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NOTES OF A MEETING HELD WITH STAFF AT NEWPORT PRIMARY SCHOOL ON TUESDAY 3 JANUARY 2012 AT 3.30 P.M. RE CONSULTATION ON PROPOSAL TO EXPAND NEWPORT PRIMARY SCHOOL BY 1 FORM OF ENTRY(CONSULTATION PERIOD: 9 JANUARY-5 FEBRUARY 2012).
Present: Ms Rhona Long, LBWF School Organisation Planning and Development(RL)
Ms Sandra Mohammed, LBWF School Organisation, Consultation and Governance Manager(SM)
Ms Prue Barnes, Headteacher Newport Primary School(PB).
Notes: Mrs Caroline Russell.
Also present: Approximately 40 staff.
1. INTRODUCTION:
Ms Long introduced herself and stated that the purpose of the meeting was to open consultation with staff on the LBWF proposal to expand Newport Primary School by 1 form of entry on the current site with effect from 1st September 2012.She referred to this as part of a statutory process by which LBWF is consulting on permanent expansions to a number of primary schools in order to secure sufficient primary school places locally.
To support this additional DFE funding has been secured and relevant parties including head teachers consulted re use of Council owned and other buildings. Increased need has arisen from an increase in the local birth rate over a sustained period and migration into the borough over the last 2-3 years.
2. CONSULTATION ON PROPOSAL TO EXPAND NEWPORT PRIMARY SCHOOL BY 1 FORM OF ENTRY:
2.1. Consultation: Reference was made to a consultation document re the proposal (hard copy available at school). This names the schools to be considered for expansion with other premises to be used where necessary, effectively creating a number of split-site schools. The consultation will include the governing body, staff, parents and the local community. Responses may be made by completion of the form on the consultation proposal, email, phone or fax.
2.2. Consultation Period:The consultation period is from 9 January-5 February 2012. The responses received will be summarised and a report written for decision by the Director of Children and Young People Services. If it is decided to proceed with the process, a statutory notice will be issued giving further opportunities for consultation. This will be publicised in Waltham Forest News, the school and on the LBWF website.
3. ISSUES RAISED IN MEETING:
Q. What alternatives are there if this proposal doesn’t go through?
A. The proposal for Newport is part of a package reflecting local need for places. Temporary additional classes have been added recently but the increased birth rate and population in-migration to the borough has been sustained so it is now proposed to permanently expand schools. LBWF now has funding to facilitate this.
Since 2007 60 additional classes have been created, mainly in the south of the borough. If any expansions are not agreed the need for places will remain so another solution will have to be found via temporary additional classes or permanent expansions. Expansion of Newport Primary is sought so other solutions have not been considered. The Governing Body has agreed to the provision of an additional class for the last 3 years. There is a statutory duty on LBWF to provide school places by one means or another so hopefully the proposals will be acceptable.
C. (SM) referred to consultation with heads regarding options for meeting the demand for school places. A number of options had been suggested including split days, use of secondary school buildings and community halls but the proposals made need to be reasonable in terms of premises and journeys to school and offer children the best quality of educational provision possible. Additional funding has now been secured to proceed with the proposed permanent expansions.
RL: LBWF does have funding and has liaised with other boroughs regarding possible options.
SM: The available funding will need to be spent promptly so the use of the available £25million has been prioritised with a further £24 million available in 2012/13. The available funding will be used to support successful and popular schools such as Newport, noting limited options given the space and land available. Formal meetings with HR/union reps are available for staff if wanted but a growth scenario such as this will give opportunities to employ more staff. The consultation proposal for Newport is a tribute to work done by the school over the years. Building work is proposed including possible provision of a new kitchen to accommodate year on year growth of 30 additional children each year.
Q.(PB) Noted that the kitchen is needed urgently.
Facilities such as the staffroom may need to become a classroom again and the 3 extended services rooms could usefully become a year 6 suite. Does the available capital money have to be spent this year?
A. No, not so long as funds are allocated to programmes and contractors identified.
Future numbers and funding are unknown but there is an opportunity here to fund
classes with the possibility of some additional works.
C.(PB) noted the moral imperative to provide local children with the best education available in a school setting if possible.
Q. How can we take part in the consultation?
A. Details are given at the end of the consultation proposal. There is a response box in school. Responses will be collated after 5 February and a report written. Response is optional but all ideas and comments are welcome for consideration
including re issues such as pupil arrivals and departures and parking.
The meeting closed at 4.10 p.m.
Summary of the two consultation meetings held with parents
at Newport Primary School on 10th January 2011
Concerns raised:
• Concern about the local authority not having previously delivered what was promised
• Concern about the playground and restricted space
• Concern about the Head Teacher’s time being taken away from teaching and learning to manage a building project
• Concern about the size of the school (4FE) and the impact the size and works might have on standards
• Concern about pupils missing out on outdoor PE while work is going on
• Concern about non-English speaking parents not understanding the consultation document or the implications of the expansion proposal
• It was queried why Dawlish Primary was not targeted for an expansion
• It was queried where the extra classrooms would go for Years 4-6 and the Head Teacher replied saying that areas that were used as classrooms prior to the amalgamation would revert to being classrooms and also there may be a possibility of creating a Year 6 learning suite
• It was noted that during previous works at the school pupils were distracted by the work
• It was requested that some space be provided in the playground for planting, as part of the works that may be carried out
• It was queried whether there would be a special unit for pupils with special educational needs – the Head Teacher replied that there would not
• In response to a question, it was advised that any necessary building work would take place during the academic year 2012/13, with all works to be completed by the start of the autumn term September 2013
• It was considered that the School Council may want to respond to the consultation on behalf of the pupils of Newport School
Other information (additional to that provided in the consultation document):
• Due to traffic restrictions during the Olympics it is unlikely that it will be possible to do works during the school summer holidays of 2012
• A non-negotiable, as far as the school is concerned, is that the local authority must provide the school with a kitchen so that school meals can be prepared on-site
• It was noted that works would be needed to improve accessibility and storage facilities
• The split lunchtimes currently operated by the school will make it easier to accommodate extra pupils
• There are enough toilets for extra pupils but the Key Stage 2 toilets need updating
• There is a strong leadership team within the school and there has been a successful Reception intake of 120 childen this academic year
• The local authority has received £49,000,000 in total to fund expansions and refurbishment of schools so that additional classes can be provided to meet the demand for primary school places in Waltham Forest
NOTES ON A CONSULTATION PROPOSAL TO EXTEND NEWPORT PRIMARY SCHOOL BY 1 FORM OF ENTRY HELD ON TUESDAY 10 JANUARY 2012 AT 9.00 A.M. AT THE SCHOOL
Present: Ms Rhona Long-LBWF Pupil Place Planning Manager(RL)
Ms Maire Mannion, Chair of Shadow Governing Body(MM)
Ms Prue Barnes, Headteacher Newport Primary School(PB)
Notes: Mrs Caroline Russell.
Also present: 12 10 parents+ 2 governors (including one parent governor)
1. INTRODUCTION:
PB opened the meeting noting that the school was facilitating it as an LA consultation re their proposal to expand the school by
1 form of entry with effect from 1st September 2012
2. REASON FOR CONSULTATION PROPOSAL:
2.1. Need for Additional Primary Places:
RL referred to the proposal in the context of sustained pressure on primary places in LBWF due to a rising birth rate and in-migration to London. The borough was increasing the number of primary school places by permanently expanding primaries or byputting in additional classes, both done at Newport Primary.
2.2. Additional DFE Funding:
This has been received and will be used for various permanent expansions (noted per consultation document). In some cases the proposals will necessitate split site working but at Newport there is sufficient room on the existing site. The proposal is to expand the school from 3 to 4 forms of entry with effect from 1st September 2012 i.e. with 120 children in reception year to meet demand in the local community. There should be limited building work and disruption.
2.3. School Needs re Expansion:
PB referred to these regarding:
-Construction of a kitchen on site;
-Works to improve accessibility and storage facilities.
The school is now in the top 5% of schools for pupil progress so no expansion should prejudice this and the governing body will hold senior leadership and the head to account on this.
-Split lunchtimes now operated by the school will facilitate accommodation of additional numbers at lunchtimes.
-There are enough toilets but the key stage 2 facilities need updating.
-It may be possible to relocate the dining room and use the hall for school dinners.
Any comments should be made to the head/SLT or via the form on the consultation document.
2.4. Process:
RL referred to the meeting as the 1st stage of a statutory consultation process. Responses may be made to RL via email/phone/fax or response box in school. All comments are welcome. At the end of the 1st consultation on 05 February responses will be collated and a recommendation made to the Director of Children’s Services for decision. The proposal may then proceed to statutory notice with publicity throughout the borough via website, press and school. A further consultation period will follow after which responses will be collated, summarised and a recommendation made to Council Cabinet on 15 may for decision. The public can attend. The process is open and participative and responses are urged.
There will be benefits to the school re building work and the proposal is in the context of similar need borough-wide.
3. QUESTIONS (Q)/COMMENTS(C) IN THE MEETING:
Q. In the long-run where will the classes be?
A. An architect will consider the use of the available space. Areas used as classrooms prior to amalgamation will revert to this use including extended services, staffroom and ICT suites(there will be laptop trolleys of equipment for use in classrooms). There has been a separate consultation re the Children’s Centre which will be operated on a hub and spoke arrangement with Riverley which has successfully provided services off site.
There will be year on year to reach capacity. Future Children’s Centre funding is not known but likely to be very limited so use of school extended services facilities will be considered. Newport Primary is a very large community site that can be developed in cooperation with Riverley Children’s Centre. It may be possible to create a year 6 learning suite with its own entrance and ICT area to help establish and develop independent learning skills prior to transfer to secondary school.
C. The school is very large already...concern expressed about the long-run effect on the children including need to retain extended services...reference to use elsewhere of hall for toy library and other facilities. Concern expressed about the strain on the school, head and senior leadership team of additional
pupil numbers.
A. Funding for the Children’s Centre will reduce significantly so the school offer needs to change. There is a strong leadership team and a current successful reception intake of 120. Standards have been maintained validated by external moderation of early years foundation stage and senior leaders are committed to maintaining standards. The head is responsible for maintaining standards and parental comments are welcome. There are limited alternatives if the school does not expand.
All families have a moral and legal right to a good education in a school setting and expansion would secure this. Possibly the Sidmouth site could be developed as a Children Centre facility and the nursery opened after school. There is a need to be creative to make best use of the available resources.
The LA has resources for expansion so these should be utilised by the school once they are available.
RL: Funding will be prioritised and allocated for each expansion proposal including for expansion of Newport Primary to 4 forms of entry
PB: When agreement was made to take the ‘blip’ classes it was asked that building works be done by the summer to ensure that we can meet our commitment to offering children at Newport the best possible education.
RL: Newport is in a good position for change and the Council has funding. Other LA’s have considered other options including long school journeys, shift operation and use of community buildings. You need to take advantage of the funding that is available.
PB: It is better to be in at the start of the expansions with an opportunity to create a new legacy. She referred here to the good quality canopy extension to the reception class area and the children’s use and enjoyment of it.
RL: Closed the meeting by reference to opportunities for response per the consultation document. All comments welcome by 05 Feburary and; then further opportunities for consultation.
The meeting closed at 9.45 a.m.
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Notes of consultation meetings - School expansion