Thursday 15 November 2012

Some answers to questions about School land sale in Petersham

Here are the answers to the questions posed to Robert Henderson at Richmond Council. I am meeting him on Monday - do let me know if you have any other questions you would like asked


Why was the timeline not part of the consultation document (as you wrote in your letter).

The timeline flowchart was drawn up to illustrate how the consultation process, as outlined in the original consultation document, sits within the overall timetable. The flowchart was made available to residents attending the meeting on 24 July 2012 and then posted on the consultation webpage.
  
Why was there no mention of the possibility of the sale of land at The Russell School in the consultation document (yet it is mentioned in the missing timeline)

The consultation document formed part of the informal consultation process and relates principally to the educational provision of pupils at Strathmore School 

Why does the consultation document claim that new buildings are vital to Strathmore improving its OFSTED rating from ‘Good’ to ‘Outstanding’ when the OFSTED report makes no mention of the buildings, and cites a) teaching issues and b) the performance of the governing body at Strathmore as the issues that need changing.#

The Local Authority is of the view that new buildings would enhance the provision at the school and this will lead to better outcomes for pupils.  The previous Ofsted report does point to the buildings restricting the educational opportunities on offer at the school. There are also many recorded maintenance and condition issues regarding access and the fabric of the building that need addressing.

Was it indeed suggested to parents in the 24th July meeting that rebuilding Strathmore on the current site was a possibility? If so, what has changed?

This matter was addressed at the meeting. Many of the required improvements to suitability and condition cannot be addressed through refurbishment alone and the extent of works that could be completed would cause major disruption to the school. A re-build of the school on the current site would cause even more disruption and likely involve many phases to keep the school open. 
   
Is it true that the Council has already allocated funds from reserves for development work at Grey Court and Clifden? Why has no money from reserves been allocated for The Russell?

There has been an allocation of funding to the development of the sixth form at Grey Court in line with the Council commitment to the development of sixth form provision in all mainstream Secondary Schools/ Academies. There has been an allocation of funding to the new primary School site at Clifden Road as part of the planned expansion of primary school places in this area of the borough.

Can you confirm the valuations that the Council has received on the Strathmore and Russell School land, and also the estimates the council has received for the rebuild

There is no formal valuation on the land and the costs at this stage are at best preliminary. Detailed work will be required to firm all of these numbers. Clear estimates will be given if we go to Statutory Consultation

Why, if the consultation is about the best model of care for the children, have parents been given no evidence either way for the proposed model on which to base their judgement?

The Local Authority holds the view that the proposals offer the best model for meeting the diverse needs of this group of pupils. The proposals are for discrete purpose built facilities that also provide the opportunity for greater inclusion in mainstream activities where this is of benefit to pupils. Although research in this area is limited evidence would suggest that attitudes and careful management of inclusion are key to its success. The proposals meet both the Local Authority’s principles for improvements to special educational provision and the ‘improvement test’ as recommended by the Department for Education. The details of this are outlined in the consultation document.


Could you confirm you are aware of the on line petition against this proposal and that you have noted the numbers signing it? Could you also confirm you are aware that Russell school parents voted against these proposals?

We are aware of both of these. The online petition focuses on the sale of land whereas the Local Authority’s consultation is on the provision for pupils with significant special needs. In reaching any decisions on these proposals the Local Authority will need to consider the views of all stake holders but particularly the views of parents with children at Strathmore School.  

Could you confirm there is no truth to the rumours circulating that Council officials asked Governors not to share aspects of their thinking with the wider school and local community?

Governors were asked to keep financial information confidential based on the issues highlighted above – the estimates were not validated. The Council has tried to achieve a balance of giving information to relevant decision makers and stakeholders at the School to assist them in the decision making process whilst not creating unnecessary anxiety to the public given that all discussions were preliminary and may not proceed. If they do proceed to statutory consultation more concrete information will be presented.

Can you confirm that the council has not commissioned any other studies into potential impacts of developing on the Strathmore/Russell school sites (which would seem somewhat premature given this is an informal initial consultation).

An initial concept was prepared for Governors of Strathmore and The Russell School to give them a sense of the proposal and the range of possible options. This was a confidential work in progress in order to assist Governors in making an in principle decision to move forward. Without the support of Governors the projects would not have progressed.

Can you confirm that in the two days Russell School parents were informed they had to complete the on line consultation document, that the document was down and incapable of taking comment?

We are only aware of the online consultation questionnaire not functioning in the early stages of the consultation period and this was fixed. We are aware that some people had difficulties in filling out the consultation questionnaire and where we were alerted to this a paper version was sent out to the individuals concerned. Website activity shows that individuals were submitting returns until the questionnaire was removed from the webpage at the end of the informal consultation period.    

Why was no meeting arranged for Russell School Parents as it was for Strathmore?

The two public meetings arranged were open to all parents. One was hosted locally at Strathmore School and the other elsewhere in the Borough at Windham Croft Centre. The intention was to provide an opportunity for as many interested parents to attend the meetings. The dates and venues were posted on the consultation webpage, included in the consultation document and sent out to parents via the three schools concerned. Local voluntary groups and charities were also alerted.  

Why were parents not told in writing that land at The Russell school could be sold to developers until after the consultation forms had been returned?

The consultation was principally on the educational provision for children with significant and complex learning difficulties at Strathmore. The potential sale of land on The Russell site relates to the redevelopment of The Russell School buildings.   

Can you confirm that other funding options will be looked at for the development that do not include any sale of school land. Can you also confirm that the Council will not sell the Strathmore land if other funds are found?

Currently the Council is of the view that all funding options have been explored but we will continue to explore external funding options, as appropriate within the timescales. If other funds are identified the Council will consider all available options at the time and consult on those, with a focus on improving outcomes for children and young people.


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