School, Ivyhouse Cross, Broadwoodwidger, Lifton, Devon, PL16 OEX on 31 August 2011. Broadwoodwidger Primary School provides day places and caters for boys and girls aged 5- 11. These proposals are not related to any other proposals which have been, are or are about to be published. It will not be necessary to bring forward statutory proposals to enlarge any of the schools listed at 5 below. 2. Initial consultation The consultation took place from 2 September 2010 to 12 October 2010 and all statutory consultation requirements have been complied with. All consultation documents including a list of persons consulted and a report of the public consultation meeting held on 28 September 2010 at the school are available at: www.consultationfinder.com/devon. Consultation documents were made available by various methods including post, consultation website and availability at the public consultation event. No responses were received to the initial consultation. 3. Public Notice: objections & comments a) the public notice is available on line at: www.consultationfinder.com/devon b) the closing date by which objections or comments should be sent to the public notice is 5pm on Wednesday 15 December 2010. c) Comments/objections should be sent by email to: [email protected] or by using the on line feedback at: www.consultationfinder.com/devon or by writing to: Senior School Organisation Officer, Room 120, Devon County Council, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QG. It should be noted that any comments or objections received will be placed on a public file and will be available for public inspection. 4. Objective of the proposal To close Broadwoodwidger Primary School on 31 August 2011 due to continuing falling numbers over the past few years. As at Autumn 2010 there are 10 pupils on roll. 5. Standards & diversity and arrangements for displaced pupils Delivering a full and balanced curriculum and additional support to ensure pupils meet age- related expectations is difficult for such a small number of children. In order to get the best possible education and learning opportunities for these children the closure of the school is the only practical solution since the sustainability of the school cannot be guaranteed. The proposal will impact on standards and pupil achievement by providing a sustainable full and balanced curriculum. Arrangements will be made for pupils to transfer to the schools listed below in alphabetical order as these are in closest proximity to Broadwoodwidger Primary School. Places will be allocated as appropriate, following discussion with the respective parents and subsequent agreement between Devon Schools Admission team, the schools concerned and in accord with the Admissions Code of Practice: Ashwater Primary School (community), Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5EW; Clawton Primary (community) School, Clawton, Holsworthy, Devon, EX22 6QN; Halwill Community Primary School, Dreybury Lane, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5XU; St Giles-on-the-Heath Community (primary) School, St Giles-on-the Heath, Launceston, PL15 9SD. St Giles-on-the-Heath Primary School and Broadwoodwidger established a partnership arrangement during 2010 to provide a measure of continuity and stability for pupils and staff in the event that the proposed closure is approved. The four schools listed above are all in Holsworthy Learning Community and are within a 5 mile radius (as the crow flies) of Broadwoodwidger Primary School. Parents wishing to discuss admissions to any of these schools or who wish their children to attend a school elsewhere should contact: the Devon Schools Admission team, Telephone 01392 383023 or e-mail [email protected]. There will be sufficient capacity amongst the four schools listed above and therefore it will not be necessary to bring forward statutory proposals to enlarge any of the above schools to accommodate the pupils displaced from Broadwoodwidger. Ofsted inspection reports for each of the schools can be accessed at: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Inspection-reports 6. Extended services The Partnership arrangement means that the children currently attending Broadwoodwidger have access to the extended school opportunities provided by St Giles-on-the-Heath. The four schools listed above provide various extra curricular facilities such as breakfast, lunch and after school clubs. Further details can be accessed on their respective websites at: Ashwater: http://www.ashwater.devon.sch.uk/ Clawton: http://www.clawton-primary.devon.sch.uk/ Halwill: http://www.halwill.devon.sch.uk/ St Giles-on-the-Heath: http://www.st-giles-heath-primary.devon.sch.uk/ 7. Special Educational Needs All schools are required to comply with the SEN code of practice. 8. Travel arrangements The designated area of Broadwoodwidger is a matter for discussion with the Local Learning Community but the criteria will take into account distance and ease of journey to the nearest school. The four schools listed at 5. above are all within a 5 mile radius (as the crow flies) of Broadwoodwidger Primary School. Transport for eligible pupils will be provided in accordance with the current Local Authority Policy. Transport is co-ordinated centrally to ensure best use of resources and to minimise unnecessary traffic on the roads. The Local Authority Transport Policy is available on line at: http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/learning/getting_to_school/school_transport/brief_guide_school_transport.htm 8. Impact on the Community & Rural Primary Schools The Local Authority and Governing Body gave very careful consideration to this proposal. The pupil roll has fallen substantially over the past years; a range of options were considered including long term partnership or federation with other schools but most importantly we have to consider the best interests of the children within the community and the need to provide continuity and consistency in teaching and learning including a full and balanced curriculum which would be very difficult to offer with small pupil numbers Although this proposal will lead to the loss of a facility in this community the Governing Body and Local Authority believe that the proposal contained in this notice is in the best interests of children, young people and their families in the area. The school building and playing field extension are owned by Devon County Council on a freehold basis and investigations will be made as to how the building can be used for the community in future. .