Meeting documents

The Council Executive is asked to:

BACKGROUND

The involvement of the children in local community activities and the reciprocal involvement of local people in the life of the school, often regardless of whether they have personal reasons for maintaining a direct interest in the school, is of undoubted value. Clearly such value cannot be measured but all evidence suggests that the removal of the school would both be perceived as, and actually be, damaging to the vitality of the village. Members are asked to consider whether the effect of a school closure would be so damaging to this community as to be unreasonable.

Access to other community services and facilities is limited. The local Post Office has been closed as has the local pub. Public transport is poor so people are compelled to use private cars to use services.

Members attention is also drawn to the views of other services within Bath & North East Somerset. These views formed part of the papers for the 5 July Executive meeting but are included as Appendix 5 for convenience.

Swainswick is the first choice of parents who live within the immediate area of Upper Swainswick. In the area north of Swainswick there are a number of small villages for which Swainswick is the local school.

There are 11 children for whom this is the local school including a very small number of children from neighbouring Authorities.

10 children live closer to another school in a neighbouring Authority.

35 children live closer to another Bath & North East Somerset school and thus their parents / carers might be regarded as having a number of choices of school.

This analysis excludes the current Year 5 and Year 6 as all these children will have left Swainswick at the date on which closure is proposed.

Numbers on roll at the school have fluctuated in recent years but the school is now effectively full. The table below shows the extent of the fluctuation and the current position.

Allowing for the reorganisation of primary schools in Radstock and the anticipated closures of St Swithin's CE Infant and Parkside Infant (to be decided on 25 November), then between 1999 and 2005 the proportion of Church of England places as a proportion of total capacity in primary and secondary schools will reduce from 32.49% to 32.38%.

Over the same period the effect in primary schools alone will be an increase from 49.13% to 49.74%.

If the period is extended to 2007 by which time the reorganisation of primary schools in Keynsham will be implemented the position is that the overall proportion of places falls to 32.45%. In primary schools the proportion increases from 49.13% to 50.33%.

N.B. The start date of 1999 has been chosen as this was the beginning of the revised school organisation process which made the proportion of church places a determining factor in considering statutory changes to schools.

Any proposal to close a church school which results in a reduction in the proportion of church school places in the area, and is opposed by the relevant Diocese cannot be approved by the Schools Adjudicator. The Adjudicator is the final arbiter on school reorganisation decisions that have not received unanimous support at local level. Members are referred to the contents of the School Organisation Plan 2000-2005 which states "The worst scenario is that LEAs will become reluctant to support desirable increases in denominational places in some locations if this leads to greater difficulties in removing surplus places in other locations".

Neither Diocese covering the Authority area has a veto on the closure of a Church school. Members will be aware that the Authority works well with its partners at both Dioceses and that when occasion has required it both have agreed changes at Church schools which did not preserve their special interest.

At December 2004 the school receives an allocation of £226,289. This is based on a Composite Pupil Number of 79. In addition a further 33,111 is allocated to the school via the Standards Fund, the Standards Grant and Devolved Formula capital Grant. The total funding available is therefore £259,400. Thus it can be seen that costs per head are £3283.54. This is a higher allocation per head when compared with other local schools but this may be regarded as the inevitable and necessary additional costs of maintaining a rural school.

As stated elsewhere and above most children within the statutory walking distance of other Bath & North East Somerset schools. These schools have places available and thus there should be no difficulty in children currently attending Swainswick in obtaining places at other schools. However, a small number of children in Reception to Year 4 are likely to require transport to the school designated by the Authority. Naturally, if parents choose not to accept places at the designated school then additional car journeys will occur as parents will probably drive their children to schools elsewhere. It might be noted that a considerable number of journeys will be avoided as parents who drive their children to Swainswick will no longer be making such journeys.

If the school closes then the majority of children are expected to attend other Bath & North East Somerset schools relatively close to their homes. These schools have unfilled places and unfilled capacity represents an inefficient use of resources.

However, it has been argued that some children attending Swainswick obtain such high quality support that they do not require statements of special educational needs or the levels of additional support that might be required if the children were in larger schools and that a consequence of closure may be that additional resources are required in order to maintain such high quality provision .

Members are asked to note the high level of support for all children in Bath & North East Somerset schools and to note that children with special educational needs are well supported in our schools, the majority of which are larger than Swainswick.

Members are asked to consider whether the additional costs incurred in preserving the school are outweighed by the benefits to children at the school and to the community.

The presence of Swainswick presents parents / carers with another choice if they do not wish their children to attend the school most proximate to their homes. Members are asked to consider whether the maintenance of such a choice has a beneficial effect for other schools in the area.

Planned development at Bailbrook Lane will undoubtedly increase the number of children in the area and some parents / carers moving into the new development may wish their children to attend Swainswick. 71 houses are planned at Bailbrook Lane and using the Authority's formula this is likely to bring 18 children into the local primary schools. However, Swainswick is not the closest school to Bailbrook Lane.

A risk assessment related to the issue and recommendations has been undertaken, in compliance with the Council's decision making risk management guidance.

Appendix 1

BACKGROUND

All primary schools in Bath & North East Somerset are being reviewed on an area basis between September 2003 and July 2007.

The Council Executive has agreed that the aims of these reviews are:

WHY ARE WE PUBLISHING THIS PAPER?

On 5 July 2004 the Executive received a report on the future of the school and decided "That formal statutory consultation for closure (should) be undertaken in the first term of the 2004/05 academic year".

This decision was reached after a review of Swainswick and ten other schools in north and central Bath. The Area Review involved the Headteachers and Chairs of Governors at all these schools, Councillors who form the Overview & Scrutiny Panel and various Officers from the Education Service.

The Council have already asked people and organisations in the Swainswick area, or who have some other link with the school, for their views on the possible impact of closing the school and this must be borne in mind as we move forward to the formal consultation.

WHAT ARE WE ASKING?

We are simply asking whether or not you consider that the school should close and for the reasons behind your point of view. Later in this document we will put forward some of the reasons why the school is being considered for closure. We ask that you read the document, attend (if you can) the public meeting that is being held (see page 5 for details of date, time and place), listen to the arguments for and against closure and contribute, if you wish, to the debate.

We ask that you then send us comments. You can use the form at the back of this paper, write to us at the address shown or e-mail us (see front cover for details)

WHO ARE WE ASKING?

The consultation involves parents / carers, staff and Governors. Sufficient copies of this paper have been passed to the school for each parent to receive a copy. We shall also be asking for the views of local councils for reasons made clear below.

WHY IS THE SCHOOL BEING CONSIDERED FOR CLOSURE?

There are several reasons why the Council Executive decided to consult people about the closure of Swainswick.

The principal reason is that the running costs of the school are significantly higher than other primary schools in Bath & North East Somerset and we believe that, unless absolutely necessary, no group of children should benefit from additional resources at the expense of another group for anything other than educational reasons.

In addition, whilst the school is now almost full, having had a significant level of unfilled places in the recent past, the pupils tend to be drawn from other areas of Bath & North East Somerset. This leads to unfilled places at schools closer to where children live resulting in higher costs in those schools and potentially has a negative effect on the togetherness (sometimes called community cohesion) of those areas. It is also the case, although this is not a determining factor, that some children come across the border from Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire.

Additional factors that played a part in the decision include the less than ideal quality of the facilities available to the children. For example, the school has no hall, the majority of teaching takes place in temporary classrooms which are between twenty and thirty years old, and the library is in a temporary building which also serves as a staffroom . Furthermore, the site and buildings are inaccessible to wheelchair users and problematic for people with impaired mobility. Improvements to the building funded by the school and the Council will not address these fundamental problems.

The condition of the school is not at all bad but, at some point, the temporary buildings will need replacing. The life expectancy of such buildings is 25-30 years. The provision of replacement permanent buildings on the site presents obvious practical difficulties and would be expensive.

WHERE DO THE CHILDREN LIVE?

We have looked at the home addresses of all the pupils on roll at September 2004. This shows that of the 80 children on roll very few children live so close to the school as to make it the only realistic choice for parents / carers. The vast majority of children live closer to other Bath & North East Somerset schools. A few other children living outside B&NES have schools closer to home in their council area.

SWAINSWICK AS A RURAL SCHOOL

The Government recommends that `rural' schools' should be maintained wherever possible in order to sustain the vitality of villages and rural areas generally. This does not mean that no rural school should ever close but decision makers need to approach these issues with caution.

The Council has defined Swainswick as a rural school because:

a) the parish has a population of fewer than 1,500

b) the nearest school is more than one mile away

c) there are fewer than 150 children on roll and

d) pupil transport is provided on grounds of road danger.

It should be noted that the definition of a rural school does not mean that all children at the school come from the immediate area or indeed from a rural area at all.

It should also be noted that the nearest school is 1.04 miles from Swainswick.

SWAINSWICK AS A CHURCH SCHOOL

Swainswick is a Church of England Voluntary Controlled school. Places at the school are not allocated on the grounds of the faith background of parents or children but the Church has a significant role in the daily life of the school both organisationally and in terms of ethos.

In summary, the legal position is that the Council is unable to reduce the proportion of church places across the Council area without the agreement of the relevant Diocese, in this instance, the Diocese of Bath & Wells.

However, since 1999 when the Government guidance first set out the requirement to maintain the proportion of church places, and the beginning of the school year 2007/08, when other expected changes to schools in Bath & North East Somerset will have been implemented, the proportion of places will be broadly the same.

IF THE SCHOOL CLOSES WHERE WILL THE CHILDREN GO?

Children on roll at Swainswick at the date of its closure will, if possible, be offered places at the nearest school to their home address. Normal transport arrangements will apply.

IF SWAINSWICK CLOSES, WHEN WILL IT CLOSE?

The Council believes that the school should close at the end of the school year 2005/06. Legally this will be the day immediately preceding the beginning of the following school year although the children and staff would obviously not be there on that date. This will mean that children currently in Reception, Groups One to Four and any children joining the school in September 2005, will be directly affected as the other children currently at the school will have left or be leaving in July 2006.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE STAFF IF THE SCHOOL CLOSES?

As is the case when any place of work closes the staff are at risk of losing their jobs. The Council always does all it can to try and place people in other jobs. This is because we have no wish to lose experienced and talented staff and any redundancy payments are taken from the total education budget which leaves less to be spent on children.

IF THE SCHOOL CLOSES WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE BUILDING?

The building is not owned by the Council. It will revert to the Diocese of Bath & Wells. It will be a matter for the Diocese to decide what happens to the building and site.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

At the end of the consultation period, copies of every form, letter and e-mail will be given to members of the Council Executive. All responses will be made public. The minutes of the public meeting and a meeting with staff and Governors will also be passed to the Executive.

The Executive will also receive a report which summarises and highlights the issues raised during consultation. Officers will make recommendations. It is entirely up to the members of the Executive whether they accept these recommendations. The Executive has to show that, when taking its decision, it has taken account of the views expressed in the consultation. It does not have to agree with those views.

The Executive can decide to publish the legal notice necessary to close a school. It can also decide to do nothing and leave the school open or potentially, it could ask Officers to carry out further consultation or investigation.

If a decision is taken to publish the legal notice to close the school this would be published in January 2005. There would be six weeks for people to send representations, including objections, to the Council.

If there are objections to the proposals, then the issue goes to the School Organisation Committee (SOC) which is independent of the Council. This Committee makes the final decision. However, if the SOC cannot reach a unanimous decision the matter is removed from local control and a government appointed adjudicator makes the final decision.

If there are no objections the Council can take the final decision itself.

IMPORTANT DATES

Consultation begins October 6 2004

Public Meeting Thursday October 14 2004.

7.30 p.m. Swainswick CE VC Primary School, Innox Lane, Bath

Consultation closes November 5 2004

Council Executive Wednesday December 1st 2004

To be held at The Guildhall, Bath at 10 a.m.

This is a public meeting so anyone can attend. Residents of B&NES may speak at the meeting.

If you want to speak you need to contact Jo Morrison on 01225 394358 by Friday 26 November at the latest. She will explain the arrangements.

RESPONSE FORM

Name .................................................

Address .................................................

I am a parent / carer of a child at Swainswick Primary School

I am a parent / carer of a pre-school child

I am a member of staff at Swainswick Primary School

I am a Governor at Swainswick Primary School

I am a local resident

I am

(please specify)...........................................................................

DO YOU AGREE THAT SWAINSWICK CE VE PRIMARY SCHOOL SHOULD CLOSE?

YES

NO

I / We have the following comments

........................................................................................................

........................................................................................................

........................................................................................................

Please continue over the page if necessary or send us a separate letter.

Please return to the postal address printed on the front of this document. ALL RESPONSES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 12 noon ON 5 NOVEMBER 2004

APPENDIX 2

Copy of letter sent to local residents and organisations regarding the community impact of the closure of Swainswick CofE VC Primary School.

15 September 2004

Dear Sir / Madam

You may be aware that the Council is considering the future of Swainswick CE VC Primary School. The reason for this is that the school is relatively small, unit costs are high and furthermore a significant number of children in attendance have home addresses a considerable distance from the school. The Council is keen to encourage children to attend their local school both for the avoidance of unnecessary car journeys and the improvement of what is sometimes referred to as `community cohesion'.

Government guidance suggests that when a school is considered to be in a rural area then the presumption should be for maintaining that school in order to preserve the vitality of rural areas. When a local education authority is considering the future of a rural school we are obliged to assess the likely effect on the community prior to formal consultation on a change.

The school have given us a list of people and organisations that they consider provides a good basis for this community consultation. I am writing to you as you appear on the electoral register for one of the parishes most closely associated with the school, operate a local playgroup or similar pre-school, or you or your organisation are connected to the school and the community in some other way.

I am inviting you to let me know what effect you consider closure of the school would have on the community and also whether you have any opinion on ways in which any negative effects could be reduced.

Please let me know your views by Friday October 1^st. Once we have obtained local opinion, formal consultation on the future of the school can then begin a little later in October.

On December 1^st 2004, the Council Executive will receive the results of the formal consultation. At that meeting the Executive may decide to take no further action or to publish a statutory notice proposing closure of the school.

Your response can be posted to: Lorraine Scargill, Schools Capital & Organisation Team, PO BOX 25, Riverside, Keynsham BS31 1DN or via e-mail to lorraine_scargill@bathnes.gov.uk.

If you have any queries please call me on the above number or e-mail me on bruce_austen@bathnes.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely

Bruce Austen

School Organisation Manager

Appendix 3

Copies of responses to Community Impact Study (Placed on deposit)

Copies of responses to Consultation Document (Placed on deposit)

Appendix 4

North and Central Bath Area Review

Swainswick School

Minutes of Meeting with Staff and Governors

on Thursday 14^th October 2004 at Swainswick School, 4.30 p.m.

Introductions were made to all attendees of the below BATH & NORTH EAST SOMERSET representatives:-

Tony Parker commenced with summarising the key purpose for the meeting outlining the process of the North & Central Bath Area Review, informing that this meeting was being held to discuss the possible closure of Swainswick school.

Responses were then requested from attendees:

Please note -

Q = Question to Tony Parker and/or Bruce Austen

A = Answer from TP and/or BA

R = Response from audience

Meeting held with Headteachers, Staff & Governors, & representatives from the LEA - 4. 30 p.m.

A Foundation Governor of Swainswick commenced with his comments stating that although he wished to be blunt with his comments, they were not personal.

In his view, the information contained within the consultation document was nothing other than innuendo and political wishful thinking. He was surprised that the document's main focus was not on the LEA's oft-stated primary concern of reducing the number of surplus school places within the authority but instead seems to focus on a weak argument of the high costs per child within Swainswick, and wondered whether the closure of a school to encourage others to fill had been made illegal?. The document did not contain statistics as to the cost per head in Swainswick compared to other schools within the authority which would have been useful.

If the school closes based on a cost saving exercise, is the LEA able to confirm that the costs saved will be spread around other schools within the LEA and not contributed to some non-educational scheme? Second to this, can they also confirm that the approximate £40K saved from closure of this school will actually make that much difference if distributed around the other schools?

The governors and staff feel the LEA should be asking themselves why children come from other LEA's and sometimes go past other schools to attend Swainswick - surely this proves that parents and children prefer this school to others. It is unjust of the LEA to press children into going to their local school as this removes freedom of choice for parents.

Contrary to the consultation document, Swainswick School does have a hall which is shared for other purposes and also does now have its own library which has been highlighted as inadequate in the consultation document. The staffroom is not now multi purpose either. The temporary building in the school is in good condition and is maintained very well.

The location of the school cannot be justified as a problem as there has never been any concern raised from staff or parents about this. Furthermore, the location of pupils is not a problem and is obviously of little concern to parents as they are prepared to travel past other schools in order for their children to attend Swainswick. As a rural school, it is obvious that children will travel further than to an urban school as quite often there are huge areas of land or fields that have to be passed in order to get to the school. It should also be noted that the distance children travel to this school is actually greater than documented in the report as they have been measured by the LEA "as the crow flies". Children are not crows and in order to reach the school, travel by roads which is a greater distance.

The school is now nearly full and is also very successful in that it obtains good results and is managed very well - this should be revered by the LEA and not instead, to be considered for closure. It is also felt that closure agreements in the short term should not be taken for granted as there may be a different council leader within that time whose thoughts and decision may be different about school closures.

The recurring school reviews at Swainswick over the years have not been mentioned within the report and the governors feel this is a strategic point and by its omission, makes the report misleading. The fact that the school has remained open despite numerous attempts at closure by the LEA, indicates that the school is worthy of remaining open. The local authority Ombudsman will be consulted at a later date if the school is again identified for closure. It is felt that yet another area review process at this school is a waste of tax payer's money and will again cause further anxiety to children, staff and members of the community.

A Swainswick receive £3,200 per pupil whereas other schools receive an average of £2,200 per head. This means there is an approximate £50k per year savings which could be contributed to improving education in other schools within the LEA.

R Any cost savings on a school closing should go back into the Education stream.

R Savings are more realistically nearer to £30k which is quite a big difference and this will need to be investigated further and documented accurately.

R The school is currently the closest it has ever been to being full.

Q How do BANES compare with other LEA's regarding the funding per pupil?

A We are an average LEA in terms of spending per pupil. Other rural authorities are similar to ours in terms of cost per head.

R There will always be schools with high or low costs and therefore it's virtually impossible to make every school `average'.

R We feel the LEA should spend extra funds just to keep this unique and successful school, especially as it is in a rural area.

A It is not LEA policy to spend additional funds on rural schools.

R Swainswick figures are made to look worse by over subscribed schools which will pull down the average.

Q What additional resources are children here benefiting from that other schools do not currently have as we feel that we do not have any more or less resources than other schools in this LEA and we resent the document inferring that?

A Extra resources go on small class sizes (i.e. smallest class number in Swainswick is 12). It costs more to educate a child at this school than at others.

R Our Headteacher actually teaches so this saves on teaching costs whereas at other schools, the Headteacher does not teach and an extra staff member would need to be recruited. We would also like to point out that our average class size is 24 children.

R Some children have come here from other schools in this LEA as they were unhappy. No children have ever left this school due to being unhappy. Swainswick have shown that they can cope well with their children and provide a better education as it is smaller and more personal. Other larger schools are unable to offer this benefit.

R Rural school - government says to maintain them. Vitality should be maintained and kept as this community has close links as a rural school.

R A parent from outside this LEA stated he feels the community of Swainswick is under pressure, as are other small rural communities. His feedback from others is that countryside facilities are slowly being removed and people within these communities feel sad this is the case. The school has remained popular and successful within Swainswick despite the fact that there are no busses, no shops and no street lighting.

Q There are unfilled places at schools closer to where Swainswick School children live - why can't the LEA downsize other schools instead of closing Swainswick?

A The current plan for closure or amalgamation of some schools in this LEA may increase the numbers of pupils at other schools so ultimately, there may not be so many unfilled places in some of our schools. However, there are a large number of unfilled places.

Q Can we have percentage rates of children nearer to other schools - i.e., demographic information? As we are rural, there are fields all around this school and therefore distance to school is naturally further to some families as they have to travel around farmland etc.

A For example, Year 2 children - there are 2 children in your school who come from other authorities. 1 child in Yr 2 is from the village of Swainswick and the 7 other children do not live locally to the school.

R Why parents are prepared to bring their children this far should be looked into because parents like this school. Parents are to be given choices where they want their children to go and should not be pressured into going to their local school if it does not suit them.

A It is the LEA's aim to ensure that local schools are the natural choice for parents and children.

R Some parents work in Bath and drop their children off on the way in. It is also too expensive to live in Bath centre so parents have moved outside but children should still be allowed to go to Bath & Northeast Somerset schools. Even though some parents live in another LEA, their nearest school is still the one that is in Bath & Northeast Somerset authority.

A This is not a determining factor for the school closure but a matter of interest where children live. Lots of children walk to this school and we also know that many children live closer to other schools.

R "Vast majority" as stated in your report is emotive, creative and not necessary. Local residents are not happy with document. How do we know that the document which goes to the Council Executive will not be emotive and biased?

A The language in the report to Executive will be clear and straight forward.

R We feel your current consultation document uses biased language.

A We want your view point and this document sets out why the school should close. Document to Executive will give both sides of feedback. The current consultation document was drawn up to summarise arguments for closure and your feedback to this will be detailed in the report to the Executive.

R You can produce your own document but we don't get that chance as you will have summarised on our behalf - we feel it is unfair.

A The LEA will recommend a course of action but we will also show evidence you have supplied and will attempt to be as objective as possible. We will talk to the Headteacher at Swainswick before the draft goes out and let her know our views. The LEA Officers job is to write a document which will be fair and objective. Council members will be given our report before the meeting so they are able to digest the material in advance of the Executive meeting. Anyone can go to this meeting and a 3 minute period will be given per person to raise their point. Unfortunately, this does not include staff at the school or non Bath & Northeast Somerset residents. Trade Union representatives can attend though on their behalf. Parents can attend also. This schedule of public speaking scheme has remained unchanged since 1999 so does not bias this school in particular.

Q Will this LEA make a recommendation to the Executive?

A Yes

R Swainswick is not unique in that it draws from outside the area so we are no different from other schools.

A Members of Executive will take all considerations into account and not just the location of children. Councillors should be aware that children come from a variety of areas. They will be looking at impact on local schools etc.

Q Regarding the community consultation - will we see it?

A We have undertaken a community impact study which will form part of the report.

Q Can we see it?

A Yes - we can summarise the details for you.

R Finance - children who leave here succeed and it is short-sighted of this LEA talking about costs per child now. If these children go to other schools, they are more likely to fail. Implementation is that money is saved in the long run. They could be disaffected and cost the government more money in the future as some of these children may be statemented which they aren't at the moment. We therefore feel that a few extra pounds spent now could save more money in the long run.

R This school has had no exclusions in the last 14 years that we know of. Surely that would go in favour of our school? This is a small school with attention to children which provides sound morals and values. This is not just a good school but a good community. The church, village and school interact very well and are very close-knit together in the community.

R The Headteacher has spent time with the architect working on a proposal for replacement of the temporary building which is a great opportunity. The building has had a new roof and windows and is light, bright and airy. Some modern buildings are already crumbling whereas this temp is still in very good condition.

A Ideally, this temporary building should not to be here in 10 yrs time and replacement would be better in the medium or long term. It us unlikely that this temporary building would last another 10 yrs anyway. We should also look at replacement costs at it will be more expensive to replace classrooms due to the sloping site and may not be cost effective.

R The long term vision is that there are possibilities to rebuild.

R Regarding access, we do not have problems with wheelchairs etc and have coped well with SEN etc.

Q Is there anything we should be voting on now at this meeting such as hands for and against?

A No, it is best to state points or put all your feedback in writing. We are trying to capture views on why the school should stay open or close and you will need to convey your reasons for.

R Because we are a close knit school, there is a low turnover rate of staff and they remain at the school because they are happy. Continuity gives stability and a good start in life to our children.

R I don't think your location addresses are listed correctly in the report.

A We will look at this in more detail.

Q How often do the Executive vote against recommendations by LEA?

A It is very difficult to assess, it depends on the issue.

Q Why can't the Headteacher see the report before the Executive meeting?

A The overall conclusions can be given to her but a copy will not be given as it is an Officer report and cannot be edited but points will be noted.

R Siblings - there are lots of children at this school who have siblings in the area too.

R We have a lot of siblings who will eventually come to this school but who are too young to attend school at present.

Meeting ended at 6.10 p.m.

Notes of Public Meeting at Swainswick School 14 October 2004, 7.30 p.m.

R I have read document and feel that financially there is not case to close. Something special about school this size and you wouldn't find in larger schools. Give children more confidence, security etc. Saving money will not replace these things.

Q Development in Bailbrook. Schools in surrounding area is full - where will our children go?

A Other local schools are not all full. Bailbrook may eventually fill these.

Q Will Executive get current data?

A They will get Sept 04 figures.

Q The return and not just costs should be looked at. Swainswick is unique standard of teaching, moral and values better here. How does LEA measure values and not just costs? Ofsted report states that expenditure high, school provides good value for money.

A Ofsted and SATS measures Swainswick as a good school. Other aspects are difficult to measure.

Q If LEA believe it's a good school then why close it?

A Consultation on possible closure measures costs, surplus places, distance travelled etc.

R The above are irrelevant compared to what the school delivers.

R School is beacon of excellence which is why it attracts from afar and yet distance is formed as reason for closure. Ironic. If school wants to stay open, should be mediocre like the others and then maybe LEA will ignore it.

Q What will impact be on transport if school closes?

Q How will they get to other schools in the area?

A Children can be accommodated at other schools in the areas. Transport is difficult to assess at the moment.

R If people travel here past other schools, it is because they want their children to go to this school and not other schools.

R We feel the council will probably vote to close school regardless. You are removing choice from parents by closing school. Forcing us to go to our local school is removing individual choice.

R There are lots of home educated children in Bath so that shows parents are obviously not happy with education in Bath. Closing school will force more parents to home educate their children.

Q Why is the LEA contradicting governments "keeping rural schools open"?

A Policy is to provide best quality schools in local area and we have to balance everything.

R Some parents have moved their children to us from other schools.

R A school is a whole Eco system. There are children here that might be statemented in other schools more personal care but as small school maybe able to function without extra support due to small numbers. Closing school may cost more because of the children who need extra help educationally and emotionally.

R Child at previous school didn't get on so parent moved them to Swainswick. Very distressing to hear that they may have to move their child back to that school.

Q Rural school. Is the Diocese helping? Will rip guts out of community if you close school - not much here anyway.

A LEA is careful about closing rural schools - key factor that everything it taken into account. This is first proposal for a rural school for closure.

Q If these points have already been considered in previous reviews for this school, why are we still being forced to go through constant reviews?

A Part of process is to get as much feedback as possible and this will be put to Executive.

Q Are other schools in area closing?

A Others schools may amalgamate. We do look at ways of reducing capacity but without closure.

Q Schools and surplus places should not be addressed as with Health Service. Can we not moth-ball unfulfilled places?

A No. We currently have 11 schools with more than 25% unfilled places.

R Community - some schools are not bedded into the community. This school is linked closely with theirs and integral part of community.

Q Emotive language in report. How many unfilled places at this school?

A Not many

Q Why Parkside and St Swithin's closing?

A Lots of reasons: - low numbers on roll, small classes, and insufficient interaction of children between ages as well as high cost per child in St Swithin's. Location of school and building in bad condition.

R Why should we close this school with filled places when there are unfilled places in other schools? LEA seems to find different reasons for closure at every review of this school. Report changes every time.

Q Will we see report before it goes to the Executive?

A No but we will talk to HT and give feedback on report before it goes to Executive showing our recommendations.

Q What are costings of St Saviours children compared to here? Children with SEN cost more but as there are a large number of children at Swainswick who are not statemented this may change if they go to another school and if so, will cost more per head. This may not save money for the government if this is the case. This should be taken in account when reviewing costs for this school.

A The average cost is 27% more at Swainswick, compared to costs at other schools.

Q Should rural and urban school costs be compared differently? Will above costs be submitted in your Executive report?

A Yes. Additional costs will need to be referred to in final report.

Q Will maintenance costs be mention in report as these are low costs?

A No

Q Are you not going against central governments policy not to close rural schools?

A We need to consider very carefully closure of a rural school but government policy is that LEA is also to reduce surplus places and LEAs have been criticised for this before. Our role is to do something about this but we always consult.

Q Why not move St Saviour's children due to the surplus places instead of closing our school?

A Too many children to relocate around other schools and forcing parents to travel further.

R Wouldn't cost savings be greater for closing St Saviours School and this is stated as the primary factor in your report.

R Report seems non objective. Beginning of report does not give facts and says consultation review. Wording is negative and you should also give more facts and don't just generalise. Very negatively written.

A It is a consultation to close and therefore would be negative. Government guidance to education authorities to try to make it clear on what it is consulting on. Then try to make it totally clear on what document is proposing on so that others understand exactly what document is about. Factual information.

Q Why 1^st November deadline?

A Report to Executive on 1^st December - need time legally to issue and undertake a survey and get information back ASAP.

A Consultation period is done to get as much info as possible without stretching time out too far.

Q What proportion of schools in Bath & Northeast Somerset is owned by LEA? Would money go into education?

A School ground would generally be sold and funds put straight back into education and new schools etc.

R Relationship with church and school is great. Activities are shared and church values strong interest in school Diocese support school staying opening. Most children live very close to school and would probably end up travelling a lot further to go to a new school. Community is getting younger with new families moving in which is good for this particular community. These changes are good.

R Mark Evans - Education Director for Diocese

R Architect for new library of school. New rooms have improved the overall running of the school and we are also happy to do further works to eventually reduce the temporary facilities at the school. Work can be done regarding access etc and all these modifications will make the school more appealing and improve. Good future for school in terms of buildings.

R 85 people at this meeting and not one single person has spoken against the school or said anything negative about it.

R This school is unique and is import ant to our community.

Q Report has not outlined Diocese support. Will this change in next report? Seems there is a battle with LEA & Church.

A Document is for consulting on closure. We have a good relationship with the Diocese and want this to continue. We will continue with report although we know the view of the Diocese wishing the school to remain open.

R Mark Evans - we accept that the LEA have to carry out consultations but can only express our views with regards to these.

R You have tried to justify your bias in the document. Your duty should be to tell the truth and I feel you have failed. Democratic process should not be send out biased information. The whole truth and not half truths should be told.

Q Are you going to destroy this community to benefit other schools?

Q Parental choice - are Bath & Northeast Somerset removing this?

A No. We are just considering possibilities and surplus places need to be addressed.

Q Can we see statistics on other village schools? We should not be penalised on city's layout.

R Travelling a little further might be beneficial and get children ready for secondary schools. Parents bring their children to this school for a reason. The reasons should be addressed as it's great. This school should be a role model for other schools in the LEA and lots of children attend this school as they have left others in the area that were not able to support them.

R Swainswick expensive to live and Bath but people still brings their children here. If school closes, child minders will be out of work.

R One parent expressed that her child experienced problems at another more local school but at Swainswick is progressing in leaps and bounds. Her child is happy. Some standard schools do not fit all children's needs and do not flourish in the big school environment.

R Parents, residents, Diocese, teachers etc are here. Report does not represent true costs. Reviews are costly and time consuming and surely these should be taken into count when assessing review and closure costs etc. R&M costs should be mentioned in report. What are the costs of a review?

A Difficult to quantify.

R As our council you should quantify this.

A Total cost is approximately £1 - £2K

R Despite ongoing threat, this school is full and if not reviewed constantly, could be fuller.

R Child brought to this school as unsuccessful at previous school. Realistic education at this school.

Q We have a child who is 3 ½ - what should we plan to do regarding her education?

A If closed, the date will be Sept 06. Report to Exec on 1^st December - may decide not to proceed or to close. Notices issued and 6 week period for responses. Any objection can be made. Matter goes to School Organisation Committee if there is, to decide outcome. If they cannot agree, it goes to government adjudicator.

Q If school closes - what support do we get from LEA? Admissions have not given us priority and we should get this with threat of closure. We shouldn't have to decide last minute.

A Reception children will go through the normal process but not have Swainswick as a choice but closest children to schools will be given first places. Older children will be harder - may not be places at other schools available nearest school.

Q What if we do not want that?

A You choose your next nearest school.

Q Will children be counselled to go to other schools?

A May get support depending on children's needs.

R Swainswick will be severely compromised at expense of other children.

Q What do parents do if they are not happy with outcome?

A Government adjudicator is last step. People can attend Executive meeting and speak. Closure notices can be objected to; however, adjudicator decision is final.

R Education boils down to money as usual.

Q Why only residents of Bath & Northeast Somerset to attend and speak at Executive meeting?

A Call Jo Morrison on 01225 394358 (details on document) and she will explain formal details.

Q Has adjudicator ever closed a school when they know the Diocese and public are averse to this happening?

A Adjudicator has overturned decisions before by keeping schools open when the LEA has expressed an opinion to close.

Q Aren't the funds put into LEA by us and therefore should we not have some say as to how these funds are managed and spent?

A Whole of Bath & Northeast Somerset should have some say in this and not just Swainswick.

Q Denominational places - what is proportion across Bath?

A They are roughly 51% but adjudicator will not allow school to close if denominational places have been reduced. However, denominational places are not an issue - the balance will not be affected a great deal by Swainswick closure or staying open.

Q Will past correspondence be taken not a/c through this review?

A No. You have to write in again but can send the same letter as last time if desired.

R We hope Cllr Gay reads all the information.

R Cllr Cox - message is that everybody writes in again despite having written in a last review. A comparison is needed with rural schools in report. We want to know how oversubscribed schools will be interpreted in relation to future report.

Q 1^st December - debate or set meeting?

A Set meeting. 3 minutes per person to give views. Time will be allocated per group etc. Executive will also be discussing other issues that day so a strict agenda will be adhered to.

R We should give research to Executive showing this school is successful - people travel as a positive thing.

A You can add this and take to Executive if you wish. Executive may ask for further feedback on this.

Q School is not less than adequate - please explain.

A School has obviously had considerable maintenance work but would still be expensive to repair etc. Temporary building will not last another 10 yrs. Key priority of LEA is to remove temporary buildings.

R 1968 & 1971 temps were here and still going strong to this day.

R My children come from South Gloucester but Swainswick is closer than my recommended nearer school.

R My children come from Wiltshire - this school is better than others and worth the drive as better education for my children.

Q How may children leave Bath & Northeast Somerset to go to other authorities?

A Large number come into Bath & Northeast Somerset rather than go out.

R Travel - we are thinking of travel issues and are aware of these. Encouraging parents to car share etc is a good idea.

Q Can authorities not share funding with children who cross borders from other schools?

A No. Funding follows the pupil.

Q Do Ofsted have input in process at all?

A No

Q Are Minutes of this meeting available?

A Yes

R Executive meeting Wednesday at 10 a.m. - not a good time for parents or staff to attend this as most people will be at work.

A Meeting is usually first Wednesday in every month.

R Tradition at school and community must be kept - important to all.

R There are a lot of siblings yet to start at this school and there are 3 empty places at reception - review may have put them off which is why I would like this notes.

R Travel from other counties - these people should be allowed to speak at Executive. They travel here because they value education. Have you changed your mind having spoken to us?

A We will look at all responses, facts and circumstances.

Q Will previous review letters be looked at?

A All previous letters have gone to Executive in past and decision was made on that basis. This is a new review and we have to collect evidence relevant to that period. All letters are read and taken into account and all issues are considered. Executive members make a decision based on all information. Council officers give advice and recommend but Executive decides what to do.

A A vote was taken and all members of the meeting voted to keep the school open. There was no opposition to this.

Meeting ended at 9:45 p.m.

Appendix 5

Comments from Heads of Service and other senior officers

Bath & North East Somerset

Julia Fieldhouse

Head of Customer Service Libraries and Information

I can't see that this would have any impact on our service.

Phil Hall

Head of Strategic Resource Planning

Nothing from me

Tony Bartlett

Business Support Manager

There would be no impacts on Business Services or Strategic Resources Planning

Nick Harris

Head of Adult Care & Commissioning Service

I cannot foresee any negative impact in relation to the Adult Care Service as a result of the closure of Swainswick C of E VC School.

Jayne Shayler

Head of Housing & Supported Living Services

There is a mixed tenure housing development of approximately 100 homes planned for Bailbrook Lane. Due for completion this financial year. All of the properties are larger than one bedroom and would accommodate families. All of the social housing (28 units, 2 and 3 bed) are likely to be occupied by people with dependent children. Obviously we cannot dictate who occupies the private (owner occupied) housing but it would be reasonable to assume that a proportion will be occupied by people with school aged children.

Having said all this, checking the location of the development against the location of Swainswick Primary School and the other closest Primary School we think it likely that the closest Primary School is St Saviours, Larkhall rather than Swainswick in which case the closure of Swainswick would have limited or no impact on access to primary schooling for the occupants of this new development.

No other activities being undertaken in Swainswick by my Service.

Ian Savigar

Head of Revenues and Benefits

I cannot think of any impact on the Revenue & Benefit Service.

Inge Shepherd

Community Safety Officer/Drugs Action Team Co-ordinator

From the Community Safety and Drug Action team point of view we are not undertaking any specific activities which involve or would be directly affected by the closure of Swainswick Primary.

Matthew Smith

Head of Leisure & Amenity Services

No negative impact in relation to this service.

Bill Cotton
Head of Economic Development

I do not foresee any negative impact to our Service.

Liz Price, Children's Planning Manager, Children & Families Service (Social Services)

In response to your request for comments on the proposed closure of Swainswick primary school, Children & Families Service do not foresee any negative impact from this proposal on our services. Our services are provided by teams covering much wider geographical areas and we do provide or commission any services located in/near Swainswick.

Dave Thompson

Commercial Services

Commercial Services' managers have considered the possible closure of Swainswick Primary School and have determined that there would be no negative impacts on any of the services we provide (e.g., school meals, transport).

Andy Thomas

Corporate Projects Manager

My team does not undertake any specific work in this area. However, as part of the Local Strategic Partnership we have links with a range of partners who do, including Town and Parish councils, although I am sure you are undertaking separate consultations with these bodies. In addition, Somer Housing Group also serve on the LSP and it may be that their local area workers might be able to give some views on the potential local impact of the proposal.

Other groups we link to through the LSP include the Federation of Residents' Associations, the PCT, the Police and equalities groups, all of whom might have a view as to the potential impact of this.

We are also currently working with the Countryside Agency on ways to improve the impact of council decisions in rural areas, and the procedure you are carrying out here clearly represents good practice in this regard. It may be that this agency might also wish to offer a view.