Council Cabinet Votes Once Again to Close Sulivan School
Ignoring recommendations of Education Select Committee
Hammersmith and Fulham Council Cabinet has ignored the recommendations of the Education and Children's Services Select Committee and voted once again to close Sulivan Primary School.
Furious local people, who had tweeted live throughout the meeting on Monday evening at Save Our Sulivan shouted "Shame on you" as the Tory councillors left the room.
The cabinet meeting was arranged after its earlier decision to close the Fulham primary School was overturned by the Education and Children's Services Select Committee at a meeting on February 5.
In a highly unusual move, the committee overturned the decision by majority of seven to six.
The council's cabinet were obliged to review the following recommendation and the papers submitted with it:
The Cabinet recognises the valuable contribution that Sulivan Primary School makes within its community and, in light of the various responses to the borough consultation, recommends:
that Sulivan school remains open and is supported by the local authority until the school becomes self-governing
that the Local Authority continues to support New Kings School on its journey to academy status
that the Local Authority offers its support to Fulham Boys School in finding a suitable alternative site for their school
that the Local Authority notes the significant flaws in the evidence used to make its original decision and in the decision making process as set out in this document
that the Local Authority notes and takes account of the further evidence submitted in this document.
However, the Scrutiny Committee could not force the council to change its decision and accept its recommendations, and the council says the decision made at this second meeting is not subject to call in.
If these plans go ahead, community school Sulivan will be amalgamated with New King's Primary in New King's Road, which is set to become an academy.
The council's proposals state that if the amalgamation were to go ahead, the Fulham Boys' Free School for 800 boys would open on an interim site in September 2014 and move permanently to the vacated Sulivan site in September 2016.
The cost, provided by the Department for Education, of demolishing the current school and building this new secondary school would be £13.5million.
February 10, 2014
