Julia Ridge Strategic Manager - Early Years & School Commissioning 11 February 2014

1. Consultation on the proposed age range changes at All Saints C of E VC First School, Dulverton and Dulverton Middle & Community School Julia Ridge Strategic Manager - Early Years & School Commissioning 11 February 2014

2. Welcome to the consultation on changing the age range of the schools in Dulverton Agenda • Welcome and introductions – Peter Lewis Director of Children’s Services • Presentation from Julia Ridge Strategic Manager – Schools & Early Years Commissioning • Questions from the floor • Summary of issues raised • Next steps

3. Background The Exmoor Federation is made up of Dulverton Middle & Community School, All Saints CE VC First School (Dulverton) and Exford CE VC First School and was formed in 2007 following a review of education which recognised the importance of the communities on Exmoor and the importance of schools working together. The schools share the same Head Teacher and Governing Body. On the site of All Saints CE VC First School there is also a Nursery and Children’s Centre. Dulverton Middle & Community School provides community facilities including an outdoor pool, teaching kitchen, multi-use games area (MUGA), school hall and an Elliott building.

4. Background • Exford CE VC First School has 28 pupils aged 4 to 9. Capacity 60 pupils. Rated by Ofsted as Good in June 2013. Cost per pupil = £6796 (national median = £4329). • All Saints CE VC First School has 123 pupils aged 4 to 9. Capacity 120 pupils. Rated by Ofsted as Requires Improvement in 2012;current HMI monitoring inspections have been positive. Cost per pupil = £4626 (national median = £4329). • Dulverton Middle & Community School has 96 pupils aged 9 to 13. Capacity 164 pupils. It is rated by Ofsted as Good. • Cost per pupil = £7764 (national median = £4761). • Pupils feed into the West Somerset College in Minehead at Year 9. The College also takes pupils from Minehead Middle and Danesfield Middle schools.

5. Drivers for change Dulverton Middle School is a small school Sustainable funding Ensuring high standards for the young people of Exmoor Ensuring the breadth of opportunities for the young people of Exmoor Choice for parents

6. What is the role of the Local Authority? Somerset County Council maintains the three schools in the Exmoor Federation - Exford First School, All Saints First School, Dulverton and Dulverton Middle School. Somerset County Council has a duty to: • Commission sufficient good quality school places • Support schools who become unviable There is no longer a duty to reduce surplus places. The Governors of the Exmoor Federation: • Asked the Local Authority in June 2013 to test the Governors’ conclusions and investigate the wider consequences • Formally consult on changing the age range of All Saints First School and Dulverton Middle School

7. What is Somerset County Council doing? Somerset County Council and the Governors of the Exmoor Federation recognise that: • Exmoor is a small community with very few community facilities • Dulverton and Exmoor are unique communities and we owe them the respect to take care, understanding the consequences of decisions • Young people have a right to good and outstanding education

8. The LA has looked at the following issues: • Pupil numbers • Funding • The effects on standards • The transport implications • The effect on other schools • The Key Stage 3 offers

9. Pupil Numbers & Forecasts

10. In the national context: • A secondary school needs at least 600 pupils to be able to afford a viable curriculum • The DfE believes that a primary school of less than 150 pupils is ‘small’ • The DfE recognises the need for ‘necessary rural schools’

11. Pupil Number & Forecasts Conclusion Dulverton Middle School has the largest catchment for a middle school in the country Pupil numbers rise slightly but not significantly enough to change the position

12. Funding Somerset has traditionally supported small rural schools by providing a large lump sum regardless of the number of pupils The DfE is moving to a national funding formula based on pupil numbers The DfE has this year agreed to additional funding for schools which supports areas of sparse population

13. Funding

14. Standards There has been an Ofsted inspection of Exford First and Dulverton Middle Schools and both are judged ‘Good’. The West Somerset College is judged ‘Good’ but has identified that standards need to be raised and is aiming to work closely with its feeder schools to improve collaboration, especially around KS3.

15. Key Stage 2 results for West Somerset Middle Schools

16. Key Stage 2 results for West Somerset Middle Schools

17. Somerset Middle Schools KS2 Results: percentage of pupils at Level 4 or above in reading, writing & maths

18. Key Stage 4

19. Results based on size of school(Somerset)

21. Results – percentage of students gaining 5+ A*-C GCSEs including English & maths

22. The National Curriculum and transitions

23. Standards - summary The three tier system is working in some areas The current results and progress made of all the West Somerset Middle Schools are not at the county or national level The West Somerset College has three years to support students from the middle schools Kingsmead School in Wiveliscombe has the strongest GCSE results The national curriculum and national funding is based around four key stages with transfer at the end of Years 2, 6 and 9

24. Transport The LA has a legal duty to provide transport to the nearest school to their home. Somerset also provides transport to the catchment school, which may not be the nearest. Transport is managed to ensure pupils are protected from bullying or anti-social behaviour. Transport restricts the opportunity for after-school clubs.

25. Map showing the nearest secondary schools for Dulverton pupils

27. Transport - summary South Molton is the nearest school for all the community. There is significant travelling for most of the students. All pupils have a legal entitlement to transport to their nearest school Somerset County Council additionally funds for transport to pupils’ catchment school

28. Options Investigated Five options: Partnership options: keep KS3 Yrs 7&8 at Dulverton Middle School and work in partnership in a Co-operative Trust or Multi-Academy Trust. Move to Infants and Junior schools at Dulverton with KS3 at either West Somerset College, South Molton, Kingsmead or Tiverton. Move to Primary at Dulverton with KS3 at either West Somerset College, South Molton, Kingsmead or Tiverton. Exford Move to Primary. Remain as a First school with pupils moving to Minehead Middle or Dulverton Junior.

29. Partnerships Currently West Somerset College is providing staff to Dulverton Middle School which is working well but needs to be on a sustainable basis. To maintain KS3 (Yrs 7&8) other schools in the partnership will have to help fund the curriculum. To create strong partnerships all parties must invest time.

30. Partnerships explored Co-operative Trust: Tiverton High School (very enthusiastic) West Somerset College (& possibly Danesfield, Williton) (enthusiastic) Minehead Middle (offer of help) Partnerships were supported by the Education Funding Agency (EFA) and supported in principle by the local clergy Multi-Academy Trust West Somerset College (keen) Kingsmead Minehead Middle (offer of help) Dulverton Middle School would need to persuade the EFA that it was a viable school to become an academy

31. Conclusion of partnership working There is a willingness to work together. The degree of funding required is more than the budget available – it is doubtful the other schools / academies can support this in the longer term in an informal way. A multi-academy trust is a formal amalgamation and gives control to the Academy Board. Potential loss of local and democratic influence.

32. Infants & Juniors Not normally supported in Somerset as it is important that there is the same Head and Governors. Exmoor Federation has same Head and Governors. Extra lump sum approx £80K for second school which would help run the Dulverton Middle School building. Keeps two school buildings and facilities for community. Allows growth of Early Years sector. Schools could become part of the Wiveliscombe Learning Partnership. Some capital investment required to remodel the sites.

33. Financially • Somerset has a number of Infants & Junior schools School Pupils Income Expenditure £ 2013-14 £ 2013-14 South Petherton Infants 95 4479 4389 Bowlish Infants 110 3967 4054 Dulverton Infants 75 4359 South Petherton Junior 119 3738 3517 Dulverton Junior 97 4032 All Saints First 127 4627 4273 Exford First 26 6796 7004

34. Primary No advantages for Exmoor Federation over Infants and Junior as less funding and a need for capital investment.

35. Key Stage 3 offers Minehead Middle: very keen to support but challenged by standards; parents concerned about the distance to travel at 11. West Somerset College: currently unable to offer places at 11; parents concerned about the distance to travel at 11. Large age range 11-18. Small cohort for 11-13 years in large College. Offer not supported by the consultation (750 responses, 89% against, responses predominantly from Minehead area)

36. Key Stage 3 offers Tiverton High: parents concerned too far to travel for many; nearest school for some and they would be entitled to free transport. South Molton: overall nearest school for the whole community but full. Kingsmead: nearest school for some but concern about the distance to travel from Exford and Simonsbath; changes to the catchment could be facilitated. The Wiveliscombe Learning Partnership would use the Exmoor Curriculum, particularly for the collapsed curriculum days. Kingsmead is an 11-16 school so there are no post-16 students on the site. Most of the pupils at Kingsmead are bussed in from rural areas. These options do not require any changes to the structures within the wider West Somerset education system.

37. Key Stage 3 - summary Kingsmead should be asked to provide education at 11 for Years 7 & 8 from Dulverton; extending its catchment to include the full Dlverton Middle catchment.

38. Recommendation Dulverton First to become an infant school. Dulverton Middle to become an junior school. Kingsmead School is asked to amend its Admissions over-subscription criteria to give priority to give priority to the Exford and Dulverton catchments at 11 from September 2015 (also Yr 8 to transfer in September 2015). It is also recognised that the community will have access to free transport to their nearest school.

39. Exford CE VC First: move to primary school This was not favoured as: Year groups too small Classes would have too large an age range Pupils would have too large a move to a very large secondary school at the age of 11 However, there was concern that they would be isolated if they didn’t act in line with Dulverton schools

40. Exford: remains as a first school This is supported. The choices at age 9 would depend on where families lived and are likely to be : Minehead Middle to West Somerset College Dulverton Junior to Kingsmead Dulverton Junior to South Molton To avoid isolation Exford First School could consider federating with Cutcombe & Timberscombe or other schools. This would be supported by the Church. Families may look to North Molton Primary and on to South Molton Community College

41. Final recommendations All Saints CE VC First becomes an Infants School taking age 0-7 and Dulverton Middle becomes a Junior School taking age 7-11. Kingsmead School is asked to amend its Admissions over-subscription criteria to give priority to give priority to the Exford and Dulverton catchments at 11 from September 2015 (also Year 7 & 8 to transfer in September 2015). It is also recognised that the community will have access to free transport to their nearest school. Exford CE VC First remains as a first school The choices at age 9 would depend on where families lived and are likely to be : Minehead Middle to West Somerset College Dulverton Junior to Kingsmead Dulverton Junior to South Molton To avoid isolation Exford First School could consider federating with Cutcombe & Timberscombe. This would be supported by the Church.

42. What would this mean? Admissions • Year 6s leaving in July 2015 (who will be Year 7 in September 2015) will be treated as primary school pupils transferring to a secondary school. Parents and their children will decide which is their preferred school; knowing that they have a legal right to free transport to their nearest school and also Kingsmead School in Wiveliscombe • The Year 7s in July 2015 will have been provided with a special application form to apply to secondary provision to transfer in September 2015 as Year 8s. Parents will decide which is their preferred school, knowing that they have a legal right to free transport to their nearest school and also Kingsmead School in Wiveliscombe. • The Year 8s may wish to have the same opportunities as their younger siblings or younger friends. West Somerset is the catchment school and there is free transport. However parents may rather look to their nearest school knowing that they have a legal right to free transport, and Kingsmead School in Wiveliscombe will have buses.

43. What would this mean Transport • All pupils are legally entitled to free transport to the school nearest to their home address, as long as the distance between their home address and their chosen school is more than 3 miles. • In addition, as Kingsmead School in Wiveliscombe will include Dulverton in its catchment, free transport will be provided to Kingsmead School for pupils living in the current Dulverton Middle School catchment, for the duration of their secondary education at Kingsmead. This is because in Somerset, transport is provided to the nearest school or the catchment school, provided the home address is more than 3 miles away.

44. What would this mean Activity on the school site • There will still be approximately 170 pupils going to the site. There will be more space for community use.

45. Our sincere thanks to: The staff and Governors of the Exmoor Federation Malcolm Barton, Diocese of Bath & Wells Dave Gurnett, Education Manager, Exmoor National Park Ian Bradbury, Head Teacher, Danesfield Middle School, Williton Paul Rushforth, Head Teacher & Geoff Lloyd, CoG, Minehead Middle School Mark Griffin, Principal, Kingsmead Academy, Wiveliscombe Andrew Lovett, Principal, Tiverton High School (part of Tiverton Co-operative Learning Partnership) Gaynor Comber, Principal, West Somerset College, Minehead Jenny Glover, Principal, South Molton Community College James Fisher Principal, Petroc, Tiverton Tim Taylor, Leader WSDC All SCC elected members for West Somerset West Somerset clergy