Issue - meetings

New Primary School Provider Recommendation

Meeting: 26/07/2018 - Executive (Item 34)

34 New Primary School Provider Recommendation pdf icon PDF 102 KB

Decision:

That authority be delegated to the Acting Director for Children’s Services, in consultation with the Lead Member for Children’s Services, to determine which Academy Trusts should be recommended to the Regional Schools Commissioner to run new primary schools in Shinfield (Shinfield West), Arborfield (Arborfield Green) and Wokingham Town (Matthews Green).

Minutes:

The Executive considered a report setting out a process to determine which Academy Trusts should be recommended to the Regional Schools Commissioner to run new primary schools in Shinfield, Arborfield and Wokingham Town which would ensure that decisions could be made in a timely manner.

 

Members were informed by the Executive Member for Children’s Services that it was the Council’s role to seek expressions of interest for running new schools and make recommendations to the Secretary of State who was responsible for making the final decision.  The benefit of doing so was that the Council had some control over who was chosen to run schools in the Borough.  The priority for doing so at the current time was the new Shinfield West School in order that over the academic year it would be clear who would be running the School so that parents could make their preferences.

 

Councillor Pollock, as the ward Member for Shinfield, wanted to ensure that publicity related to the opening of the School would be improved and he offered to assist with this either through the Parish Council or through his fellow ward Members.  He stated that publicity surrounding the opening of Shinfield West School last year was not perceived to be particularly good and therefore parents did not apply for places as they were not aware that they could do so.  Because parents did not apply for places the numbers were not sufficient to make the School viable and it therefore did not open. 

 

RESOLVED:  That authority be delegated to the Acting Director for Children’s Services, in consultation with the Lead Member for Children’s Services, to determine which Academy Trusts should be recommended to the Regional Schools Commissioner to run new primary schools in Shinfield (Shinfield West), Arborfield (Arborfield Green) and Wokingham Town (Matthews Green).