Decision details

PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH AN ACADEMY AT BIRKENHEAD HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

Decision Maker: Cabinet,

Decision status: Awaiting Implementation

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Decisions:

Cabinet was informed that the proposal to establish an Academy at the current Independent Birkenhead High School for Girls was now nearing the end of the formal feasibility stage.  The steering group for the project had consulted with various stakeholders regarding the scheme.  A letter from the Cabinet member to the steering group was attached as Appendix A to the report.  The Council had now to decide formally whether it supported the establishment of the project, despite some of the reservations which had been expressed previously by officers and reiterated in the Cabinet member’s letter.  The Secretary of State would then make a decision on whether to proceed with the proposal or not.  The “Expression of Interest” which set out the vision and rationale for the Academy was attached at Annexe B.  The Director of Children’s Services’ initial response to that was given at Annexe C.  The proposed Academy’s admission arrangements were enclosed at Annex (D).  The balance of the report set out the issues for the Cabinet to consider.

 

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services moved a motion, duly seconded, as follows:

 

“(1)  Cabinet welcomes the principle of an independent school choosing to enter the Local Authority’s mainstream school provision for Wirral children and young people.

 

(2)  If the Academy is approved, members would wish to see that the Academy works closely with other Wirral schools, including further investigation of the possibility of close partnership working with Prenton High School for Girls;

 

(3)  Cabinet requests that the Secretary of State consider amending the age range of the proposed Academy to 11 to 18 to reduce the impact on primary school provision, since there is already a precedent at the Belvedere Academy in Liverpool.

 

Cabinet wishes to reiterate the Director’s concerns on the following areas:

 

  • The implications of this development against the background of surplus places and falling rolls
  • The Academy’s impact on the gender imbalance in other schools due to the overprovision of girls places, compounded by the absence of an equivalent single sex boys school in Birkenhead
  • The Academy’s likely compliance with Local Authority policies such as the Admissions Code, SEN and inclusion and 14 to 19 strategy
  • The proposed admission policy for the Academy, which does not appear to meet the core function for the Academy, which does not appear to meet the core function of an Academy in serving disadvantaged young people from deprived areas.”

 

The Deputy Leader of the Council moved an amendment, duly seconded, as follows:

 

“In considering its response to the proposal for Birkenhead School for Girls to become an Academy, Cabinet expresses its concerns that:

 

  • the admissions policy of the proposed school will be inconsistent with the principles underlying the Academy Programme, i.e. a tackling of long-term problems of under-achievement in areas of high deprivation, despite being geographically well-located to carry out such a roll.

 

  • the proposal would increase the number of places available in secondary schools at a time of falling rolls and have the potential to further distort he gender balance in schools in the Birkenhead area.

 

Both these impact adversely on the ability of the Council to plan for secondary education in the Borough.

 

Whilst Cabinet would be mined to support the establishment of an academy where this would be demonstrated to raise standards and aspirations in historic areas of low attainment, Cabinet believes that, in the specific circumstances that pertain to this application, the case for an academy has not been made.

 

Cabinet, therefore, requests that the application be refused or at least deferred so that it can be further considered in parallel with the Council’s own review of secondary education.”

 

The amendment was put and lost (5:5 with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Lifelong Learning) exercising his casting vote against the amendment.

 

The substantive motion was put and it was –

 

Resolved (5:0) – That

 

(1)  Cabinet welcomes the principle of an independent school choosing to enter the Local Authority’s mainstream school provision for Wirral children and young people.

 

(2)  If the Academy is approved, members would wish to see that the Academy works closely with other Wirral schools, including further investigation of the possibility of close partnership working with Prenton High School for Girls;

 

(3)  Cabinet requests that the Secretary of State consider amending the age range of the proposed Academy to 11 to 18 to reduce the impact on primary school provision, since there is already a precedent at the Belvedere Academy in Liverpool.

 

Cabinet wishes to reiterate the Director’s concerns on the following areas:

 

  • The implications of this development against the background of surplus places and falling rolls
  • The Academy’s impact on the gender imbalance in other schools due to the overprovision of girls places, compounded by the absence of an equivalent single sex boys school in Birkenhead
  • The Academy’s likely compliance with Local Authority policies such as the Admissions Code, SEN and inclusion and 14 to 19 strategy

The proposed admission policy for the Academy, which does not appear to meet the core function for the Academy, which does not appear to meet the core function of an Academy in serving disadvantaged young people from deprived areas.

 

 

 

Report author: Director of Children's Services

Publication date: 20/01/2009

Date of decision: 15/01/2009

Decided at meeting: 15/01/2009 - Cabinet

Effective from: 29/01/2009

Accompanying Documents: