Issue - meetings

Purpose of the report:

Surrey County Council (SCC), in partnership with the Governing Body of St. Mary’s Church of England (C of E) Junior School and the Diocese of Southwark, has undertaken both the informal and formal stages of consultation on a proposal to amalgamate Downs Way School and St. Mary’s C of E Junior School, with a view to creating a new all-through primary school from September 2018. It is also proposed to expand Key Stage 2 provision at the school from this date. The informal consultation was conducted between 24 July 2017 and 4 September 2017. On the basis of the education rationale and feedback from the informal consultation, a Cabinet Member decision approved the publication of statutory notices and the commencement of a formal consultation pertaining to the proposed amalgamation and enlargement. The notices were published on 18 September 2017, initiating a 4-week consultation, closing on 16 October 2017.

The Leader of the Council is asked to review the education rationale for the project and summary of the consultation process/feedback provided within this report and associated Annexes and, on that basis, decide whether to approve the proposed amalgamation of Downs Way School with St. Mary’s C of E Junior School, inclusive of the expansion of Key Stage 2 provision, effective from 1 September 2018. The Business Case for the capital expansion project was approved by Cabinet in September 2017.

It was agreed that the Leader of the Council determined the three statutory

notices, pertaining to the proposals to:

1. Close Downs Way School, effective from 31 August 2018.

2. Alter the lower age limit of St. Mary’s C of E Junior School, in order that the age

range broadens from 7-11 to 4-11, effective from 1 September 2018.

3. Enlarge the formal capacity of this Primary School from 360 places (i.e. the

current capacity of St. Mary’s C of E Junior School) to 660 places, effective from

1 September 2018.

The combined effect of these proposals would be to bring into effect the

amalgamation of Downs Way School with St. Mary’s C of E Junior School, inclusive

of the expansion of Key Stage 2 provision, effective from 1 September 2018.