Agenda and minutes

Note:            Councillor Stockton declared a Personal Interest in the following item of business as a Governor at The Grange Comprehensive School.

Councillor Horabin declared a Personal Interest in the following item of business as she had a grandchild at Wade Deacon High School

Councillor Gilligan declared a Personal Interest in the following item of business as a Governor at St Peter and Paul’s Catholic College.

Councillor McInerney declared a Personal Interest in the following item of business as a Governor at Farnworth CE and Lunts Heath Primary Schools.

The Board considered a presentation from the Operational Director, Children and Young People which:-

·        Set out the vision and aims for Halton’s Building Schools for the Future;

·        Highlighted background and rationale to the proposals;

·        Set out the Government requirements and the options that were available i.e. Closure, Amalgamation and Federation;

·        Outlined the Widnes Consultation Proposals in relation to The Bankfield School, Chesnut Lodge, Wade Deaon High and Fairfield High, Ashley Special School and St Peter and Paul’s Catholic College;

·        Outlined the Runcorn Consultation proposals in relation to The Heath Specialist Technology College and The Grange Comprehensive School, St Chad’s Catholic High School, Halton High School, Cavendish Special School and The Bridge (Key Stage 3) Pupil Referral Unit;

·        Highlighted that BSF would enable the Authority to invest in children, the workforce, new buildings, learning resources, new technology and a safe and integrated learning communities; and

·        Set out the next steps of the BSF programme.

The Board was advised that the consultation period on the first phase of the programme ended on the 20^th July 2007.  The minutes of the meetings would be put on the website and responses taken from them.  A large number of feedback forms, emails and letters of response had been received.  All responses would be collected and summarised into key issues along with alternative proposals and would be put into a report for consideration by the Executive Board at its October meeting.  If the Executive Board approved the proposals the second phase, a six week statutory consultation period would commence.  During this period public notices would be sent out. At the end of the statutory consultation period, responses would be collected and presented back to the Executive Board for a final decision in December 2007.

If the Executive Board did not approve the proposals, the process of consulting on the alternative proposals would commence.  This would result in the statutory consultation process commencing in the spring of next year and final decision in October 2008.

Arising from the presentation, the following comments, questions and responses were raised by the Board:-

(1)                    Halton Borough Council’s Constitution gave the power to the Operational Director for Learning and School Improvement to deal with all school admissions.  Pupils attending the Federated Schools should have the same admission rights as those at the final stage.

Can written assurance be given, that the Council’s Schools Admission Policy will be such that, pupils entering Fairfield High School during the period of Federation with Wade Deacon High School, will be subject to the same rights of admission to Wade Deacon when the Fairfield site is closed.  If there is to be a bottleneck of pupils in some entry years we should ensure that the Federated High Schools affected are given special consideration for temporary external accommodation under the control of the Wade Deacon Governing body.

The Admission Rights should also be extended to their siblings, who would be attending Primary Schools in the eastern sector of Widnes.  This would go a long way  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.