Agenda item

To consider the Proposals for Change to Tudor Grange Academy Short, Sharp Review's final report.

(Report attached)

Councillor Pat Witherspoon, Chair of the Proposals for Change by Tudor Grange Academy Short, Sharp Review group, presented the group’s final report.  She was accompanied by Councillors Carole Gandy and Pattie Hill who also took part in the Review.

The report proposed three recommendations, only the first of which needed to be approved by the Executive Committee as this required action by the Chief Executive.  Recommendations 2 and 3 had already been referred direct to Worcestershire County Council and the Executive Committee was therefore asked to note those proposals.  The Overview and Scrutiny Committee had endorsed all three recommendations.    

The following were noted as the key objectives of the Review:

·         To understand the proposals by Tudor Grange Academy to extend the age range of pupils;

·         To assess the potential impact on schooling arrangements in the Borough if the proposals were to be implemented; and

·         Through investigation of this proposal and the basis on which academy schools operate, to support Ward Councillors and residents in understanding how they can best contribute most effectively to the debate and decision on this issue.

It was specifically noted that the group was not tasked with determining whether the changes proposed by Tudor Grange Academy Redditch (TGAR) should be implemented, the outcome of which Members were not able to influence.   Members were also not asked to reach any conclusions about three-tier and two-tier education or which system would be preferable for the Borough in the long-term.

Evidence had been gathered from a range of sources including representatives of Tudor Grange Academy Redditch (TGAR); Karen Lumley MP; Councillor Rebecca Blake, the Redditch Democratic Alliance, local schools and representatives of the Redditch School Changes Action group

The group concluded that TGAR had followed, and in part exceeded, the proper process set out by the government when proposing and consulting on changes to their school admissions.   However, the process set down by the government did not address the specific needs of schools and school pyramids in a three-tier education system and it was felt that this needed to be updated to reflect those considerations. 

Whilst it was the group’s view that TGAR had good intentions with the proposed changes, feedback received from other schools in the town indicated that ideally more action could have been taken when consulting on the changes.  Examples of other schools in the area which had consulted informally with parents about a potential change from a three-tier to a two-tier system had shown that additional steps outside the formal process could have been implemented which would have helped address local concerns. 

It was felt that uncertainly surrounding the future of other schools in the pyramid created confusion and in some cases anger amongst parents about the proposed changes.  Members felt this uncertainty contributed to the decision by some schools to consult on their own changes which in turn potentially created greater uncertainly.  Poor communication, by both TGAR and the County Council, was also found to have compounded confusion amongst parents.

The speed with which the consultation was announced and the lack of significant discussions with other schools prior to TGAR’s announcement about the proposed changes led stakeholders to conclude that the proposals were a fait accompli.  It was felt that when proposing changes all schools should communicate their rationale to key stakeholders and the extent to which feedback would inform any outcomes of the process.

The group had been informed by the lead officer for the County Council that Worcestershire County Council lacked the power and resources to undertake a whole scale review of the education system in the Borough.  Recent legislation had provided academy schools with significant powers and any review conducted by the local education authority could not make decisions that would be binding for academy schools.  The group felt that whilst the County Council could not determine the outcomes of TGAR’s proposed changes to their admissions policy, as the local education authority, they could have taken more action to co-ordinate consultation responses and to clarify the process that needed to be followed.  

The group had attempted to consult with ward Councillors for the TGAR catchment area but were disappointed with the lack of responses received.  As such, the group could not form any conclusions about the needs of ward Councillors and had therefore suggested that in future group leaders strongly urge their members to respond when consulted by a scrutiny Task Group.

It was noted that TGAR had originally proposed that the changes would come into effect from September 2015, and that given the nature of the changes these were eligible to be fast tracked.  However, in light of feedback received to the consultation, the school Governing Body had, at a meeting on 13th August 2014, decided that they would instead be submitting a business case to the Education Funding Agency (EFA) by September 2014, with the intention to implement any changes from September 2016.  It was understood that a decision had not yet been made by the EFA or Regional Schools Commissioner for the West Midlands regarding the school’s proposals.

The Executive welcomed the report and thanked the group for its hard work on this.  In relation to the disappointment expressed by the group on the low number of questionnaires submitted by Borough Councillors, and the suggestion that in future the political group leaders take an active role in encouraging their members to respond to any scrutiny consultation, the Leader stated that he would be happy to encourage his members provided he was made aware that such consultation was taking place, which was not the case on this occasion.

RESOLVED that

1)           the Chief Executive of Redditch Borough Council should write to the Secretary of State for Education, the Right Honourable Nicky Morgan MP, and the Minister of State for Schools, the Right Honourable David Laws MP, to request that specific guidance be issued to schools about changing the age range of their pupils in a three-tier education system.  This guidance should address the process that must be followed in cases where a school unilaterally decides to make changes that will impact on other schools in the local authority area and / or within a school pyramid; and

RESOLVED to note that Worcestershire County Council had been asked by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to:

2)           consult with Borough Councillors alongside County Councillors when commissioning educational services (within the remit of the Head of Learning and Achievement); and

3)           To produce written guides about the education system and the process that needs to be followed when charges are made to schools.  These guides should be produced in plain English and should be made available for parents and other interested stakeholders to access.