Putting the Learner First

1
Putting the Learner First

• Further Consultation for
• Blyth Partnership
• Delaval Middle School
• 21 March 2007

2
Agenda

• Process so far
• Key results of Blyth consultation to date
• Changes to proposed model
• All Age Academy
• Next steps

3
Process So Far

• The process so far
• April 05 NCC decides to consult on
  Primary/Secondary system partnership by
  partnership
• September 06 - NCC agreed model for consultation
• September to December 06 consultation takes
  place
• December 06 to February 07 - Analysis of feedback
  from consultation
• March 07 NCC agreed model for further
  consultation
• March to April 07 further consultation takes
  place

4
Reasons Behind Proposal

• Standards
• Standards in Northumberland at KS2 do not reflect
  the strong performance at KS1 - Northumberland
  performance issues are reiterated in Blyth
• Research by Suffolk County Council and
  Northamptonshire County Council shows that pupils
  perform better in a 2-tier system than they do in
  a 3-tier system
• Surplus Places
• An increasing problem of surplus places in Blyth
  512 in January 2006 (9.6 of total places)
  rising to a projected 795 (14.9 of total places)
  by 2011, if we take no action
• Buildings
• Schools which old, in a poor state and expensive
  to maintain

5
Key Results of Consultation So Far
There were a number of issues raised by
consultees during the consultation, the main ones
being

• The three tier system should be retained
• South Beach First School should stay on the South
  Beach estate
• The size of South Beach First School
• Reduction of Croftway First School to 1.5 Forms
  of Entry was unacceptable
• Horton Grange should stay on its current site

6
Results of Consultation Cont.

• Plessey Road First School should not close
• The Academy catchment area should include all of
  The Avenues
• A number of alternative models, including three
  tier models, were also submitted and discussed
  during consultation

Following evaluation, some suggestions made are
able to be accommodated in the revised model for
additional consultation
7
Revised Proposal

• Revised preferred model
• South Beach First School would become the new
  3 Forms of Entry South Beach Primary element as
  part of the proposed All Age Academy on its
  current site
• Croftway First School to increase to 2 Forms of
  Entry Primary School on its current site
• Horton Grange First School to remain on its
  current site
• Changed catchment areas of Blyth Community
  College and the Secondary element of the proposed
  all-age Academy, to all of the include The
  Avenues

8
Revised Proposal Cont.

• In addition, some changes are being proposed to
  catchment areas of
• Proposed Morpeth Road Primary
• Proposed Malvins Close Primary
• Proposed Newsham Primary
• Proposed Croftway Primary
• Proposed Primary element of the all-age
  Academy/current South Beach First School
• Revision to the timeline for the implementation
  of these proposals

9
Summary of Revisions to Proposal
The proposals for the capacity, Forms of Entry
and Planned Admission Number for other schools
within Blyth Partnership remain as proposed in
the Consultation September December 2006
10
Proposed Revised Timeline

• 2008 August - Plessey Road and Princess Louise
  First schools close
• 2009 August - South Beach First school
  and Wensleydale Middle close
• 2009 September - All-age Academy opens (only
  with Nursery to Year 9)
• - Remaining First schools retain Year 5
• 2010 August - Bebside, Tynedale and Delaval
  Middle close
• 2010 September - Blyth Community College becomes
  Blyth Secondary School
• - Pupils from closing Middle schools transfer
  to either BCC or the Academy

11
Proposed All Age Academy
In order to address some of the issues raised in
consultation, NCC has worked with South Beach
First school, the Emmanuel Schools Foundation
(ESF) and DfES to develop proposals for an
all-age Academy

• Academy to open in September 2009 as originally
  proposed
• In September 2009, Nursery to Y5 on South Beach
  site, Y6 to Y9 on former Ridley High School site
• From September 2010, Nursery to Y6 on the Primary
  site, Y7 to Y10 on the Secondary site
• From September 2011, Nursery to Y6 on the Primary
  site, Y7 to Y11 on the Secondary site

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Implications for Delaval Middle School

• School would remain open until August 2010
• All pupils in Years 5, 6 and 7 in August 2009
  would be able to apply for places in the Academy
  in September 2009 as Years 6, 7 and 8 on the
  Secondary site. Places would be allocated
  according to the Academys admissions criteria
• In September 2009, the school is likely to
  operate with small cohorts in Years 6, 7 and 8
  only. Special care would be taken to ensure that
  the entitlement of pupils to a quality education
  is not compromised

13
Implications for Delaval Middle School Cont.

• Pupils in Year 8 in August 2009 would apply for
  places as Year 9 in September 2009 in the Academy
  or in a High School through the usual admissions
  procedure
• After the closure of the school, the site and
  its playing fields would be utilised by the
  proposed Academy

14
Implications for South Beach First School

• Technically the current school must be
  discontinued to achieve a new purpose built
  Primary Element of the Academy
• Emmanuel Schools Foundation proposes that for the
  Primary Element of the All-Age Academy site
• The day to day and strategic leadership would
  rest with current First School Headteacher
• The experience and expertise of the existing
  South Beach Governing Body would be embraced

15
Implications for South Beach First School Cont.

• In September 2009, all pupils and all staff from
  South Beach First School would transfer
  automatically to the Academy
• Year 4 pupils moving into Year 5 would remain on
  this site
• In September 2010, Year 5 pupils would remain as
  Year 6 on the Primary site
• In September 2011, Year 6 pupils would transfer
  automatically to the Secondary site as Year 7

16
Implications for South Beach First School Cont.

• In addition to the remaining play areas/physical
  education facilities on the current site, the
  playing fields at Delaval Middle would be used as
  an additional resource for both Primary and
  Secondary elements of the Academy
• During building works the school would continue
  to offer suitable playtime provision and all
  aspects of physical education

17
Implications for Wensleydale Middle School

• In September 2008, school would operate as normal
• School would close in August 2009 as previously
  proposed
• All pupils in Years 5, 6 and 7 in August 2009
  would transfer automatically in September 2009 as
  Years 6, 7 and 8 into the Academy on the
  Secondary site
• Inclusion of Year 6 in Academy would be for 1
  year only
• Parents of children in Years 5, 6 and 7 would be
  free to apply for places in other schools.
  Admission would be subject to there being places
  available
• They would be joined by approximately 60 further
  pupils in each year group from other schools

18
Implications for Wensleydale Middle School Cont.

• Pupils in Year 8 in August 2009 would apply for
  places as Year 9 in September 2009 in the Academy
  or in a High School through the usual admissions
  procedure
• All staff would transfer automatically to the
  Academy, to work on either the Primary or
  Secondary sites

19
Staff

• Support for Staff Transition
• Staff Protocol progressing to agreement in Blyth
  Partnership would prioritise staff at risk
• Staff would be trained for the age range of
  children in Primary Schools and Secondary Schools
  as appropriate
• Additional staff would be recruited by Primary
  Schools and by both BCC and the proposed Academy
  to cover the increased number of children
• At risk staff in closing schools would be given
  first priority for these posts

20
Funding

• Overall Funding
• Further work underway to confirm cost of revised
  proposal
• NCC budget of 26.5m realistic subject to
  consultation and detailed design

Academy Funding DfES 21.5m Second
ary site c. 4.0m Primary
site NCC 3.0m Primary site (included
within 26.5m overall budget) ESF
2.0m ------------------ TOTAL c.
30.5m
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Questions and Discussion

• The revised proposed Model
• Any alternative Models

22
Next steps

• Our next steps
• Analyse the feedback received during consultation
• Report back to Executive on the complete
  consultation, with three possible outcomes
• stop the process and maintain the status quo
• continue with the preferred two tier model or
• re-consult with an altered preferred option based
  on the findings of this consultation

23
Next steps Cont.

• Your next steps
• Complete the form at the back of the consultation
  document and return tonight or by 4.00pm
  Wednesday 18 April 2007
• Please also complete the Feedback form about this
  consultation meeting (yellow form)