Parents deserve a fair hearing
15th June 2006
Dr Alan Whitehead MP has called for all parents with children attending schools in Southampton Test to get a fair hearing before any decisions are made on closures.
Dr Whitehead's comments come in the wake of a recent, albeit limited, reopening of the consultation process by the scrutiny panel. This followed widespread condemnation of the first consultation and the high-handed manner in which the proposals to close Millbrook Community School were handed out by the Liberal Democrat administration.
Dr Whitehead said:
"The ruling cabinet never gave parents a real say about the fate of Millbrook. I've already talked to parents who are furious about the high-handed way the decision was taken.
Proposals like this are always difficult, which is why it is so important that parents feel involved and listened to. The initial arbitrary Council decree had the potential to seriously damage parents' trust which is why I am pleased that the scrutiny committee has decided to reopen the consultation process. If the consultation had been handled more professionally and parents been given an honest set of options in the first place we wouldn't be in the mess we are in now."
Dr Whitehead added:
"Right now the Council needs to slow down, take stock and have a proper discussion with parents about schools in our city.
As a bare minimum they need to act on the recommendations of the scrutiny committee to make specific provisions for any pupils whose school is closed. It should certainly not be the case that a school is threatened with closure without contingency plans in place for pupils attending that school.
That is why I'll be meeting parents and listening to their concerns. It is important that we make sure every child in Southampton gets access to an excellent education and parents should be at the forefront of this goal. "
The Council's original proposals were published last week and did not even propose a merger between Oaklands and Millbrook Community Schools, but just the outright closure of Millbrook School in August 2007. Under the plan, Millbrook would be deemed "permanently surplus to educational requirements." Neither did the proposal include a specific undertaking that pupils from Millbrook School would be offered a place at Oaklands.
In addition, there had been a severe lack of discussion about the future of other schools in Southampton which will face the repercussions of the results of this consultation. For example, the need for extra-provisions for those schools in the area which will have to step in if one school is closed down, or the issue of whether Bellemoor and Regents Park would turn co-educational.
Dr Whitehead concluded:
"The Lib Dems need to think through these issues in a joined-up way so that all pupils in Southampton have access to, and security in, their education."
More information
Extracts from the SCC Secondary Education Review- Pre-statutory consultation outcome and proposals for further development:
- "Millbrook Community School to close on 31 August 2007 but the building and site to be retained in use as an annexe of Oaklands School until the necessary works to expand Oaklands School are complete;" (p3)
- "That subject to the approval of Recommendation 3(3) [above], the site of Millbrook Community School be declared permanently surplus to educational requirements once the expansion of Oaklands School is complete;" (p5)
- The original consultation document is available on Cityweb here
Proposals from the Labour-chaired Children's Services and Learning Scrutiny Committee submitted on the 8th June 2006:
Consultation
- The Cabinet Member should ensure future consultation arrangements are fair, open and transparent, and the timetable clearly identified.
School Organisation
- The following additional option for further pre-statutory consultation should be added to the proposed recommendation 3.3 produced by the Cabinet Member on 5th June:
- Closing both Millbrook and Oaklands Schools, and establishing a new secondary school on the Millbrook site with effect from 1st September 2008, and continuing to use the Oaklands site as an annexe until such time as the Millbrook building has been developed and extended to take the additional pupils.
- The following additional option for further pre-statutory consultation should be added to the proposed recommendation 3 (9) produced by the Cabinet Member on 5th June:
- To close both Grove Park and Woolston and open a new mixed school on the Woolston site or another suitable site in the Woolston area, continuing to use the Grove Park site as an annexe until such time as all pupils can be accommodated on the new Woolston School.
- Location and community should be added to the list of criteria against which the decisions on the future structure of secondary education in the city are measured.
- The effect of any proposed re-organisation on admissions to secondary schools should be explained in all future consultation documents
- The vision for secondary education in Southampton articulated by the Cabinet Member to the Scrutiny Panel should be stated prominently in all future consultation documents.
Education Quality
- The quality of education for the children of Southampton should be the central tenant driving the review process.
- Collaborative working between secondary school head teachers should continue to be encouraged throughout and beyond the period of the review.