Decision details

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Young People and Families on the request from the Governing Body of St. George of England High School and the proposers of the Hawthorne’s Free School to bring forward the date of closure for St. George of England High School by 12 months to 31 August 2012 in order to facilitate the proposed Free School which is planned to open in September 2012.

The request to bring forward the closure had been subject to consultation and the details of the outcome of the consultation and the various implications of the proposals were set out in the report.

RESOLVED: That

(1)       the options and information outlined in the report and the request by the local community, Free School Trust and the St. George of England High School Governing Body to facilitate the opening of the Free School, be noted;

(2)       approval be given to the request from the Free School Trust and the Governing Body to bring the closure date for the St. George of England High School forward from 31 August 2013 to 31 August 2012, this being contingent upon an alternative school opening in the area in September 2012;

(3)       for practical reasons and to ensure continuity of education for pupils affected, the decision in resolution (2) above, is also dependent on the decision to open the Free School being approved by the Secretary of State for Education by 25 May 2012 when the decommissioning of the school would  need to commence;

(4)       subject to (1), (2) and (3) above, Officers be authorised to conduct relevant negotiations with regard to the land, assets, fixtures and fittings at the St. George of England High School with the Free School Trust; and to progress and make decisions on issues regarding employees from St. George’s and St. Wilfrid’s Schools as outlined in the report;

(5)       the change for pupils wishing to move to the Free School and the required admission arrangements be noted and Officers be requested to work with the Free School to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible;

(6)       it be noted that the proposal was a Key Decision but, unfortunately, had not been included in the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions.  Consequently, the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services) had been consulted under Rule 15 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Constitution, to the decision being made by the Cabinet as a matter of urgency on the basis that it was impracticable to defer the decision until the commencement of the next Forward Plan because of the need to progress the decommissioning of the school, lease agreements and pupil admissions; and

(7)       Officers be requested to submit a progress report on this issue to the Cabinet meeting to be held on 24 May 2012.