- What is Transforming Learning Communities?
Transforming Learning Communities (TLC) is the County Council’s response to ‘Every Child Matters’ and the Children Act 2004. The Government has put schools at the heart of this change and Cheshire’s response is a wide ranging review of its education provision. This will be a far reaching change for all those delivering services for children and families.
This coincides with the County Council having to manage the effect of significant population changes. This year we will have 5% fewer 0-15 year olds than in 2001 and by 2021 some 13% fewer 0-15 year olds. Clearly this would compound the already existing problem of surplus capacity in schools if nothing were done. Therefore the County Council has agreed to a full review of all school provision across Cheshire – the TLC initiative – with the intention of removing surplus places while meeting wider community needs where possible. The review is being undertaken over the next two years on a phased basis in eight localities across Cheshire.
2. What is the Council’s stance in relation to small schools?
Currently the Council does not have a single formal policy, as such, in respect of small schools. The funding formulae takes account of size with differential funding being allocated to small schools and there is support available through advisory and governance services, for example, for small schools. See also question 5.
3. How do you know about the projected number of pupils?
The projections are based on known numbers of children. We have used this data to determine how many pupils will be in each locality area over a 5 year period. We have taken into account parental preference but can only go so far with this. Although the overall numbers are accurate, our predictions for individual schools are only forecasts.
4. There are lots of housing developments planned in the area served by my local school. How will this impact on schools?
To give an illustration of the scale of development needed in order to make a significant impact, it may be helpful to take the example of a brown field site of 2.5 acres (approximately the size of a full-sized football pitch) which is to be developed for housing. On the assumption that the development will be of eligible dwellings (2, 3, 4 bedroom houses, for example where children are likely to live), a 2.5 acre development will have about 40 houses if a typical density is 16 per acre.
A typical ‘yield’ factor of the number of children generated by developments would be:
Primary: 18 children per 100 eligible dwellings (YReception to Y6)
Secondary: 13 children per 100 eligible dwellings (Y7 to Y11)
Therefore this 2.5 acre development is likely to generate 7 children of primary school age and 5 children of secondary school age.
5. What is a viable school?
Viability is to do with the capacity of a school to provide and sustain high quality education when compared with the level of investment of resources required. The need to consider the viability of a school is often triggered because of its size or a significant decrease in size. The costs of continuing to run small schools can become disproportionately expensive and inevitably in these circumstances considerations of viability must arise.
In addition, the capacity of the school to develop, for example, to take on the challenges of providing extended and integrated services also has to be taken into consideration.
6. What will happen to staff if our school closes or amalgamates?
If a school closes, then all posts in that school cease to exist. If two or more schools are amalgamated then, legally, the existing schools are usually closed and a new school is opened. So, again, all the posts in the existing schools cease to exist. However, continuing provision will need to be made for the children, and the numbers of children will be very similar in any new or alternative arrangement. This means that appropriate staffing levels will be required. In those circumstances, existing staff will be re-employed as far as possible in the new school or alternative provision. The intention will be to avoid as far as possible staff being left without a job.
7. Why do the area reviews have to involve all schools?
In the past it has often been the case that the prime focus of reviews of school provision has been on those schools with the greatest number of surplus places and that schools with buoyant rolls and seen as popular and successful have not usually been directly involved in the processes.
However the TLC Initiative aims to be much more than simply a response to falling schools rolls. While it is still vitally important to ensure a good match of the provision of school places to pupil demand, the council and its schools also need to plan for the delivery of a wide range of extended services as part of meeting the “Every Child Matters” agenda.
8. Who are the decision makers?
If there are no objections to published proposals on school re-organisation then in most cases the Council makes the final decision; until very recently, if objections to published proposals were received the final decisions were taken by SOC (School Organisation Committee). However new Government Regulations have abolished these committees, and their powers, in respect of stand alone school closures, have largely transferred to the local authority itself and the schools adjudicator. In the case of school closures, the Council will now make the decision. There are limited rights to refer these closure decisions to the school adjudicator. The new law has restricted those rights to the CE Diocesan Board of Education, the Roman Catholic Bishop of the relevant Diocese, and the governing body of any voluntary or foundation school which is proposed to be closed. Further clarification of these new rules will be provided. We regret the loss of the Schools Organisation Committee, which was a decision forced on us.
9. What will happen to pupils at affected schools?
All pupils who are attending affected schools at the time of any closure or amalgamation will be offered a place in either the newly formed school or another school. If proposals go ahead after consultation, there will be a detailed action plan drawn up which will be written with the full involvement of heads, parents and governors.
10. This is really all about saving money, isn't it?
No. Cheshire is a high spender on education and there is no intention to reduce overall expenditure on education through TLC. The issue is how that money is spent. Any savings made by reducing surplus places will be redeployed in our schools to help raise standards.
Please see our additional Question and Answer documents for more detailed information.