NE/027/03 The Office of the Schools Adjudicator published a decision on Friday 24 January which will allow Northamptonshire LEA to set up a school catering for pupils and students between the ages of 4 to 18. This will only be the third all-through community school in England.
The conclusions of the adjudicator, Professor Philip Hunter, are attached and his full determination can be found on the Schools Adjudicator website: http://www.schoolsadjudicator.gov.uk
"There are no absolutes in education. There is no perfect teaching method or ideal organisation or structure of schools. The task for national and local government is to seek systems and processes that are appropriate for particular groups of children in particular circumstances. The best will not be the same for all parts of the country and for all times. Over the last few decades, Local Education Authorities have constructed nursery schools, infant schools, junior schools, primary schools, middle schools, secondary schools, high schools, sixth form colleges, further education colleges and polytechnics. All of these have been proved to have worked well in some places at some times.
"Changing the organisation of a school to reach one set of goals may reduce the chance of reaching another set. There is rarely any advance in education without a cost. The Northampton proposal is for a school where some children will find it easier to transfer between primary and secondary phases. The cost of this improvement may be a reduction in focus for teaching and pastoral support. The more the school tries to avoid these costs through clear lines of accountability, separation of premises and playgrounds and so on, the more it will revert towards a separate primary and secondary school. So why bother? Is Northampton LEA justified in spending all this energy on a project that carries such an uncertain prospect of advance?
"I have concluded that it is. The compelling reason for this conclusion is that the project has the enthusiastic support of the officers, governors and most of the teachers in the area. The papers and representations made at the meeting of the 14th January showed that people who will be responsible for the establishment of the new school want to try it. Some may be attracted by the glamour of being involved in a project that will interest politicians and professionals elsewhere. If I thought that was the sole motive, I would reject the proposal. But it is clear that most local people are convinced that a 4-19 school would provide a better education for children in this area. There can be no better start for a new school than the enthusiasm and commitment of the staff and governors who will be charged with running it.
"I have one qualification. However convinced that the LEA, governors and staff are about the prospects for the Centre, there has to be a cool and dispassionate assessment of how it works. Accordingly, I would like to see a close oversight by OFSTED from the start and a full review (based on a full OFSTED inspection) of the Centre five years after it has been established. There should be a commitment by the LEA that it will not hesitate to revert to separate primary and secondary schools if the review concludes that should happen. The new Director and senior management of the Centre should be aware of this before they are appointed. There is no mechanism to make this a condition of my approval but I have passed the papers to Her Majesty''s Chief Inspector of Schools so that he is aware of my view."
NOTES TO EDITORS 1. Schools adjudicators were appointed in response to the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 to decide on school organisation issues and admission arrangements which cannot be resolved locally. Their role is to look afresh at all cases referred to them, considering each case on its merits and taking account of the reasons for disagreement at local level in the light of the legislation and the guidance in the Code of Practice on Schools Admissions.
2. Copies of the determination reached by the adjudicator can be obtained from the Office of the Schools Adjudicator. It can also be found on the Schools Adjudicator Website - http://www.schoolsadjudicator.gov.uk. Individual adjudicators are not in a position to comment on their decisions but, if clarification of those decisions is needed, enquiries can be addressed to: The Office of the Schools. Tel: 0191 202 3600
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