Appendix 1
The Swinton High School – Governing Body Consultation Meeting
Monday 13 September 2010, 5.30pm
In Attendance
Nick Page
Jon Stonehouse
Paul Makin
Paul Walker
Mike Hall
Craig Monaghan
Chris Mee
Cathy Starbuck
Helen Nicolle
Fran Wright
Richard Milton
Bernie Tomlinson
Andy Coupe
Kathryn Mildenstein
Paula Flynn
Acting Strategic Director, Children’s
Services
Acting Deputy Director, Children’s
Services
Acting Assistant Director, Children’s
Services
Strategic Director for Sustainable
Regeneration
Lead for Every Child Matters, BSF
Technical Manager, BSF
Group Accountant, BSF/PFI
Advisor for School Improvement
Principal Officer, School Admissions
Senior Officer, School Admissions
Head of Service, MAPAS
Senior Youth Worker, Deans Activity
Centre
LEP
Asset Planning Manager
Asset Planning Officer (Minute taker)
Governors in Attendance
Mr J Biddlestone
Mr J Davies
Mr O Topping
Mrs J Hull
Mr P Naylor
Mr J Ridyard
Mr A Hyde
Mr M Brown
Mr D Robinson
Mrs J Goldie
Mrs V Meredith
Mrs G Hubbard
Headteacher
Community Governor
Community Governor
Community Governor
Parent Governor
Parent Governor
Parent Governor
Staff Governor
Staff Governor
Staff Member
LA Governor
LA Governor
Apologies received from Mr G Harrison, Mrs E Siddall and Mrs P Dalton
Bunker.
Nick Page opened the meeting, thanked the governing body for attending and
introduced the representatives from Children’s Services. Paul Walker,
Strategic Director, Sustainable Regeneration will be chairing the meeting.
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Nick re-iterated the process that the LA had gone through last year and
explained that the proposal had been withdrawn following the decision by the
Independent Adjudicator on the St Georges RC High School proposal. This
led to the LA having to review the whole BSF programme.
The purpose of this meeting therefore is to discuss the revised proposal and
record all view/questions and comments raised which will be reported to
cabinet.
Since halting the proposal last year the LA have been looking at various
options and in particular, how to improve the proposal. The proposal therefore
is to close both Moorside and The Swinton High Schools and replace with a
new 1350 place High School which will accommodate a locality learning
support unit, the Dean’s activity centre and also provide a base for MAPAS.
The site will be enlarged to include the existing site at Moorside High School.
This will ensure the site is big enough for possible future expansion and will
provide more than adequate space for the playing fields. The LA has now also
secured funding to re-build Moorside Primary School and the proposal is to
build this alongside the new high school.
The chair of governors explained that the governors had a set of questions
that they wish to raise during the meeting.
Questions and Answers
Q. Is there any reason why the field at Mossfield could not be used?
A. The site would be too small; it’s actually 1/3 less than what we need in
order to meet statutory requirements. In addition we would also have to
undertake a lot of work on the site in order to clear any abnormalities which
are currently part of the site including contamination. We also have to look at
where pupils reside in order to try and find the most central location. .
Q. BSF is a real opportunity to build on community cohesion and location is
important. The Swinton High School is a success due to the headteacher,
staff and governors and also due to its location – in the heart of the
community. BSF offers the opportunity to do something a little bit different and
the use of destructor road would be ideal. In turn it would also do something
for the community, yet with this proposal this will be lost and we will be left
with a void and a missed-opportunity for the area and the future.
A. In terms of the size required for a 1350 place school, this site is too small.
Q. Could you not include the primary school site, the footpath at destructor
road and the allotments.? This would benefit both the community and the LA.
A. We have looked at the allotments previously, but they are heavily
protected. It would be really difficult to relocate them and it would also be
costly.
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Comment- You need to think out of the box and also look at the needs of the
community. This opportunity could restart the regeneration of the area.
Q. During the previous consultation you gave assurances that the primary age
pupils residing in the Clifton area would be given a priority place at the new
school and we need this commitment again. Whilst we have been given this
commitment previously and it was documented in previous minutes, I
understand that those parents sending their children to Moorside High School
have been told that they don’t need to worry about obtaining a place due to
where the lived. How can you accommodate these two commitments?
A. Our commitment to this is rock solid .The decision about widening the
catchment area to include those pupils that live in the Clifton was made very
early on. Since re-introducing this proposal we have undertaken a further
exercise to check that the school will be the right size. This exercise actually
identified that (excluding those pupils that attend a roman catholic school)
1350 children live within a mile radius of the new site (including the ring
fenced area in Clifton). This indicates that we need at least a 1350 place
school in the area.
Q. In 1988 the Swinton area had 3 High Schools - Moorside, Wardley and
Pendlebury. Two of these schools then merged and a consequence the
community of Swinton received a raw deal. You are now looking at selling this
proposal to the people of Swinton and I find this an issue of great concern.
A. Quite a high number of pupils who attend either Moorside or The Swinton
High Schools actually reside out of the area. In terms of the site, we feel that it
is the right site based on the size, the location and the future flexibility of the
site.
Comment – The pupils travel because there are two successful schools in the
area. We attract people from all over the city and that’s down to parental
choice.
Q. I live 100 yards from Walkden High School but my daughter wanted to
attend a school with performing arts so we chose The Swinton. How can you
factor in those pupils who want to travel to a school out of their area?
A. Knowing where parents may chose to send their children is difficult. With
regards to this proposal, the area we have examined goes right to the
motorway, therefore the opportunity for parental choice is quite large.
Q. But by having a specialist school you will automatically get people who are
prepared to travel.
A. The admissions criteria has a caveat allowing the selection of 10% pupils
wanting to attend the school due to its specialism. The big issue we have as
an LA is that we have to plan places for the city as a whole. In future we will
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have to commission on a supply agenda rather than on a demand agenda.
Gone are the days where we could provide a local school for local people.
Q. The Wardley site has not been offered as an option for us even though we
have asked about this site previously. Why therefore has St Ambrose Barlow
been offered this when it means that they will have to move North West. We
were also told previously that there was a covenant on this site.
A. In terms of the location of this site it is on the fringe of the community,
therefore needed something more central.
Q. I would be interested to know the catchment area for St Ambrose Barlow
pupils.
A. You tend to find that parents who wish for their child to attend a RC school
are prepared to travel. In terms of the current St Ambrose Barlow site, it is not
big enough to house the sixth form and therefore we had to find an alternative
and suitable site.
Q. We were not offered the site due to the covenant, why does this not apply
to St Ambrose Barlow?
A. The original reason was due to the land being classed as green belt, I don’t
actually recall it being anything to do with a covenant. The original plan for St
Ambrose Barlow was for a refurbishment and therefore we didn’t need to look
for an alternative site. However in order to accommodate the sixth form a
larger site was needed.
We have been required to approach planning and make a special case for the
site to be used for a school but The Secretary of State could still call this in
and refuse our request. We have no alternative site for St Ambrose Barlow.
Q. How large is the proposed St Ambrose Barlow?
A. 1050 Places.
Q. Is this with or without the sixth form?
A. With the sixth form.
Q. What is the educational benefit for closing two successful and financially
viable schools? We have undertaken a survey with parents/carers and pupils
form various year groups on the amalgamation and would like to share the
following summary:
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Year 7 parent/carers
146 parent/carers have responded to the survey, which is 89% of the whole
year group
 131 parents/carers (approx 80% of the cohort and nearly 90% of the
stakeholders that responded) oppose the proposed closure and
amalgamation of The Swinton High School.
Year 9 parents/carers
Out of 203 parent/carers asked, 192 (94.5% of the year group) expressed an
opinion.
 11% stated they supported the amalgamation
 89% stated they were opposed to amalgamation
In addition to the above we have also surveyed all pupils within the school
and at least 80% are opposed to the closure.
A. The LA fully understands your argument and I agree this is a very good
school but the LA is clear that putting together two successful schools can
achieve more and we believe there is enough momentum with both
communities to make this a once in a life time opportunity to work. It would
take a vast amount of money to retain this building.
Comment - But in context, do you fully understand the impact?
Q. The new school is for 1350 pupils yet there will be approx 1600 pupils
when the new school opens. Where will these additional children be
educated?
A. The proposed replacement Moorside Primary school building will be used
to accommodate the additional pupils.
Q. In July staff rejected this proposal, yet you are still going ahead.
A. We have looked at a number of options and based on the location,
accessibility, size, number of pupils etc this is the best option.
Q. Could you not look at merging Moorside and Wentworth High Schools for
example?
A. Cost wouldn’t allow this.
Q. How much consideration will be given to the views of staff, the community
and parents/carers?
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A. This is a consultation process and any comments/views
submitted/recorded during the process will form part of the cabinet report
which cabinet will use to make the decision whether to publish a competition
notice. PFS also have to sign off the proposal in terms of best value for tax
payers.
Q. Very concerned about the distance that pupils form the Clifton area will be
expected to travel and the additional cost that will be incurred.
A. The proposed new school site is 1 ½ miles from the top end of Clifton.
Government guidance stipulates that children need to be more than 3 miles
away to qualify for any travel refund. We need to look at a way to encourage
parents/pupils to use greener travel i.e. bike parks, walking buses etc
Comment - There is already a lot of traffic/congestion in the area, I wouldn’t
want my child cycling to school.
Q. You state the proposed new school will be open to the community. How
will they access it at evenings, who would pay the caretaker for the additional
hours worked?
A. Nothing would be charged to the school budget. As the proposed school is
a PFI school there would be a charge for use outside normal schools
hours/community use.
Prior to the meeting ending, the chair of governors asked if she could
conclude with the following:
 7 July – By an overwhelming majority, the governing body and staff from
The Swinton High School opposed the plans for current proposal.
 Since Oct 2006 the school has exceeded targets and have been awarded
a status for the most improved school in the north west (one of only 23
schools) .
 We have Improved attendance.
 We have never been in deficit.
Surely the LA should be relying on schools like ours. We therefore want to
request that the LA go back to the drawing board and give us our own school.
Reconsider your plans and give the young people of this area what they need
and deserve.
Nick thanked the governors for attending and their input. The meeting ended
at 7pm