Agenda item - Notice of Motion - Moulsecoomb Primary School - Survey of Parental Views

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Agenda item

Notice of Motion - Moulsecoomb Primary School - Survey of Parental Views

Report of the Executive Director Families, Children and Learning (copy attached)

Decision:

RESOLVED (1) That the Committee does not pursue a further ballot of parents and carers of children at Moulsecoomb Primary School; and

 

(2) That the Committee note that the Department for Education have announced the appointment of Pioneer Academy Trust as the sponsor for the school.

Minutes:

7.1      The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director Families, Children and Learning prepared in response to the Notice of Motion put at and referred from Council on 25 March 2021 requesting that a special meeting of the Committee be held in order to consider the need to conduct a further urgent ballot of parents and carers of children at Moulsecoomb Primary School on whether they were in favour or opposed to the forced conversion of the school to an academy trust selected by the Regional Schools Commissioner.

 

7.2      It had not been possible to hold a special meeting of the Committee during the pre-election period and this matter was therefore being considered at the first Children, Young People and Skills (CYP&S) Committee meeting since the elections held on 6 May 2021. The report recommended that the Committee did not facilitate the holding of a further ballot by the school for the reasons set out in the report.

 

7.3      Councillor O’Quinn referred to comments conveyed to her by Councillor Grimshaw a fellow Committee member in whose ward the school was situated. Parents of children attending the school and living in the area had made their views very clear, with 93 of them had stated that they would remove children should a forced academisation of the school take place. On that basis she did not consider a new/further ballot was necessary.

 

7.4      Councillor Brown considered that it would be beneficial to have a period of calm which would enable the school governing body to focus on taking the steps it considered were appropriate to represent the community and the best interests of the school under the Academy Order.

 

7.5      The Chair, Councillor Clare stated that the council would continue to support and provide support and guidance to the school as necessary. However, the appointment of the sponsor by the Department for Education and logistics of holding a further ballot during the pandemic and potential negative impact outweighed any possible benefits of holding a further ballot.

 

7.6      A vote was taken non each of the recommendations in turn.

 

7.7      RESOLVED - (1) That the Committee does not pursue a further ballot of parents and carers of children at Moulsecoomb Primary School; and

 

(2) That the Committee note that the Department for Education have announced the appointment of Pioneer Academy Trust as the sponsor for the school.

 

Note: Councillor O’Quinn abstained from voting  in respect of (1) above.

Supporting documents:

 


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