Meeting documents

BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET

COUNCIL CABINET MEETING - WEDNESDAY 14 MAY 2008

Item 11: A Review of Secondary Schools in Bath and North East Somerset

Presented by St Mark's School, Bath

At the last Council Meeting, St Mark's registered its support for the proposal to consult on the creation of an 11-18 Church of England School for children north of the river. We have benefited from further dialogue with a local authority officer who has spoken to all the staff and the Cabinet member who has taken time to amplify the proposals. We remain of the opinion that we wish to reaffirm this support, recognising that the proposals offer enormous potential benefits for the city.

We have not orchestrated a campaign amongst our parents although some will have written to you. Some will have registered their concern for the loss of a school whose distinctive features they value but in doing so, from the letters which have been copied to me, there is a strong willingness to look to the future.

We recognise the intention to create a school which will be distinctive in its own right but reflect the strongest features of each of the existing schools. Our school has endeavoured to create an ethos which recognises each student's individuality and uniqueness fostered in an environment in which they can flourish. We strive for continuous improvement and outcomes show a rising three year trend on each of the main improvement indicators over the last three years, at KS3 and KS4 through raw results and contextual value added scores. Our Christian ethos underpins our passionate sense of social justice which has been strengthened through our Business and Enterprise status. Ofsted acknowledged that our school has `A deep commitment to promoting high principles in business; global responsibility and our support for people throughout the world is exemplary'.

In reaffirming the proposals we would like to re-iterate our preference for a neutral site, ideally, equidistant to the two schools. The consultation identified in 7.11.2 makes it clear that its function is to establish the site. Both schools under review are equally popular with Bath parents and children. There is a tendency within the paper to indicate that the site will be at Oldfield. No reference is made to the impact on home school transport for those living in the north east. The students who live north of the river in Batheaston, Larkhall, Fairfield Park and Lansdown would not be able to walk to school and the north east quarter of Bath would be the only area without an accessible secondary school.

Building Schools for the Future (BSF) would represent a massive investment in secondary education. A new build on a new site is the optimum solution, in our view, for all concerned in north Bath.

For such a massive investment, we should reasonably expect a massive improvement in outcomes and resources as a result. To close one school for the preservation of the status quo elsewhere would show no vision.

In conclusion, our governors support the proposal to move forward with consultation on an 11-18 Church of England School in the North of the City. We believe this represents a strong vision for North Bath with the potential to re-energise education and re-align provision across the city.

Cherril Pope

Headteacher

Factual accuracy in the report:

7.11.2

Fourth bullet point:

`There are 4,882 pupils on roll in these age groups and therefore there are 728 unfilled places in Bath secondary schools, mainly in St Mark's and to a lesser extent in Culverhay. If there are 234 places at St Mark's and fewer at Culverhay, where are the rest?