Public Meeting

1
Public Meeting

• 9th October 2008

2
Introduction

• Jo Aldous

3
Meeting Objectives

• Share facts about situation regarding
  availability of places at St Mary's
• Dispel any lingering catchment area myths
• Update history of action taken to date
• Clarify admissions process
• Generate more ideas for our plan of attack!
• Identify any local skills and knowledge
• Raise awareness and contributions for fundraising
  to support the campaign
• Appeal to you to actively join the campaign and
  give your time, skills and energy to bring this
  to a satisfactory resolution

4
Agenda
Introduction and Welcome Jo Aldous, Fairford
Leys Parents (FLP) Fairford Leys Parents - Action
Gail Hydon, FLP and rebel Parish Council School
Committee - Update Steven Lambert, CPC
Chairman St Marys Governors - Perspective Adam
Thompson, Chair of Governors Admissions
Process Rachel Britnell, FLP and local
guru Bucks County Council view Paul Ryder, FLP
and brave man What next? Jo Aldous, FLP and
pushy mum QA All Summary and Close Jo
Aldous
5
What will you do when.
.. your house devalues and you cannot sell it to
move?
your child does not get a place?
your child goes to a different school from all
his friends?
.. you have to pack your 4/5 yr old child off in
a taxi to get to a school the other side of town?
your second child does not get a place?
your child doesnt know the children in the
local park?
you cant drive out of the village at peak times
of day to get to work because the queues now
include parents on the school run?
you need a second car to drive out of the village
to get your child to school?
6
Fairford Leys Parents Our Action
Gail Hydon
7
Background - not a problem of over-subscription
but one of under provision

• St Mary's in Fairford Leys intended as a village
  school for village children
• Fairford Leys has 2088 dwellings
• According to BCC formula that equates to a
  school of 564
• St Mary's is currently a 420 place school with 2
  form entry (2 x 30)
• Current school provision is, by BCC definition,
  not fit for purpose
• All of Fairford Leys is in catchment. Catchment
  area has not been changed

For planning new developments, an average
pupil generation rate per 100 dwellings is
assumed. For Bucks this rate is 27
8
At the last public meeting...

• Parish Council supported Catchment Sub
  Committees proposal-
• Expand St Marys School
• Two-site school, split into Infant and Junior
• Sufficient spaces for 4 form-intake (840
  capacity)
• Reasons for two-site school (in preference to
  expansion on current site)
• Minimise disruption to existing school
• Minimise potential intimidation of younger
  children
• Potential to extend facilities (existing site not
  fit for purpose)

9
Bucks County Councils answer

• No need, no land, no money!

10
The birth of Fairford Leys Parents

• Letter of desperation to Ed Balls MP, Secretary
  of State for Children, Schools and Families,
  appealing for help
• Reply from DCSF stated that, as parents, we have
  a voice
• Legislation clearly states that Local Authorities
  have a statutory duty to listen to parents when
  planning and managing primary school places
• Clearly, need to get parents to work together
  with the freedom to take any action necessary
  (apolitical)

11
The legislation

• Section 14A of Education and Inspections Act
  2006,
• Expansion of Successful and Popular Schools
• 4.31 the Government is committed to ensuring that
  every parent can choose an excellent school for
  their child. We have made it clear that the
  wishes of parents should be taken into account in
  planning and managing school estates. Places
  should be allocated where parents want them, and
  as such, it should be easier for successful and
  popular primary and secondary schools to grow and
  meet parental demand
• 4.32 The strong presumption is that proposals to
  expand successful and popular schools should be
  approved
• Capital funding is available through the
  Standards and Diversity Capital Fund (50 funding)

12
Letter of parental representation

• Parental Representation made to BCC on April 1st
  from Fairford Leys Parents
• Obliged to respond within 4 weeks, setting out
  Plan of Action
• No response received 11 weeks after letter
• Requested Ed Balls / DCSF to intervene on our
  behalf, to prompt a reply from Councillor Clayton
• That reply was full of factual error and
  inaccuracies, but remains their official stance

13
Bucks County Councils response - I

• The problem is temporary
• 27 primary school places per 100 homes
• BCC think Fairford Leys has 1750 homes (we have
  2088!) - ERROR
• For 2088 564 spaces required
• Even if we did have 1750 homes 472 spaces
  required - ERROR
• St Marys accommodates 420
• By BCC own admission, Fairford Leys does not
  behave in line with usual predicted demographics
  - new development attracting new / young families
  with a higher than average need for school places

Using BCCs own formula, this problem is
definitely NOT TEMPORARY
14
Bucks County Councils response - II

• 2. There are already sufficient spaces in the
  area
• Admissions team claim there are always 120
  surplus spaces in Aylesbury, year after year.
  But in 2008, this went down to 78! - ERROR
• Buckingham Park school delayed - not taken into
  account - ERROR
• Another gt1000 homes built in brownfield locations
  across Aylesbury - not accounted for - ERROR

There will be a significant shortfall in primary
school places in the whole area within the next 2
- 5 years. BCC appear to be doing absolutely
nothing to plan for this
15
Bucks County Councils response - III

• 3. Increasing the size of St Marys might
  jeopardise standards
• Standards at St Marys are not high because of
  excellence on the part of BCC
• They are high because of
• An ideal catchment?
• Parents who believe in the value of education
• Children who are brought up to believe in
  education
• Parents who are willing to work with the school
• Excellent teaching staff
• An outstanding head teacher

None of the above will change, so it is illogical
to assume that standards will!
16
Bucks County Councils response - IV

• Increasing the size of St Marys is not
  practical, therefore not feasible
• No space on existing site - ERROR
• Governors do not support expansion - ERROR
• No funding - three thresholds have not been met
• Not practical or feasible - ERROR
• Governors do not support expansion - ERROR
• 50 matching funding not available - but they
  will have to find funding for transport for our
  children!

There is land, there is money, there are
builders, teachers, children to fill
classrooms....it IS practical and it IS feasible
17
Bucks County Councils response - V

• Cannot look at Fairford Leys in isolation
• need to wait until strategy for growth of
  Aylesbury Vale is agreed to see where new schools
  go
• However we learn that BCC have refused an offer
  of land from Ernest Cook Trust on which to build
  a second school. It would appear they can
  predict the outcome of consultation on future
  growth
• ERROR!!!!!!!!!

WHY WAIT until 2010? The problem exists here and
now in our village, and the solution can be
provided within our village Village Schools
for Village Children
18
Next steps....parental representation

• Wrote back to BCC (and DCSF) outlining all their
  errors, asking them to correct them and provide a
  revised decision
• October 2008 - still waiting!
• Letter from DCSF Oct 2008 - advice
• If Governors support expansion, they should
  publish a proposal to expand
• If LA then turns down the proposal, take case to
  Schools Adjudicator
• Take legal advice on legislative duty of LAs
• Will respond and maintain open communication with
  DCSF

19
Legal action?

• Consulted an Education Specialist Solicitor, July
  2008
• Two potential avenues
• Option 1 Judicial Review
• 3 months time frame from BCCs initial response
• Cost approx. 15,000 - 20,000
• Uncertain outcome - may end up just forcing BCC
  to write us a proper response - no guarantee of
  getting a school!
• Option 2 Explore other legal avenues
  (interpretation of legislation, local authority
  policies etc)
• Funding (1000 already spent just getting this
  far!)
• Outcome / Likelihood of success?

20
Letter to Local Government Ombudsman
If an individual suffers an injustice, caused by
maladministration on the part of a council, that
individual can take complaint to the LGO, who may
investigate to seek remedial action

• From Zandra Carrington and Stuart Jarvis, on
  advice from a previous Deputy LGO
• Injustice unreasonable uncertainty and anxiety
• Cause incompetence and maladministration by BCC
• Verdict
• we have not yet suffered an injustice
• if we are turned down for a place, we can take
  our case to the Appeals Board (who wont look at
  school place provision)
• Appeal
• We appealed against this decision, case taken to
  Deputy Ombudsman
• Did not even read initial case notes, came back
  with same answer, but using incorrect data

21
Protest to BCC making our voices heard

• Protests work!
• Negative publicity for BCC in local and regional
  press
• Forced to go on camera to justify decisions
• These need to continue!
• Planned a slow drive protest to show impact on
  local road congestion
• Threatened with arrest by Aylesbury Police if
  this went ahead

22
Still Protesting...

• Held walking Protest instead (from Market Square
  to BCC offices)
• Very well attended - 70 incl. Children - THANK
  YOU!
• BBC South Today News, Mix 96 and Bucks Herald
  coverage

• Two outcomes promised by Stephan Bagnell
• arrange meeting with MC (still waiting)
• get answer to parental representation (flawed)

23
Press coverage keep it fresh

• Widen the story to include whole area (impact of
  Buckingham Park etc) - BBC South Today already
  interested
• New protest activities
• Think about wider implications in terms of
  development planning - using Fairford Leys as an
  example of success (until local government are
  left in charge!), need to highlight dangers

24
Parish Council School Committee Update
Steven Lambert
25
Coldharbour Parish Council sub committee role

• Official channel to Bucks County Council as one
  council to another
• Community asset manager
• Community champions
• Representation at other forums AVDC planning,
  Environment, Local Development Framework
  activities, Bucks CC Local Area Forum,
  Neighbourhood Action Group, Press Coldharbour
  News and Bucks Herald
• Liaison with Ernest Cook Trust
• Liaison with St Marys School and other schools
  and councils

26
CPC Schools Committee Recommendations

• Long Term solution
• To build an additional school on Fairford Leys.
  This would then allow the current school to be
  used as a Key stage 1 and the new site as a Key
  stage 2
• MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR CHILDREN
• Short to Medium Term Solution
• To install Modular buildings on the site enabling
  the children to attend St Mary's while the plans
  are agreed and the new school built
• However it would not only need additional
  classrooms but also an expansion of all the
  facilities at the school including the hall,
  playgrounds, food facilities and staff facilities
  
• These options are supported by the Board of
  Governors

27
Why are there not enough places?

• The schools intake is set using a formula of
• 21 places per 100 dwellings - 420 places
• The BCCs own School Organisation Plan
  recommendation is for 34 places per 100 dwellings
  - 714 places
• When the village was expanded from 1500 homes to
  2100, the BCC failed to secure the correct S106
  funding that would have enabled additional places
  to be made available.

28
St Marys Annual Intake vs. BCC Predictions
29
Recent work of the committee

• Continued requests to meet with Marion Clayton
• Continued discussions with Bucks CC officers
  one council to another
• Access to all three Distinct Councillors who are
  members of the committee and access to both
  County Councillors
• Working with the parents of Fairford Leys
  providing support and advice on local government
  practices and
• Environmental impact investigation monitor
  vehicle use by families having to use their
  vehicles to travel extra miles to take children
  to school.

30
Environmental sub committee
31
Impact if 60 travel across town - 20
miles/week x 40 weeks x 60 approx 17,626kg CO2
or 15 metric tons of CO2. (www.carbonfund.org and
www.nef.org.uk used to calculate carbon
footprint).
2 x areas in the town currently below EU air
quality standards - Bucks CC tasked with reducing
problem.
32
Further investigation required on
Government/Bucks CC policies on the
environment Dept of Environment - Local Gov
Performance Framework DCSF - ECO schools (every
school sustainable by 2020) UN Agenda 21 (Rio
earth summit) curriculum - transport and
pollution Bucks CC - carbon policies eg.
Strategic Partnership - Community strategy.
33
Partners together Parish Council and Parents with
one goal

• To get the right school provision for our
  community now and in the future
• The problem is political will.
• We can and will succeed, but it is imperative
  that the parents of Fairford Leys and the Parish
  Council continue to work together
• The Parish Council are committed to do this for
  our community.
• If you can help, let us know as soon as possible.

34
St Mary's School Governors Our Perspective
Adam Thompson
35
Update on where St Marys governors stand on
expansion

• The School Governing Body has a duty to look our
  for the interests of the pupils at the school and
  the teachers
• The Governing Body were asked by Bucks County
  Council if we would support expansion of the
  school
• We voted unanimously to this question and offered
  to work with the County Council on managing the
  impact on the current pupils
• And
• That we would accept temporary classrooms while
  the building works tool place
• We are now looking at what options are open to us
  as a Governing Body to take this forward

36
Admissions Process What will you do?
Rachel Britnell
37
When to apply for places
38
Bucks CC Catchment Area Map
39
Projected applications
40
Admission rules
St Marys intake 60 children BCC
Predication for 2010 93 Children
Rule 1 Children in care
Say 2 children, Remaining places 58
Rule 2 Children living in the catchment area
of the school
93 children, school now oversubscribed by 35
pupils
41
Admission rules cont
St Marys intake 60 children BCC
Predication for 2010 93 Children
Rule 3 Siblings of children who are attending the
school or a linked primary school in Reception
- Year 5 at the time the allocations are made or
who have already been offered a place to start in
the current academic year at the school (or a
linked primary school)
Of the 93 children in catchment, say 35 have
older siblings in school already, therefore 35
admitted, Remaining places 23 Remaining
children 58
Rule 4 (For voluntary-controlled schools
only) Children whose parents have expressed a
preference for a Church of England school
supported by evidence that at least one parent
has been a regular worshipper (an average of at
least twice a month) at an Anglican church
Of the 58 who did not qualify for entry under
Rule 3 say 8 qualify under Rule 4 Remaining
places 15 Remaining children 50
42
Admission rules cont
St Marys intake 60 children BCC
Predication for 2010 93 Children
Of the 50 who did not qualify for entry under
Rule 4 (CoE) say 2 qualify under Rule 5 Remaining
places 13 Remaining children 48
Rule 5 Children who have exceptional medical or
social needs, which can only be met at that
school, supported by written evidence from an
appropriate professional person
Rule 6 Children attending a primary school linked
to the school named in the list of linked
primary schools at the time the allocations are
made. Please see the schools list section pages
31 68 to find out which schools are linked,
(this rule does not apply to those applying for a
place in Reception)
This rule is not applicable to St Marys
Remaining places 13 Remaining children 48
43
Admission rules cont
St Marys intake 60 children BCC
Predication for 2010 93 Children
Rule 7 Once the above rules have been applied,
then any further places will be offered in
distance order, using the distance between the
familys normal home address and the schools
nearest entrance gate, offering the closest
first. We use the shortest appropriate route
Of the remaining 48 children 13 would be
allocated a place based on distance 35 children
WOULD NOT get a place at St Marys
44
True catchment area?
45
Time line for applying (2009 admission)

• 8th September - Portal opens for online
  applications
• 14th November - Closing date to make online
  applications or return common application
  form. Along with any utility bill
• 12th December - Deadline for parents to provide
  proof of where they live and, as a result
  be considered as living in catchment
• 17th February - Offer letters are posted
• 18th February - Offer letters received
• 4th March - Deadline to confirm acceptance of
  offered place

46
Preferences when applying

• You can express three preferences, which you must
  rank in order of preference
• Each admission authority will use their own
  admission rules without being told where the
  school is ranked on the list of preferred schools
  
• If two schools can offer your child a place, you
  will be offered a place at the school you ranked
  highest. Each child is only offered one place
• If a place cannot be offered at any of your
  preferred schools, you will be offered a place at
  the nearest Buckinghamshire maintained school
  with a place
• If you are unhappy with this place you do have an
  opportunity to see what other schools in Bucks
  have places and apply for those

47
But which schools have spaces?

• Bucks CC will not tell us which Schools have
  places
• They claim that due to parental preference it is
  impossible to predict which schools will be under
  / over subscribed
• But they wont even tell us which would have
  places based on catchment children alone
• How can they be so confident they know how many
  children there are and that they have sufficient
  primary places to accommodate them - if they
  cant provide this information?!
• They refer us to last years trend in the 2009
  admissions booklet

48
School spaces - 2008
Bearbrook C) Admission No. - 60 Offered -
46 Spaces -14
Thomas Hickman (C) Admission No. - 60 Offered -
55 Spaces -5
Elmhurst (C) Admission No. - 45 Offered -
26 Spaces - 19
Bedgrove Infant School Admission No. -
118 Offered - 118 Spaces - 0
Ashmead (C) Admission No. - 70 Offered -
67 Spaces - 3
Stone CE (C) Admission No. - 30 Offered -
30 Spaces -0
49
What Bucks County Council Want

• Paul Ryder

50
What BCC want.

• Really really want.
• Choose other schools
• Go private
• Get tired and fed up
• Move away
• Give up

• Really really dont want.
• Ongoing campaign
• Fresh attacks
• Negative press
• Media attention
• ...

51
What next?

• Jo Aldous

52
Ongoing activity

• New complaints to LGO (Local Government
  Ombudsman)
• New complaint(s) to be submitted
• Have you been turned down for a place?
• Letters being written to every MP to establish
  the impact of relevant legislation
• How many Parental Representations made
  nationally?
• How many schools expanded?
• David Liddington (our local MP) - has agreed to
  meet with us
• Work with School Governors and others
• Keep on protesting to keep the issue at the
  forefront
• Maintain pressure on BCC - by asking you to write
  directly
• Sustain press interest - Letters to the Editor,
  The One Show?
• Other ideas?

53
How you can help validate requirements
Only to be used for validating requirements
54
How you can help fund raising
Campaign Fund Collection
Please Give Generously
All donations will be used to assist the campaign
and cover any costs and or related expenses ONLY
55
Join our next protest - making our voices heard -
again!
Saturday 18th October at 10.30 Meeting in Village
centre - Hampden Square To march en masse to St
Mary's School
Theme Live 500m from St Mary's, walk 2.5 miles
to school
Key Message BCC continue to fail children of
Fairford Leys
56
Review of Objectives

• Share facts about situation regarding
  availability of places at St Mary's
• Dispel any lingering catchment area myths
• Update history of action taken to date
• Clarify admissions process
• Generate more ideas for our plan of attack!
  info_at_fairfordleysparents.co.uk
• Identify any local skills and knowledge
• Raise awareness and contributions for fundraising
  to support the campaign
• Appeal to you to actively join the campaign and
  give your time, skills and energy to bring this
  to a satisfactory resolution

57
QA

• All