Issue - meetings

To consider the proposals, objections and any comments prior to submission to the School’s Adjudicator.

Ian Bailey, Deputy Director, Business Support and Development introduced the report by informing the SOC that the new school would be located near to Alexandra Palace Station on the border of the East/West within the Haringey Heartlands Area.  The proposal was part of the Haringey Building Schools for the future programme.  Mr Bailey further outlined there was a need for a new secondary school in Haringey.   This was based on rising pupil numbers overall, increasing population, substantial housing development in the borough, rising standards across Haringey in residents choosing Haringey Schools and migration bringing pupils into the Borough through out the year.  A detailed analysis of pupil numbers had been presented in a report to the SOC in July 2006.   Haringey had an increasing number of pupils in primary schools and projections showed that a new school would be required by 2010.

Mr Bailey proceeded to detail the competition:

13.06.06                 Initial consultation. There were 21 responses from the public, 15 for a community school, 2 for a voluntary aided school and 4 expressed no preference.

04.09.06                 Preliminary statutory notice inviting bids for the new school was published and ran for 4 months until 4 January 2007. 

Four proposers came forward.

11.01.07                 Second statutory notice detailing proposals received was published and ran until 21 February 2007.

06.02.07                 Two public meetings were held within the statutory representation period and 110 people attended the second meeting. Written representations had been received from interested parties: 19 for a new community school, 4 in support of Haberdashers Aske’s Trust to establish an Academy, 1 in support of more diverse education provision and 2 expressing discontent over the change of regulations during the process.

09.02.07         New regulations came into force which impacted on the decision making arrangements for the competition.  The regulations provide that the SOC must refer the proposals to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator for a decision if they include a proposal by the Local Authority.

The Committee questioned Mr Bailey on the purchase of the freehold of the land for the school site and how this would be managed if the successful bidder wished to open an Academy.  Mr Bailey advised in response that the Council would enter into a development agreement with the Academy for a 125 year lease and submit a new outline business case to the DfES.

Cllr Harris informed the Committee that the School’s Adjudicator had provided advice to a prospective bidder who subsequently did not submit a bid.  The Committee was concerned and questioned the impartiality of the school’s adjudicator.  Cllr Meehan responded by stating that when he had learned of  this he had written to the Minister, who had then responded by assuring that the School Adjudicator would be independent.  Cllr Meehan further commented that to change the legislation halfway through the process was considered to be unhelpful.

The Committee received a presentation from each of the four bidders outlining their proposal:

• CfBT Educational Trust (CfBT)
• Haberdasher’s Aske’s Hatcham College Trust (HA)
• United Learning Trust (ULT)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28