'No convincing case' for Hurlingham and Chelsea
A report is to be presented to Hammersmith and Fulham Council recommending that they press ahead with the closure of Hurlingham and Chelsea School in the face of local opposition.
The report sets out the main aims for the Council in education which are to increase the number of children educated in the borough's secondary schools to 59% from the current 38% and to enable 70 per cent of 16 year-olds to pass five or more GCSEs at grades A* - C, including English and maths, compared with 49 per cent currently.
Cllr Antony Lillis, cabinet member for community and children's services, said, "Parents have told us in a recent survey that they want a good standard of education for their children and that they are not happy with the current choice of local schools. We have a duty to respond to these concerns by replacing spare capacity at unpopular schools with places in currently oversubscribed schools or new schools that will be attractive to local parents. We have to take a decision in the best interests of all local young people and residents."
Only 90 out of just under 600 Hurlingham and Chelsea parents responded to the consultation, which ended on 4 November, and only 31 primary parents sent in a response. As expected, there has been a strong response from the staff affected by the proposal and pupils.
Cllr Lillis said: "The consultation responses have been carefully considered but do not, in my view, argue a sufficiently convincing case for how the key issues we have highlighted might be addressed differently."
If the cabinet agrees the recommendations in the report, a statutory notice to close Hurlingham and Chelsea School at the end of August 2008 would be published on 30 November and formal objections would be invited up to 12 February 2007. If any objections are received, the School Organisation Committee would meet to decide on the proposal at the end of February 2007.
The cabinet report and background papers, including a summary of the council's survey of parents, the council's secondary schools strategy, Hurlingham and Chelsea School's response to the consultation, the school governors' response and a summary of other consultation responses is available on the council website on this link.
November 27, 2006
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