School Organisation, 20/10/00, Agenda SCHOOL ORGANISATION COMMITTEE There will be a meeting of the School Organisation Committee on Friday 20 October 2000 at 9.30am at County Hall, Oxford. A G E N D A THIS MEETING IS OPEN TO THE PRESS AND PUBLIC Please address any enquiries on this Agenda to Julian Hehir, Oxford 815673. Press enquiries should be addressed to the Media & Communications Manager, Oxford 815266. 1. Election of Chair 2. Election of Vice-Chair 3. Apologies for Absence and Appointments of Alternate Members 4. Declarations of Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests 5. Minutes Minutes of the meeting held on 4 July 2000 (and reconvened on 20/21 September 2000) (SOC5). 6. Matters Arising from the Minutes 7. Petitions and Public Address 8. Published Proposals in Respect of WANTAGE (CHURCH OF ENGLAND CONTROLLED) INFANTS' AND JUNIOR Schools The Secretary to the Committee reports as follows: The Committee are asked to consider the published proposals in connection with the unification of the Wantage Nursery, Infants and Junior Schools as a primary school and (in accordance with Schedule 6 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and Section 3 of the Committee's Constitution and Terms of Reference) decide whether to: (a) reject the proposals; (b) approve the proposals without modification; (c) approve the proposals with such modifications as the Committee think desirable after consulting such persons or bodies as may be prescribed; (d) give a conditional approval. (A conditional approval is appropriate, for example, where implementation depends on the proposers' obtaining planning permission or acquiring a site.) Page 1 Within two months from the date on which they received the objections and the LEA's comments on them, or within two months from the end of the objection period for proposals published by school governing bodies or other promoters, the Committee are required to vote on the proposals. If the Committee have not voted on the proposals, or the promoters request the Committee to refer proposals to the adjudicator, or they have voted on the proposals which require a unanimous decision but have failed to reach such a decision, then the proposals may be referred to the Independent Adjudicator appointed by the Secretary of State for Education & Employment. (Unanimity is required from each of the groups on the Committee voting on any individual proposal and casting a single vote. An abstention does not count as a vote against a proposal.) The public notice and previous Committee reports are attached, together with the objections received to the published proposals, "Prescribed Information" and other information (SOC8). 9. DRAFT SCHOOL ORGANISATION PLAN The Secretary to the Committee reports as follows:- The Local Education Authority is required by the Education (School Organisation Plans) (England) Regulations 1999 to prepare draft School Organisation Plans each year following the first draft plan published by 1 June 1999. The LEA must publish notice of the draft plan and any person may make objections to this within two months of the date of publication of the notice. The Authority must then submit the draft plan to the School Organisation Committee together with copies of all objections made (and not withdrawn in writing) and the authority's observations on the objections. The Committee may (a) approve the draft plan with or without modifications; or (b) themselves prepare a plan for publication by the authority as their approved plan. The members within each group of the members of the Committee are collectively to have a single vote. Any decision taken by the Committee shall be a unanimous decision of those voting. If the Committee have not voted on (a) or (b) or fail to reach a unanimous decision as required, then within two weeks of the date on which the Committee vote, the draft plan shall be referred to the adjudicator. The report to the Education Committee on 10 October 2000 and comments on the objections received to the draft plan are attached. Members are reminded to bring with them to the meeting, the draft SOP published and circulated during the Summer (soc9). C. J. GRAY Acting Chief Executive October 2000 Page 2 School Organisation, 20/10/00, SOC05 SCHOOL ORGANISATION COMMITTEE – 20 OCTOBER 2000 AGENDA ITEM SOC5 SCHOOL ORGANISATION COMMITTEE – 4 JULY 2000 MINUTES of the meeting commencing at 9.00 am on 4 July 2000 and finishing at 4.15 pm on 22 September 2000 Present: Voting Members: Local Education Authority Councillors A.D. Crabbe, John Dennis, Dr. Marjorie Evans (in place of Councillor D.L.B. Spencer), Brian Hodgson, Terry Joslin (in place of Councillor Shereen Karmali) and Janet Morgan. Oxford Diocesan Board of Education Revd. Dr. J. D. Gay, Mr. Danny Sullivan (in place of Mrs Linda Blair) and Canon Tony Williamson. Archdiocese of Birmingham Mr. Arthur Graham, Dr. Andrew B. Morris and Fr. Marcus Stock. Oxfordshire Governors Association Mrs. Hilja Bassett, Mr. Bernard Clarke, Mrs. Chris Kyle, Dr. Robin McCleery, Mrs. Carol Thomson, Mrs. Lynn Werrell and Mr. Malcolm Wright. Further Education Funding Council Mr Jim Douglas Officers: Whole of meeting: J. T. Hehir (Chief Executive's Office); R. Capstick and R. Smith (Education Department). Part of meeting: C.J. Impey and A. R. Cox (Chief Executive's Office); Chief Education Officer and K. Borien; Ms S. Billington.(Bevan & Ashford Solicitors) The Committee considered the matters, reports and recommendations contained or referred to in the Page 3 agenda for the meeting, copies of which agenda and reports are attached to the signed Minutes, and in relation thereto determined as follows: 7/00 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS Apologies for absence and substitutions were reported as follows:- Apology from Substitute Councillor Spencer Councillor Dr Evans Councillor Karmali Councillor Joslin Mrs. Linda Blair Mr. Danny Sullivan 8/00 DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY AND NON-PECUNIARY INTERESTS Mrs. Bassett declared non-pecuniary interests as a parent and as a governor of schools affected by the proposals before the Committee. Dr McCleery declared a non pecuniary interest as a governor at a school affected. 9/00 MINUTES The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 3 February 2000 were approved and signed. 10/00 PETITIONS AND PUBLIC ADDRESS The Chair explained to the Committee that a range of factors and prescribed information were needed before any decisions could be taken on the proposals published to reorganise school provision in Oxford City. She referred to the lack of time available to assess the required financial information and the fact that St. Augustine's and Cardinal Newman schools were not included among the proposals before the Committee. The Chair advised prospective speakers that she would ask the Committee to debate whether or not to adjourn the meeting until all the relevant information had been received and studied by the Committee members. She explained that speakers could address the meeting before the debate or wait until a decision over adjournment had been reached and opt to speak at the meeting on 4 July or at a reconvened meeting. The following requests to address the meeting had been agreed: Request from Agenda Item Terry O'Brien ) 6 – Published Proposals in respect of Governor of St. Edmund's RC School, ) Oxford City Schools Abingdon ) ) Chris Bevan ) St. Edmund's RC School, Abingdon ) ) Annie Skinner ) Save our Schools Campaign ) Page 4 ) Martin Thomas ) Chair of Oxford Middle Schools Head ) Teachers Association ) ) Paul Reast ) Vice Chair of Wesley Green Governors ) ) Nigel Cowell ) Parent Governor of Frideswide School ) ) David Long ) Chair of Governors of Frideswide School ) ) Janet Todd ) ) Jed Lambert ) Governor of Windmill School ) ) Request from Agenda Item Teresa Munby ) 6 – Published Proposals in respect of Save Our Schools Spokesperson ) Oxford City Schools ) Cllr Maureen Hastings ) Chair of Governors of St. Augustine's ) ) Jeff Alderson ) Governor of St. Augustine's ) ) Joan Townsend ) Chair of 2003 Committee ) (Sub-Committee of St. Augustine's ) School) ) ) Martin Roberts ) Head Teacher of Cherwell School ) ) Ian Johnson ) Head Teacher of Oxford School, Cowley ) ) John Batey ) Chair of Governors - Milham Ford School ) ) Professor Pring ) ) Page 5 Pat Bolton ) ) Chris Shepherd ) ) Chris Dark ) Head Teacher of Peers Upper School ) ) Mrs. Remedios ) ) Mr Hussain ) ) Hester Lotte ) ) Mrs. Anne Mogridge/Ms I. Ball ) Speedwell First School ) ) Cllr Tom Richardson ) Mrs. Munby addressed the Committee. She emphasised the lack of financial information available and that the Committee should have been convinced of the viability of the plan before giving any approvals. In addition, she stated that the Committee should not make a decision on the proposals in advance of the decision on the Catholic and mixed denominational schools' proposals. She questioned the legality of an adjournment in terms of whether it constituted a decision reached within two months of the end of the objection period. She also raised concerns over the issue of not copying all of the objections to each member of the Committee. Finally, Mrs. Munby questioned the impartiality of the Chair and requested that she should resign. Members asked if the Committee could seek further financial information and about the legal implications of adjourning to do so. Mr Impey advised the Committee that:- - they needed to be satisfied about the financial viability of the proposals; - it would be reasonable to ask the LEA to provide updated financial information in view of the changes that had occurred since the original information had been submitted; - that it was not unreasonable, or unlawful to adjourn to allow the LEA time to provide such updated information and the Committee's constitution made provision for such adjournments. In response to the Committee's questions Mr. Smith stated that the financial position should be clearer by the end of July, but that the matter was under consideration by officers at the DfEE.