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COUNTY COUNCILLOR SUSAN CAREY REPLIES

Dear Ed,

Re: Are decisions being made behind closed doors?

The fall in the number of children means that almost all primary schools in the country have empty places.  In Kent there are over 14,000 empty places with about 900 in the Shepway area.  This is a big problem for schools as they are funded per pupil so less pupils means more money is proportionately spent o­n overheads and administration and less o­n education. 

No school o­n its own can solve this problem which is why Kent County Council is reviewing every district in the County.  This is not being done behind closed doors but openly through the Schools Organisation Advisory Board which has already looked at schools in Dover, Sevenoaks, Ashford and Gravesham and started the consultation process.  By closing or merging a few schools we help the remaining schools fill their places. 

The Shepway area is the next o­ne due for review by the Schools Organisation Advisory Board after which there will be a public consultation period of six weeks.  Plans are by no means finalised and this is when parents and the community can have their say.  I have seen proposals changed or dropped as a result of such consultations.  However, the fall in the number of children is so big that if we do not take action every school will suffer. 

What about the new houses being built in our area?  The new homes are in the forecasts but new homes produce very few children.  Every 100 flats produces less than 3 children of primary school age, every 100 2 bedroom house less than 14 and every 3 bedroom house less than 17 children.  We are looking to reduce the number of surplus places but around 5% will be kept to allow for an unexpected upturn in numbers of children.  The inescapable fact is that there are less children this year than last year and that birthrates are at an all time low.

Some people have said this is an ideal time to reduce class sizes.  Smaller class sizes would be welcome but the Government funds education o­n a per child basis.  Less children means less money.  Schools with falling numbers would have to cut their teaching staff not run smaller classes.

A group of 50 headteachers drew up Kent County Council's policy for school organisation called the Primary Strategy and it can be downloaded from the Kent website www.kent.gov.uk This document sets out the principles by which KCC is dealing with the problem of falling numbers.

The Primary Strategy says the ideal size for primary schools is either 210 pupils or 420 as this allows class sizes of 30.  No new school would be designed for less than 100 pupils because small numbers of pupils mean that there often has to be mixed ages in classes and the teaching team is so small that it is destabilising for the school whenever a teacher leaves.  Small schools can be and often are very good but parents should consider the downsides associated with a school of less than 100 pupils when deciding where they want their child to be educated.

In rural areas it is often impractical to have schools of the ideal size and Kent is committed to supporting genuine village schools which serve their immediate area.  Education is about the children not the buildings and a school that is in a village but has no local children is not a genuine village school.

KCC will hold its own public meeting about any school where there is a proposal for closure or merger and this is when parents will be able to have their say.

Susan Carey
Member Elham Valley
Kent County Council