Formal Consultation on the Proposal to Federate Heavers Farm Primary School and Selsdon Primary School

Proposal to Federate Heavers Farm Primary School and Selsdon Primary School

The Governing Bodies of Heavers Farm Primary School and Selsdon Primary School have each agreed to propose that the two schools form a Governing Body federation subject to the results of this consultation, and are now seeking comments on this proposal.

What will this mean for the schools?

There are lots of things that won’t change. Susan Papas will become permanent in her role as overall Executive Headteacher with Andrea Cousins continuing as Head of School of Heavers Farm and Jo Read continuing as Head of School of Selsdon.

The leadership teams at both schools will overlap in some areas but both schools will maintain their unique characters.  They will have separate Department for Education numbers, their own Ofsted inspections and separate budgets.  There will be no change of name for either school.  In time, pupils will benefit from teachers and other staff who may work across both schools.

We see federation as giving pupils a number of benefits.

• There will be increased opportunities for sharing expertise between schools – this will further strengthen teaching and learning and subsequently improves pupil progress.

• It helps secure the financial future of both schools by sharing resources, for example equipment and staff.

• Staff’s professional development, career progression and retention across the federation will be enhanced.

• Staff in both schools will share ideas, planning and good practice to provide a rich and informed curriculum.

• Pupils will be able to receive a greater range of experiences such as trips, visits and residentials allowing them to develop wider friendship groups, especially as they move towards secondary school.

• Both schools will plan to sustain high quality leadership into the future.

• Both schools will have greater resilience to unforeseen problems that may develop during the year (such as an unexpected long-term illness of a key member of staff).

• A combined governing body will provide strategic leadership for the federation by drawing on experiences from both schools, utilising governors’ expertise and skills for the federation’s best interest.

What does this mean for staff?

Each school would continue to employ its own staff although, in time, some staff may be appointed to work across both schools.  There are no redundancies or job losses which arise out of the proposal to federate.

Heavers Farm is a Local Authority community school and its staff are employed by Croydon Local Authority.  There would be no change for these staff.

Selsdon staff are employed by the governing body of Selsdon Primary School.  After federation these staff would be employed, under the same terms and conditions, by the Federation governing body.  We will consult the recognised trade unions separately about this proposal.

How will governance change?

In the future the overall governance of both schools will be undertaken by one federated governing body; we believe this will provide added benefits to the children in both schools.

The name of the federation would be The Federation of Heavers Farm and Selsdon Primary Schools.  The date of the federation would be 1st September 2014.  On that date the current governing bodies of Heavers Farm Primary School and Selsdon Primary school would both cease to exist and a new governing body of the Federation of Heavers Farm and Selsdon Primary Schools would be incorporated.

It is proposed that the new governing body would have 15 governors of the following categories:

2 Parent Governors: 1 from each school

1 Staff Governor

1  Executive Headteacher

1 Local Authority Governor

2 Partnership Governors appointed by the Selsdon Foundation

8 Co-opted Governors.

It is expected that the new Governing Body would use its powers of co-option to ensure that there were an additional 2 parent governors making 2 from each school and an additional staff governor making one from each school.   It is hoped that, where possible, the current governors of Heavers Farm and Selsdon would sit on the new federation governing body either as Governors or as Associates. However, whilst the governing body will try to ensure a balance of perspectives from each school, it will appoint on the basis of the skills needed in order to improve school performance.  Parent and staff governors would need to stand for re-election.

What about admissions?

Croydon Local Authority would remain as the admission authority for Heavers Farm Primary School.  The Federation’s governing body would become the admission authority for Selsdon Primary School.  No changes to admission criteria are proposed.

You are invited to a meeting where you can ask questions about any of these proposals.  Meetings are being held at:

Selsdon Primary School on 10^th June 2014 at 6.00pm and

Heavers Farm Primary School on 12^th June 2014 at 6.00pm.

Any interested person is welcome to attend either meeting.

Comments on these proposals are invited.  You should send comments to arrive by noon on Monday 14th July as follows:

Liz Parry

Governance Manager and Clerk to the Proposed Federation

c/o Heavers Farm Primary School

58, Dinsdale Gardens,

London

SE25 6LT

office@heaversfarm.croydon.sch.uk

or to

Liz Parry

Governance Manager and Clerk to the Proposed Federation

c/o Selsdon Primary School

Addington Road,
South Croydon,
Surrey
CR2 8LQ

admin@selsdonprimary.org.uk

Proposal to Federate Heavers Farm Primary School and Selsdon Primary School

This letter will be distributed to:

• Bourne Trust
• Secretary of State
• Sylvia McNamara, Director for Learning, School Improvement & Inclusion,London Borough of Croydon
• The Headteacher of each school
• The Head of School of each school
• The Foundation Governors of Selsdon Primary School
• All staff (teaching and non-teaching) employed to work at Heavers Farm or Selsdon Primary Schools
• Every person known to be a parent or carer of any registered pupil at Heavers Farm and  Selsdon Primary Schools
• Each trade union recognised by Croydon LA
• Each councillor for the wards including Heavers Farm and Selsdon Primary Schools
• Each MP whose constituency includes Heavers Farm or Selsdon Primary School