Agenda item

The Select Committee received an update on the activity of the following Task Groups:-

(i)           Safeguarding Children & Young People Task Group

(ii)          Special School and Post-16 SEN Task Group

(iii)         Major Contracts Task Group 

(iv)         Further Education in the Salisbury Area Task Group: Concerns raised by The Trafalgar School, Downton regarding the Task Group’s Final Report

The Select Committee was informed that a letter dated 25 November 2012 had been received from Mrs Jenny Lawrie, the School’s Headteacher, expressing concern regarding the executive response as follows:

(a)  there was no executive response to the statement made by the Headteacher, Mrs Jenny Lawrie, at the meeting of the Children’s Select Committee in May.

(b)  In any strategic consideration of post-16 provision in the Salisbury area, the views of the Executive would be considered important evidence. As this evidence did not refer to The Trafalgar School’s own plans to provide post-16 education (with a curriculum that would complement proposed and existing provision elsewhere) an external body might draw the conclusion that the Council was not interested in, or supportive of, post-16 education at Trafalgar. 

Members were reminded that the School’s concerns about the Task Group’s final report, which were included in their statement to the Committee in May, were as follows:

            In the view of the School,

·         the report misrepresented the School’s views, suggesting that the needs of the students at that School would be served simply by their not having to travel long distances to Salisbury for post 16 education. Mrs Lawrie further explained that although it could well be disadvantageous to the area to lose so many young people to Hampshire provision, there was evidence to show that these students were not educationally disadvantaged by receiving their post 16 education in Hampshire;

·         the report did not mention the School’s candidature for the Middle Years Programme of The International Baccalaureate (IB), which would lead perfectly on to the IB’s post 16 qualification – the higher regarded Diploma. There was a clear gap in the Salisbury area for an international curriculum.  The School’s aim was to offer the IB Diploma;

·         a significant proportion of secondary school students in Salisbury wished to remain at their individual schools for their post-16 education where they felt a sense of belonging, whereas there was evidence to show that some students found transition to a new school and joining an existing cohort difficult.   Students from The Trafalgar School would continue to prefer to study at the Hampshire Colleges rather than to attend a new facility in Salisbury;

·         the report suggested that students at The Trafalgar School would be the only 16 year olds in the Salisbury area who would not be able to stay on at their school for post 16 education.  Bearing in mind the stated policy in Wiltshire was for every secondary school to offer education to 11-18 year old students, the Board of Governors at The Trafalgar School were aghast that this policy appeared to have been ignored by the Task Group and thus lead to the isolating of this School to a less favoured status and therefore threaten its future viability.

Cllr Lionel Grundy, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, assured the Committee that he had reported the views and concerns of The Trafalgar School’s Headteacher and Governors to Cabinet (the Executive) and the post-16 aspirations of the School would be given full consideration in any Cabinet deliberation about further education in the Salisbury area.  Cllr Grundy confirmed that he would be happy to meet with the Headteacher of The Trafalgar School to discuss their concerns further if they felt this would be helpful.

Dr Mike Thompson, Chairman of the Task Group, explained that various initiatives were being developed, including:

·                the provision of a Sixth Form Free School in the Laverstock area, which had been the subject of formal discussions leading to an application being made to the Department for Education within the next few weeks, and

·                the development of a University Technical College initiative, specialising in engineering,  sponsored by the Local Authority and Southampton University.

The Select Committee was reminded that when it endorsed the Task Group’s final report in May 2012 it resolved to re-establish the Task Group one year hence to consider progress. This would not actually be in May due to the local elections, a but a suitable date would be agreed. Members noted that a consideration of further education in other parts of the county might also be considered.

Resolved:

1.            To note the updates on Task Group activity provided.

2.            To note the response of the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services to the concerns raised by The Trafalgar School at Downton regarding the Executive Response to the Final Report of the Further Education in the Salisbury Area Task Group.

3.            To welcome the developments to post-16 education in the Salisbury area reported by the Chairman of the Further Education in the Salisbury Area Task Group.

4.            To note that the Further Education in the Salisbury Area Task Group would be re-established in the Spring/Summer of 2013 to review progress.