PROPOSAL TO DISCONTINUE FURNESS SCHOOL

In accordance with section 15(1) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 that Kent County Council intends to discontinue Furness School, Rowhill Road, Hextable, Kent, BR8 7RP.
Related to the proposal to discontinue Furness School, is a proposal to re-designate Broomhill Bank School to enable the establishment of a satellite provision on the Furness School site. This proposal would require an expansion of the Broomhill Bank provision to create 74 places for students with ASD, with up to 24 places being residential.
The Education and Young People's Services Cabinet Committee met Wednesday, 15th April 2015. Following the meeting, Mr Roger Gough, the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform decided to:
  1. Issue a public notice to discontinue Furness School,
  1. Subject to no objections not already considered, implement the proposal to close the School with effect from 31 August 2015,
  1. Initiate the statutory consultation proposal process to establish a satellite provision of Broomhill Bank School on the Furness site from 1 September 2015.

Contact details

1. The name of the LA or governing body publishing the proposals, and acontact address, and the name of the school it is proposed that should bediscontinued.

Furness School, Rowhill Road, Hextable, Kent,BR8 7RP
Kent County Council, County Hall, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1XQ.
Contact Address: North Kent Education Office, Worrall House, Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, Kent, ME19 4AE.

Implementation

2. The date when it is planned that the proposals will be implemented, or,where the proposals are to be implemented in stages, information about eachstage and the date on which each stage is planned to be implemented.

31 August 2015

Consultation

3. A statement to the effect that all applicable statutory requirements toconsult in relation to the proposals were complied with.

All statutory consultees and other interested parties have been consulted in accordance with Section 16 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, and the Secretary of State’s guidance.

4. Evidence of the consultation before the proposals were publishedincluding:

a) a list of persons and/or parties who were consulted;

b) minutes of all public consultation meetings;

c) the views of the persons consulted; and

d) copies of all consultation documents and a statement of how thesewere made available.

Kent County Council undertook a consultation on the future of Furness School From 4 Feb 2015 to 25 Mar 2015. A copy of the consultation documentation can be found at
(a)A list of those consulted in accordance with agreed Kent County Council policy and The School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2007 (as amended).
(i)The Interim Executive Board of the school
(ii)Students and their families
(iii)teachers and other staff at the school
(iv)Primary & Secondary schools in the locality
(vi)Trade unions
(vii)Kent County Council local Members whose division is in the District
(viii)Parish or Town Councils where known
(ix)The Dioceses of Rochester and Southwark
(x)The District Council
(xi)The Member of Parliament
(b) & (c)Summaries of the public consultation meetingsand written responses can be found at
(d)The statutory consultation requirements, as prescribed by the School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2007 (as amended) have been complied with.
(e)A copy of the consultation document can be found at the link above. Hard copies of the document were circulated by the school to families of children registered at the school, members of all staff and the Interim Executive Board.

Objectives

5. The objectives of the proposal.

(a)Kent County Council has published a statutory Public Notice to seek objections on a proposal to discontinue Furness School by 31 August 2015. This is due to three factors:
(i)Financial viability with the school projecting a cumulative deficit at the end of the 2014/15 financial year, of £1.6 million.
(ii)Despite increased numbers of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Furness School is not a popular choice with parents. Indications are that low numbers of students will continue if the school remains open in it’s present form.
(iii)The OFSTED inspection in December 2013 judged Furness School to be ‘Requiring Improvement’. During 2014, there were three progress reviewvisits, all judging the school to still be requiring improvement
(b)Related to the proposal to discontinue Furness School, is a proposal to re-designate Broomhill Bank School to enable the establishment of a satellite provision on the Furness School site. This proposal would require an expansion of the Broomhill Bank provision to create 74 places with up to 24 being residential places for students with ASD.

Standards and Diversity

6. Statement and supporting evidence indicating how the proposals willimpact on the standards, diversity and quality of education in the area.

An Equality Impact Assessment was published on 3rd February 2015. Following feedback from stakeholders, including parents, staff and students; a revised Equality Impact Assessment was published on 18th March 2015.

Provision for 16-19 year olds

7. Where the school proposed to be discontinued provides sixth formeducation, how the proposals will impact on:

a) the educational or training achievements;

b) participation in education or training; and

c) the range of educational or training opportunities,for 16-19 year olds in the area.

There is currently no sixth form provision at Furness School. The decision on whether sixth form level education will be established will be a matter for the governing body of Broomhill Bank School.

Need for places

8. A statement and supporting evidence about the need for places in thearea including whether there is sufficient capacity to accommodate displacedstudents.

Kent County Council recognises that there is a clear need for more places for students with ASD or Speech and language needs.
The consultation sought to ensure that the discontinuance of Furness School would not result in a net loss of places, referring to the introduction of two new Specialist Resource Based Provisions (SRBP) at Hugh Christie in Tonbridge and Wilmington Academy.
Throughout the consultation, significant concern was raised by parents, staff and schools regarding the loss of ASD Special School places, as it is widely recognised that SRBP’s in mainstream schools are not suitable for all students.
In response to these concerns, Kent County Council together with the Kent Association of Special Schools (KASS) and Broomhill Bank School have identified a solution which would see continuity of provision for the students currently attending school on the Furness site
The Specialist Resource Based Provisions (SRBP) at Hugh Christie in Tonbridge and Wilmington Academy are unaffected by the Broomhill Bank expansion.

9. Where the school has a religious character, a statement about theimpact of the proposed closure on the balance of denominational provision inthe area and the impact on parental choice.

Not applicable

Current School Information

10. Information as to the numbers, age range, sex and special educationalneeds of students (distinguishing between boarding and day students) for whomprovision is made at the school.

Furness School is currently designated for 60 Year 7 to 11 students with Higher Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder. There are a smaller number of students with Behavioural, Emotional and Social Needs (BESN) at the school, from the previous designation.
There are also eight boarding students currently at the school.

Displaced Students

11. Details of the schools or FE colleges which students at the school forwhom provision is to be discontinued will be offered places, including:

a) any interim arrangements;

b) where the school included provision that is recognised by the LA asreserved for children with special educational needs, the alternative provisionto be made for students in the school’s reserved provision; and

c) in the case of special schools, alternative provision made by LAs otherthan the authority which maintains the school.

Unless parents and students indicate otherwise, it is anticipated that all current students who would normally be starting the 2015-16 Academic year at the school, will transfer to the roll of the new satellite provision run by Broomhill Bank on 1st September 2015.

12. Details of any other measures proposed to be taken to increase thenumber of school or FE college places available in consequence of theproposed discontinuance.

Not applicable

Impact on the Community

13. A statement and supporting evidence about the impact on the community and any measures proposed to mitigate any adverse impact.

It is anticipated that the proposal will result in a positive impact on the community. Students with ASD will find their needs met in the new provision being established by Broomhill Bank.

14. Details of extended services the school offered and what it is proposedfor these services once the school has discontinued.

All services currently offered at Furness School will continue to be delivered and improved at the new satellite provision of Broomhill Bank.

Travel

15. Details of the length and journeys to alternative provision.

There would be no change in students’ journeys to school, unless parents and students indicate that they wish for a new placement in a different location.

16. The proposed arrangements for travel of displaced students to otherschools including how they will help to work against increased car use.

Home to school transport will be provided in accordance with Kent County Council’s published policies with individual cases being considered on their merits and the needs of individual children and their families.

Related Proposals

17. A statement as to whether in the opinion of the LA or governing body,the proposals are related to any other proposals which may have been, are, orare about to be published.

This proposal is linked to a re-designation of Broomhill Bank School to establish a satellite provision on the Furness site, immediately following the discontinuance of Furness School.

Rural Primary Schools

18. Where proposals relate to a rural primary school designated as such byan order made for the purposes of section 15, a statement that the LA or thegoverning body (as the case may be) considered:

a) the likely effect of discontinuance of the school on the local community;

b) the availability, and likely cost to the LA, of transport to other schools;

c) any increase in the use of motor vehicles which is likely to result fromthe discontinuance of the school, and the likely effects of any such increase;and

d) any alternatives to the discontinuance of the school,as required by section 15(4)

Not applicable.

Maintained nursery schools

19. Where proposals relate to the discontinuance of a maintained nurseryschool, a statement setting out:

a) the consideration that has been given to developing the school into achildren’s centre and the grounds for not doing so;

b) the LA’s assessment of the quality and quantity of alternative provisioncompared to the school proposed to be discontinued and the proposedarrangements to ensure the expertise and specialism continues to beavailable; and

c) theaccessability and convenience of replacement provision for localparents.

Not applicable.

Special educational provision

Where existing provision that is recognised by the LA as reserved forstudents with special educational needs is being discontinued, a statement as tohow the LA or the governing body believes the proposal is likely to lead toimprovements in the standard, quality and/or range of the educationalprovision for these children.

Kent County Council is committed to ensuring that the children and young people with additional needs,continue to receive a high quality of education.