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Consultation on the Stevenage review of secondary school places

The public consultation is now closed. The County Council Cabinet met on 14 January 2008. At the meeting Cabinet agreed on the following proposals:

(a) the increase, with effect from 1 September 2011, of the Published Admission Numbers to 240 and enlargement of the premises of the following schools: The Barclay School; The Thomas Alleyne School; The Nobel School; and Marriots School;

(b) the closure of the Heathcote School with effect from 31 August 2012; and

(c) the proposal by the Governors of the John Henry Newman Catholic School (Voluntary Aided) to increase, with effect from 1 September 2011, the Published Admission Numbers to 240 and enlarge the premises of that school;

in order to contribute to raising achievement within Stevenage and provide an appropriate number and pattern of places to meet the need for places.

Cabinet also expressed its preference for the relocation of The Thomas Alleyne School to the proposed new site in Great Ashby but noted that the planning and land acquisition complications and consequential delay in development of the Great Ashby site might result in Partnership for Schools (PfS) rejecting the entire Stevenage BSF business case.

Cabinet therefore asked officers to discuss this risk and its implications with stakeholders in Stevenage and to investigate with PfS and DCSF options that would allow time to resolve the uncertainties relating to the Great Ashby site without delaying or jeopardising the rest of the Stevenage scheme, with the intent of completing the scheme by the move of Alleyne's as soon as those uncertainties are resolved (or by refurbishment on the current site only should they prove irresolvable - on a reasonable timescale and at a reasonable price)

The County Council Cabinet met on 21 January 2008 to discuss the issue above and noted that the reply from PfS stated that this could mean a delay for BSF funding for three or four years. The MP for Stevenage, Barbara Follett, is in now in touch with the DCSF. It was recommended that Cabinet awaits the outcome of that approach before making a final decision.

Cabinet also recommended that The Valley School be relocated to the current Barnwell site. The proposed move is not a prescribed alteration requiring consultation or the publication of statutory notices, and there are no legal implications of this change.

Click on the links below to view the Cabinet papers and press statements.