Agenda item

Statutory Consultation for St Chad's Catholic High School - KEY DECISION

Minutes:

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Children and Young People which provided the response to the statutory consultation on the closure of St Chad’s Catholic High School and the establishment of a new joint faith Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Aided High School. 

 

            It was noted that formal consultation with stakeholders commenced in June 2007 as part of the secondary reorganisation process. A further round of consultation was then undertaken in November 2007. Permission was then sought from the Secretary of State to publish the proposal without holding a competition.  On 9th June 2008, the Secretary of State exercised the powers conferred on him by Section 10 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and decided to grant consent to the publication of a proposal for a new 11-19 joint Catholic/Church of England Voluntary Aided Secondary School.

           

The statutory proposal was published by the governing body on 3rd July 2008. The statutory proposal was a joint agreement with the Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury and the Church of England Diocese of Chester.  The notice outlined the intention to close St Chad’s High School in order that a joint faith Catholic and Church of England (11-19) school could be established on the current site.  It was proposed that St Chad’s Catholic High School close on 31st August 2009 and the new joint faith school commence on 1st September 2009. All the pupils from St Chad’s Catholic School would transfer to the new joint faith school from 1st September 2009. The published admission number would increase to 190 from 1st September 2009 and from 1st September 2013 it would increase to 240 with 100 sixth form places.

 

Members were further advised of the consultation process undertaken and that those people wishing to respond to the consultation were advised to put their views in writing to Operational Director, Legal, Organisational Development and Human Resources.  No responses had been received within the representation period of 3rd July 2008 to 14th August 2008. 

 

It was further noted that approval to the proposal had to be agreed within two months of the end of the representation period otherwise the decision would be referred to the Adjudicator for a decision. The Board was advised of what this would mean along with the issues the decision maker needed to consider.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

Having had regard to the statutory guidance and in pursuance of the powers set out in Section 10 of the Education and Inspection Act 2006 and the related Regulations and the permission that was granted by the Secretary of State IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT the following related proposals be approved:-

 

(a)       With effect from 31 August 2009 St Chad’s Catholic High School be discontinued.

 

(b)       With effect from 1 September 2009 the new St Chad’s Catholic/Church of England Voluntary Aided Secondary School be established on the current St Chad’s Catholic High; and

 

(c)        With effect from 1 September 2009 the St Chad’s Catholic/Church of England Voluntary Aided Secondary School published admission number be 190 per year group. In addition, the school will continue to provide a sixth form for 100.  The expansion of this admission number of the closing Catholic High School is to give effect to the joint faith dimension of the new school.  The Published Admission number will increase to 240 per year group on completion of the BSF investment at St Chad’s.

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