Councillor Tony Smith introduced a report by the Director of Children’s Services that informed that, in May 2010, the two Pensby secondary schools had entered into a hard Federation, enabling them to work together more closely under a single governing body led by a single headteacher, building on the existing joint sixth form arrangements.  This approach had helped to safeguard viable secondary education for both girls and boys in Pensby as school rolls had fallen in the next few years.

The Cabinet was informed that the Governing Body of the Pensby High Schools Federation had recently approached the Council to begin a formal consultation on the amalgamation of the two schools to form a single establishment.  A letter dated 26 September 2014 from the Chair of the Governors of Pensby High Schools Federation informing of the Governing Body’s resolution of 25 September 2014 was attached to the report as an Appendix.

The Director’s report recommended that, as required by guidance, a six week public consultation exercise be held on the proposed amalgamation of Pensby High School for Boys and Pensby High School for Girls, through closure of Pensby High School for Boys, and changing the gender intake of Pensby High School for Girls to form a mixed sex secondary school in Pensby. The outcome of this consultation would then be reported to the Cabinet so it could decide whether the amalgamation should proceed to the next stage.

RESOLVED:

That a six week public consultation exercise be carried out on the proposed amalgamation of Pensby High School for Boys and Pensby High School for Girls, by ceasing to maintain Pensby Boys and changing the gender intake for Pensby Girls to create a single mixed sex secondary school in Pensby.