APPENDIX 6
Memorandum submitted by Cornwall Local
Education Authority (T7)
1. Guidance to School Organisation Committees
states there should be "a presumption against the closure
of rural schools."
Cornwall LEA has four schools with a number
on roll (NOR) below 25
28 schools with a number on roll (NOR) below
50
64 schools with a number on roll (NOR) below
75
92 schools with a number on roll (NOR) below
100
This is in the context of a declining primary
population. Our School Organisation Plan (SOP) gives the following
table showing a continuing decrease.
| Years | Primary
|
| 1998-99 | 40,575 |
| 1999-2000 | 39,917 |
| 2000-01 | 39,578 |
| 2001-02 | 39,542 |
| 2002-03 | 39,176 |
| 2003-04 | 38,891 |
| 2004-05 | 38,428 |
| 2005-06 | 38,033 |
| 2006-07 | 37,888 |
The decrease is not evenly spread across the county and some
town areas, for example Newquay, St Austell and Helston, are showing
and/or forecasting an increasing primary population. This means
that many of the more rural areas, for example The Lizard, rural
North Cornwall and West Penwith, are experiencing a larger share
of the decrease.
2. Over the years the LEA has encouraged and supported
clustering of schools (aided by specific grants such as Standards
Funds) and many clusters still continue to arrange joint in-service
training. However, some of the shared curriculum activities have
declined due to the pressure on schools of league tables, literacy
and numeracy hours and the increasing costs of transport. The
LEA devolves the Administrative Support Fund for Small Schools
to primary schools with less than 200 pupils and secondary schools
with less than 600 pupils. Schools should use this to support
the proportionately higher cost of administrative staff, supply
cover and other support for teachers. A retained element of the
fund is used to help schools develop a programme of innovative
approaches to joint working targeted at improving educational
standards and improving efficiency of management and administration.
3. As part of our first PFI programme we have amalgamated
two small (c. 90 NOR) village primary schools into a one-form
entry brand new "school of the future", situated in
a location which reduces the necessity by many to drive to school.
Many of our small village schools are in old Victorian buildings,
which although they have been modernised do not necessarily lend
themselves to the current curriculum. Some are located outside
of village settlements, along country lanes with no pavements
so many pupils travel by car to schools. We would like to amalgamate
several pairs or even groups of schools, but we do not have the
capital money available to embark on securing sites or going to
consultation. We are also up against this "presumption against
the closure of rural schools", because inevitably amalgamation
means some communities are left without a school in their midst.
Consequently, more children have to travel distances which, although
short in mileage terms, can be long in travel time.
4. We are having increasing problems recruiting Head
teachers to small village schools, knowing that they are inevitably
going to have to be class based. Some vacancies have only attracted
three applications.
5. In September the County Council, together with other
partners (Primary Care Trust, Police, and District Council), held
a major consultation on the Lizard Peninsula. "Listening
to the Lizard" asked residents and those who provide services
on the ground to talk to us about their needs. We do have an interim
report which is now to be the focus of several task groups to
take further some of the issues raised. If DEFRA would be interested,
we are more than happy to share that work.
6. The County Council has recently established a single
issue panel, "Village Services", which is currently
hearing evidence from across the County. That panel is due to
report in June, and again we would be willing to share the findings.
7. We estimate that we will have a small number of schools
falling to an NOR in the low teens within four years. The questions
we are grappling with are;
(a) What is the minimum size for an effective small
school?
(b) Can primary schools of 25 or even 50 and below
really provide the full range of experiences that primary pupils
in the 21st Century should be receiving, however good and committed
the staff are?
(c) Are we maintaining some small primary schools
for the sake of the children or for the sake of the village?
We think these are questions that DEFRA should be asking
too.
13 January 2003
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