Agenda item

Councillor Dempster submits a report which summarises conclusions drawn from the options review process of Riveside Business and Enterprise College and recommends an immediate course of action to address this situation.  Cabinet is asked to agree the recommendations set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report.

A minute extract from the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, to be held on 7 May 2009, will be circulated as soon as it is available.

Councillor Dempster submitted a report that summarised conclusions drawn from the options review of Riverside Business and Enterprise College and an immediate recommended course of action to address this situation.

Councillor Dempster stated that six options and suggestions from the governing body, staff and unions had all been considered. However, taking into consideration parental preference, the falling admission numbers, demographic projections, the educational and social outcomes for the students, and the amount of resources that would be required in future years, to the detriment of other schools, the last resort option to consult on closure was being recommended. She drew Members’ attention to the representations made and responses to these at the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.

Councillor Dempster stated that Cabinet recognised the dedication and commitment of the staff at the school, and she thanked the staff and governing body for their work. She stated, in response to concerns from parents, that initial notification letters had been sent out through pupil post, and that, when it was brought to officers’ attention that not all letters had been received by parents, a further letter was sent by Royal Mail. All future letters to school parents regarding consultation would be sent by Royal Mail.

Councillor Mugglestone stated that closure should be a last option, and he felt that not all options had been exhausted, such as academy status. He also stated that a school was the heart of the community and that standards at Riverside had improved, so time was needed to increase confidence in the school. He drew comparison with New College, which had been turned around in the last few years.

Councillor Coley stated that he recognised the reasons behind the recommendation, but felt that there had not been debate on the options or how to increase intake at the schools. He stated that there would be no negative cost impact for the next year and felt that the school needed time to improve its profile. He mentioned new housing developments in the vicinity, which would impact on the admission numbers. He also suggested that a 14-19 school or an academy would be more desirable than closure. He felt that, if all city parents sent their children to city schools, there would be insufficient capacity, and this could be an issue as city schools improved.

Councillor Willmott thanked the Opposition Group Leaders for their comments. He stated that full discussion had taken place, and that a decision was required based on the facts in the report. He emphasized that closure was the last option and its recommendation had not been taken lightly.  The Council’s commitment to the school had been demonstrated by the high staff/student ratio and the large financial investment in the school.

In response to the Opposition Group Leaders’ comments regarding 14-19 schools, Councillor Dempster stated that the County Council had identified that this system did not work very well. It had also been identified that the academy option would also not be possible.

Councillor Osman pointed out that staff at the school had identified that the school was not viable in its current situation, and that the Cabinet had a duty to look at it in the best interests of the pupils in the city, otherwise central Government may step in and close it.

Councillor Connelly stated that feeder schools in his ward would be affected, but that the location of the school meant that it did not have such a community focus as other schools. He stated that the Chair of Governors had recognised at the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board that the financial issues could not be disputed.  Councillor Connelly stated that the previous suggestion to link the school with Fullhurst School had been identified as unviable. He also felt that, even though there would be no detrimental financial effect for the next year, the Council still had a duty to ensure that all funding was spent as wisely as possible.

In response to concerns from parents and union members who were present at the meeting, Councillor Willmott stated that it was important for the Cabinet to be honest with staff, pupils and parents, and that this was the beginning of the process, not the end. People would have full opportunity to make their views known through consultation, scrutiny and Council. He made people aware that they could submit questions to scrutiny committees and Council, even if the matter was not to be considered at that meeting.

RESOLVED:

that Cabinet,

1)      notes the options that have been considered for the future of Riverside Business and Enterprise College;

2)      notes that there are pressing educational, financial and business reasons to close the School as soon as practically possible.  These include falling admission numbers, parental preference, demographic projections, educational standards, social outcomes, resourcing requirements and value for money considerations;

3)      authorises officers to commence a period of immediate further public consultation upon the business case for closure in accordance with DCSF guidance;

4)      agrees to receive a further report on the outcome of this consultation prior to publication of any statutory notice and detailed proposal in connection with the recommendation from the consultation;

5)      considers the above recommendation to be urgent, on the grounds that a delay would be prejudicial to pupils’ interests, and therefore, in accordance with Cabinet Procedure Rule 12(d) of the Council’s Constitution, prevents any exercise of call-in.