Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member and Officer Decisions
Outcome of the pre-publication proposal to amalgamate Harefield Infant School and Harefield Junior School – Summer 2025
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Chief Officer Decision Notice Page 1 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk Chief Officer Decision Notice For non-key decisions Notice is hereby given that the following Chief Officer Decision has been made, as delegated by the Cabinet/Cabinet Member or under their delegated authority in the Council’s Constitution. 1. NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION Title of decision Outcome of the pre-publication proposal to amalgamate Harefield Infant School and Harefield Junior School – Summer 2025 Name and Title of Chief Officer(s) making the decision Julie Kelly – Corporate Director Children’s Services Directorate Children’s Services Reference No. 1434 Date of decision 16 May 2025 Relevant Ward Harefield Village Details of Decision Taken Decision The Chief Officer agrees to: 1. Review the responses to the Stage one: consultation, proposal to amalgamate Harefield Infant School and Harefield Junior School. 2. Officers progressing to the next stages of the statutory process as per Making significant changes to maintained schools and Opening and closing maintained schools and conducting a formal consultation 3. The publishing of a statutory proposal on the Hillingdon Council website, and a brief notice containing the website address of the full proposal to be published in a local newspaper , as well as a period of representation which would start on the date of publication of the statutory proposal and must last for 4 weeks. Chief Officer Decision Notice Page 2 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk Reason for decision To approve the request to progress to the next stage of the statutory process following stage one consultation proposal to amalgamate Harefield Infant School and Harefield Junior School. This is to formalise the arrangements of the two schools who are currently operating as one school in many aspects . The Chief Officer for Children’s Services has delegated authority to make this decision This stage is a statutory requirement to consult any parties the proposer thinks appropriate before publishing any proposals under section 15. Alternative options considered and rejected The alternative would be that the request is not approved and we do not move onto the next stage of the statutory process to amalgamate the two schools. The risk of not progressing to the formal consultation is the LA would be unable to move forward with the amalgamation, meaning the schools would continue to operate as two separate schools. As part of moving on to stage 2, the LA are looking to provide the detail to stakeholders of the savings the joint primary school could make on their senior staffing structure/ budget to bring it in line with other 2 Form Entry schools. Currently, the combined senior leadership staffing costs for the schools is £448,789. The LA average for a 2 Form Entry school is £216,213. This would provide more context to stakeholders in understanding examples of efficiencies to be made to support the school with their budgeting if amalgamation does move forward. Factors considered A pre-publication consultation was carried out from Monday 17th March to Wednesday 30th April 2025 to gather views on the potential proposal to amalgamate from a range of stakeholders in line with the Department for Education (DfE) guidance. Report Author & Directorate Abi Preston - Director of Education & SEND Gary Binstead – Head of Education & SEND Commissioning Chief Officer Decision Notice Page 3 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk Legal and Finance Comments Finance comments Finance comments are included in attached report. Finance Officer name and Title Ndenko Asong, Strategic Finance Consultant (Interim) Legal Comments There are no legal impediments to the proposed decision. Legal Officer Name and Title Brendan Molloy, Deputy Principal Lawyer, Legal Services Appendices / report attached List here any report / appendices / e.g. tender evaluations or other documentation to be included in support of this decision Opening and Closing maintained schools Making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations’) to maintained schools. Appendix 1 - Hillingdon Infant and Junior Amalgamation Policy – September 2022 Appendix 2 - Harefield Infant School – Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool Appendix 3 - Harefield Junior School – Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool Appendix 4 – Senior Leadership Team Structure 2024/2025 Appendix 5 - Proposal for pre-publication Appendix 6 - Presentation for Question and Answer Sessions Appendix 7 - Academic Research of the benefits of Amalgamation Exempt Classification Report / appendices to be made public and are appended below. Cabinet Member & other Chief Officer consultation Name and Title of any other Chief Officer(s) you have consulted with and as per any delegation. N/A Name and Title of the Cabinet Member you have consulted, and as per any delegation N/A Any conflicts of interest declared by the Chief Officer making this decision N/A Chief Officer Decision Notice Page 4 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk and/or Cabinet Member who is consulted by the officer which relates to the decision - or if dispensation by the CEO was granted to them. Authority for this decision Detail authority from Cabinet or under delegated authority in the Constitution / Officer Scheme of Delegations The Corporate Director for Children’s Services has delegated authority to approve progressing to the next stages of the statutory process on this matter as the Statutory Director for Children’s Services and Education matters. Subject to the outcome of any consultations and their consideration, any future formal decision on the amalgamation of the proposed schools will be taken by either the Cabinet or Cabinet Member portfolio holder of the London Borough of Hillingdon. 2. APPROVAL Formal approval by Chief Officer making the decision Signed Date 16.05.25 Julie Kelly – Corporate Director Children’s Services Chief Officer Decision Notice Page 5 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk 3. SUPPORTING REPORT / INFORMATION FOR THE CHIEF OFFICER SUPPORTING INFORMATION Officers see a range of benefits in combining the existing schools into a new primary school through the statutory amalgamation process, which include: • A consistent approach to the ways in which children are taught and supported, recognising the current strengths of both schools. • Increased opportunities for children in all key stages to come together for pastoral, social and creative activities. • Consistency of parental involvement throughout the primary phase of education by having the ability to foster longer-term relationships with families within one school. • Communication between school and parents will be simplified, especially for parents with children in both schools. It would remove any duplication and ensure a joined- up approach for events, training and other matters. • Removes the need for parents to apply for a place at the Junior School as children would automatically continue their education as part of one Grange Park school. • Increased career development opportunities for staff through the sharing of a wider range of expertise and the possibility to gain experience and an understanding of all Primary Key Stages. • Greater opportunity for cost effectiveness through economies of scale e.g. in purchasing, ensuring the best provision possible for the children; Both Harefield Infant School and Harefield Junior School are community maintained schools located in the Harefield Village ward and were both graded ‘Good’ at their last Ofsted Inspection. Harefield Infant School was inspected in March 2023 and maintained its grade from the full inspection in December 2012, and Harefield Junior School was inspected in October 2023 and improved its grade from “Requires Improvement” from the full inspection in September 2019. Both of these schools are located adjacent to each other and effectively share one site. As they are community maintained schools, this means they are both maintained by Hillingdon Council and the Council owns the buildings and the land. The Local Authority is also responsible for determining the school admission arrangements for both schools. Harefield Infant School and Harefield Junior School have been in a federation since October 2018. This means that, although they are legally two separate schools, they operate as much as possible as one school. There is one federated Governing Board that oversee both schools, one Executive Headteacher, and one Head of School for both schools. The Hillingdon Infant and Junior Amalgamation Policy, September 2022, ( see Appendix 1 ) states that “The London Borough of Hillingdon will require Governing Bodies of all separate infant and junior schools to consider amalgamating their two linked schools when one or more of the following ‘trigger circumstances’ occur, unless there are compelling and overriding reasons” a) A headteacher vacancy arises in either or both schools. Chief Officer Decision Notice Page 6 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk b) Total pupil numbers in either school are 25% or more below the Published Admission Number. c) Ofsted inspection in one of the schools identifies a ‘Requires Improvement’ judgement. d) One or both of the schools cannot set a balanced budget or has financial problems. e) One or both of the schools involved is judged to be a ‘School causing concern’ by the London Borough of Hillingdon. f) One or both schools have PANs or are recruiting at below two forms of entry – making the individual schools relatively small and at risk of becoming unviable within the Hillingdon funding context. g) Other pressures whereby the educational provision would be improved through amalgamation such as provision of SEN support, staff recruitment and retention or issues linked to the buildings. The birth rate in Hillingdon has been steadily declining since 2016, which has impacted primary aged pupil numbers across the Borough. The combined pupils on-roll figures at Harefield Infant and Harefield Junior Schools have decreased over the past 6 Spring census’ as noted in the tables below, and meet the triggers b & f listed above, despite the Published Admission Number (PAN) of the schools being reduced in 2023 / 24. Harefield Infant School Harefield Junior School Proposal The process of amalgamation is a technical process to join 2 schools together and, in order to conduct the process in a legally compliant manner, the Council are required to use appropriate technical language. However, it is important to note that: • No children will be displaced as a result of the proposed amalgamation Chief Officer Decision Notice Page 7 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk • There will not be a change in pupil numbers as a result of the proposed amalgamation • No buildings or property at the school sites will be closed, removed, developed or sold as a result of the proposed amalgamation • Children will continue to be educated at the same site by the same staff The report recommends a move to a formal consultation process through the publication of a statutory notice for the expansion of the age range at Harefield Junior School, and the (technical) closure of Harefield Infant School, to become one school, with the change of name from Harefield Junior School, and Harefield Infant school, to Harefield Primary School, to achieve the amalgamation. Public Sector Equality Duty The council will take due regard to the potential impact of the proposals throughout the formal consultation process and consider whether a full Equality Impact Assessment is required. Financial Implications As detailed in the Schools operational guide: 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK, “where schools amalgamate after 1 April 2025, the new school will receive funding equivalent to the formula funding of the closing schools added together for the appropriate proportion of the year. This means that they receive the combined lump sums for the remainder of the year and 70% of the second lump sum in the following year. Local authorities can apply to provide a second year of protection. This needs to be discussed and agreed with Schools Forum.” The financial implication of the amalgamation of the two schools will be the eventual loss of the lump sum income usually available per school. The school will however, benefit from better economies of scale which will mitigate the impact of this loss. This proposal is not expected to affect the number of teachers or teaching assistants, as staffing levels will continue to be aligned with the number of children enrolled at both schools. A review of resource allocation and deployment as part of the amalgamation will enable the school to mitigate the impact of the loss of one lump sum over time. This can be supported by using the Gov.uk Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool to see how spending compares with similar schools across England (see Appendix 2 for Harefield Infant School and see Appendix 3 for Harefield Junior School) and looking for efficiencies. In addition, a review of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) costs across the Harefield Infant and Junior school s appears to be higher in comparison to similar sized primary schools within the borough as noted in Appendix 4. RESIDENT BENEFIT & CONSULTATION The benefit or impact upon Hillingdon residents, service users and communities? Consultation & Engagement carried out The Local Authority is following statutory guidance set out by the DfE in Opening and closing maintained schools and Making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations’) to maintained schools. This sets out an expectation that interested parties are consulted informally prior to Chief Officer Decision Notice Page 8 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk publication of a statutory proposal and formal consultation, and so a period of informal consultation was carried out between Monday 17th March 2025 and Wednesday 30th April 2025. The end of the consultation was originally the Thursday 17 th April 2025 , however, this was extended to 30th April following feedback during a consultation event with the school and other stakeholders, to provide additional time as a result of the school holidays . A n additional 26 responses were received during this extended period. An informal consultation document ( see Appendix 5) was made available in hard copy and electronic form, that outlined the proposals and relevant background information. Hard copies were made available on request from the Local Authority. This information was sent to the Executive Head and Chair of Governors to share with parents of all children attending both schools on Friday 14 th April 2025 on how to access the consultation document and submit a response. Information about the informal consultation and a survey about the proposals was included on the Hillingdon ‘Have Your Say’ webpage. Three on- line consultation meetings were hosted by Local Authority officers that provided parents/carers, staff, governors and members of the public the opportunity to comment on and ask questions about the proposals. One of these events was reserved for school staff only. A summary of dates and attendees is set out in the table below: Information Session Date Information Session Time Attendees Number of Attendees Tuesday 25th March 2025 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Virtual Public Meeting 40 Wednesday 26th March 2025 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm Virtual Public Meeting 40 Wednesday 26th March 2025 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm Virtual Staff Meeting 7 (Harefield Infant and Juniors schools arranged for many of their staff to join on a single device) Please see Appendix 6 – Information Session Presentation for a copy of the presentation used at the events. Parents, carers, staff, governors and members of the public were also invited to share their views by responding to the consultation by any of the following ways; • completing the on-line consultation form • writing directly to the Council • attending an on-line event Chief Officer Decision Notice Page 9 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk Responses from the consultation process 552 responses were received in total during the consultation period with 549 submitted via the online questionnaire, 2 via email and 1 via post. The responses are summarised below. Online Questionnaire responses are summarised below: • Respondents were asked if they agreed with the proposal • Yes - 14 • No - 534 • Don’t know – 1 • Comments provided by respondents are included in the section below • 471 respondents have confirmed their interest in the proposal as: • A parent/ Carer/guardian – 249 • A local resident – 144 • Prefer not to say – 38 • A staff member – 20 • Other – 20 • 321 respondents stated that they have children under the age of 18 living in their household. • Respondents were invited to state which school(s) their child(ren) currently attend, and the responses from parents or carers with children at Harfield Infant and Junior schools are set out below: • Harefield Junior School – 176 • Harefield Infant School – 146 • Harefield School – 69 144 respondents referenced either the sale of land for housing to generate additional fund s for the council or overcrowding by combining both schools onto the junior school site. The local authority has confirmed that there will be no sale of land and that both the infant and junior school sites would continue to operate as a single school if the proposed amalgamation of the two schools was to proceed. Themes 1. Loss of Funding and Resources • Many respondents are concerned that the amalgamation will lead to a significant reduction in the school's budget, which could negatively impact the quality of education, staffing levels, and extracurricular activities. The local authority acknowledges the concerns about funding and , if the proposed amalgamation progresses, council officers will work closely with the school to identify potential areas where additional efficiencies or savings can be identified. Chief Officer Decision Notice Page 10 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk 2. Impact on Children’s Education and Well-being • There is a strong sentiment that the amalgamation will disrupt the current educational environment, potentially leading to overcrowded classrooms, reduced individual attention for students, and a negative impact on children's mental health and overall well-being. The amalgamation is designed to bring the 2 schools closer together, and encourage shared resources, support, and comm unication amongst other areas. The school buildings will not change, and nor will the teaching staff, therefore, it is not expected that there will be any negative impact on children as a result of this proposal. The admission numbers will remain the same from the amalgamation therefore there will be no impact on numbers of children in classrooms. 3. Community and Historical Significance • Respondents emphasi se the long- standing history and community significance of having separate infant and junior schools. They fear that amalgamation will erode the village's identity and the strong community ties associated with the schools. The local authority recognises the importance of the schools to the community and will work to preserve their historical significance, ensuring that the village's identity remains intact. 4. Safety and Age Appropriateness • Concerns are raised about the safety and appropriateness of mixing younger children (infants) with older children (juniors) in the same school environment. Parents worry about the potential for bullying and the loss of age-specific facilities and support. The school will be expected to implement measures to ensure the safety and age- appropriate support for all students , in line with all other primary schools . This includes creating separate spaces for younger and older children, providing adequate supervision, and maintaining age- specific facilities and programs similar to other primary schools. There is not expected to be any impact on safety as a result of this proposal. 5. Improving Transparency and Building Trust • Many respondents feel that the council has not been transparent about the reasons for the amalgamation and the potential impacts. There is a lack of trust in the council's motives, with some believing the proposal is driven by financial considerations and the potential sale of land rather than educational benefits. The local authority confirms that there will be no sale of land or buildings on the current school sites and that there will be no day-to-day changes for pupils or parents. The Council have been open about the amalgamation policy and shared details of the proposed amalgamation and any financial impact, holding engagement events with the school and other stakeholders to address any questions and provide additional information. An open dialogue will continue if the proposal to amalgamate progresses to a formal stage. 6. Great Efficiencies achieved through amalgamation • Some respondents believe that amalgamating the schools will lead to more efficient use of resources and cost savings. They argue that a single, larger school can benefit Chief Officer Decision Notice Page 11 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk from more shared resources and staff, reducing duplication and lowering operational costs. The Council agree that there is the opportunity for efficiencies and details can be found in Appendix 7. Next steps Subject to Chief Officer approval, the following steps would be taken: • Publication of statutory proposal notice and start of formal consultation • Formal consultation closes • Report presented to Children, Families & Education Select Committee for review • Final decision by Cabinet The above would allow for f urther engagement with the schools, parents and carers, and the wider community to share details of the proposed amalgamation if agreed, to enable Officers to answer any questions and listen to the concerns and comments of all stakeholders and respondents. Cabinet (or the Cabinet Member) would be required to make a decision on this proposal within two months from the end of the formal representation period. CONSULTEE COMMENTS Finance comments As detailed in the Schools operational guide: 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK, ‘where schools amalgamate after 1 April 2025, the new school will receive funding equivalent to the formula funding of the closing schools added together for the appropriate proportion of the year. This means that they receive the combined lump sums for the remainder of the year and 70% of the second lump sum in the following year. Local authorities can apply to provide a second year of protection. This needs to be discussed and agreed with Schools Forum.” The financial implication of the amalgamation of the two schools will be the eventual loss of the lump sum income usually available per school. The school will, however, benefit from better economies of scale which will mitigate the impact of this loss. A review of resource allocation and deployment as part of the amalgamation will also enable the school to mitigate the impact of the loss of one lump sum and gain a net positive from the amalgamation. Legal comments There are no legal impediments to the recommendations within the report. 1 London Borough of Hillingdon Successful, Sustainable, Viable Schools: Infant & Junior Amalgamation Policy Appendix 1 Header London Borough of Hillingdon – Infant & Junior Amalgamation Policy - September 2022.docx 2 London Borough of Hillingdon Amalgamation Policy CONTENTS Introduction 3 The Educational Case for Amalgamation 4 Governance and Leadership 4 Parents Views 4 Financial Implications 5 The Policy 5 Implementation 5 Legislative Framework 6 The Statutory Process 7 Timeline of decisions and process 9 Appendix 1 – Options for addressing surplus primary school places 11 London Councils Place Planning Workshop – December 2021. Header London Borough of Hillingdon – Infant & Junior Amalgamation Policy - September 2022.docx 3 Introduction 1. Hillingdon Council is a Local Authority (LA) with a role as commissioner and champion of parents and children. The LA has a statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient and high-quality school places and wishes to support every school to be successfu l, sustainable, and viable. Hillingdon LA has delegated the majority of budgets and responsibilities to schools and the vast majority of Hillingdon schools provide a high - quality education to their pupils and strive constantly to raise the standard of education. They are committed to working collaboratively with each other and in partnership with all their stakeholders, with a strong focus on developing extended service provision for their local communities. Schools face constant challenges, and all are unique. LA works with them to shape a positive future for all pupils and schools. 2. Many pupils and schools have experienced high movement of pupils since Covid, and across London, primary school rolls have declined in the past few years and many now have some smaller year groups with fewer classes in. This affects how schools manage stability of classes, staffing and budgets and some have to move pupils between classes and teachers within a school year. The movements impact on pupils and constrains work to help them catch up after three years of interrupted schooling. 3. Schools need to be more resilient as r olls are volatile whilst families are still moving homes and jobs, and future roll projections are uncertain. London borough place - planning leads have discussed options to help stabilise schools and manage surplus places and declining primary rolls and a summary table of options is at Appendix 1. Hillingdon is now considering and progressing most of these options to best support schools in their different circumstances. The Education White and Green Papers, March 2022, adds further context and pressure, to improve support and integration of pupils with SEN in mainstream schools and for all schools to consider conversion to academy status, at the same time as budget pressures on schools will continue. 4. Approximately half of Hillingdon’s total 99 schools are maintained by the LA; 1 community nursery school; 29 community primary and 2 special (1 primary and 1 secondary); 10 VA primary, 6 Foundation primary and 2 Foundation Secondary. These include most of the primary schools with the lowest rolls in Hillingdon, and current funding pressures require the LA to review how best to support these schools and prevent further schools becoming unviable educationally or financially. The other half of schools are academies, mostly in small local multi academy trusts (MATs) or standalone, 49 schools in a total of 22 Trusts. 5. Most Hillingdon primary schools are three form entry or larger, and 92% are graded good or outstanding by Ofsted and very popular with parents. There are only 8 one form entry schools, mainly Church of England or Roman Catholic schools. However, there are also ten pairs of Infant and Junior schools and following roll decline 18 (January 2022 Census) of these 20 schools have rolls below 420 pupils, a two form entry primary school, though they are two, three or four form entry. In September 2021 two more pairs of Infant and Junior schools became primary schools after consult ing and deciding to amalgamate. The I nfant and J unior schools are particularly vulnerable to financial and class organisation pressures as they only have three or f our year groups to move teachers around. All are maintained except for two Junior schools th at joined different MATs. In recent years several have had difficulties in recruiting leaders or staff, or have been graded ‘Requires Improvement’ by Ofsted and/or have fallen into deficit, as class sizes have fallen below the viable level (around 25). All of this affects pupil experiences and if Header London Borough of Hillingdon – Infant & Junior Amalgamation Policy - September 2022.docx 4 one school is struggling, some families move pupils out of both schools. 6. Hillingdon LA has now updated its policy on amalgamation of Infant and Junior schools as it considers all-through primary phase schools are more resilient to support all their pupils to learn and achieve across a wide curriculum, with continuity from age 3-11. This should have benefits across the borough: a. all schools more likely to maintain and improve the quality of education b. parents in all areas of the borough continue to be offered a choice of local provision c. public resources are used more efficiently and effectively. 7. This policy draws on the experience of those schools who have recently amalgamated and other LA’s good practice, rooted in supporting educational improvement. Amalgamation will be considered when it is in the best interest s of current and future pupils attending the schools involved, considering local and individual circumstances. In the implementation of this amalgamation policy, the local authority will work from 2022 onwards with governing bodies and other parties to ach ieve combined ‘all -through’ primary schools where and when appropriate. Also, the LA is willing to help broker discussions between one -form entry schools and dioceses about shared Executive Headships and other joint arrangements between groups of two or th ree small schools, who wish to retain their individual status but share costs and expertise. 8. Each Infant and Junior school governing body is asked to discuss this policy and plan their own route towards full amalgamation. For some this may be some years ahead, though others may be pushed by circumstances setting off triggers. Many already have joint committees of the two chairs and heads or have federated to form one governing body in advance of full amalgamation, with one Executive Head or share posts such as SENCO and site manager. 9. This Policy will only be applied to Hillingdon maintained schools for which the LA retains the responsibility for conducting school organisational changes of this nature. Any school that has converted to academy status falls under the remit of the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE) and would not be subject to this policy. However, DfE national policy supports amalgamation. The Educational Case for Amalgamation 10. The creation of all through primary schools brings a number of benefits including: a. The staffing structure is aligned with the National Curriculum Key Stages; there may be separate leaders for Foundation, Key Stages 1 and 2 but there will be coherent planning across the primary phase and shared expertise, giving greater flexibility across and between the Key Stages, to meet the needs of all pupils. b. Separate Infant and Junior schools are disproportionately more likely to be graded Requires Improvement by Ofsted or to have budget deficits. c. More resources spent on pupils in classes and employing specialist staff. A primary school provides strong continuity and progression for children and families in terms of the curriculum and social experience. This is particularly beneficial to pupils with special and additional needs or high abilities. d. All pupils have access to staff expertise and resources such as musical instruments and groups, and sport, gym facilities and playing fields (most Infant schools do not have fields), and to a wider range of wrap-around and extra-curricular activities. e. Better recruitment, succession planning and retention of staff and opportunities for Header London Borough of Hillingdon – Infant & Junior Amalgamation Policy - September 2022.docx 5 staff to learn and develop professionally within schools. All teachers and classroom staff have access to the whole primary curriculum. This supports and informs whole school planning, assessment, pastoral systems, etc, and provides opportunities for wider staff development and experience across the full primary phase. f. Infant and Junior schools are not eligible to apply for leadership schemes such as Teaching School Hubs due to their small size and infrastructure. The DfE rarely recognises Infant schools within funded schemes, such as Covid digital devices. Primary schools receive more support than Infant and Junior schools, which strengthens the argument for the benefit of shared access to resources. g. This would create more three form primary schools and some four form entry - all with more scope to be flexible if some year groups are smaller. This will help schools make the best use of their funding and expertise. Governance and Leadership 11. A single governing body and headteacher can provide strategic governance and vision for all primary key stages and be accountable for outcomes across the school phases, and allocation of resources between them. Currently there are difficulties recruiting governors so a refocus of resources would improve more schools. Parents Views 12. Whilst Infant and Junior schools are popular with parents it was clear by 2021 that separate Infant and Junior schools tend to have more vacancies than all-through primary schools and where there is a local choice the nearby primary school tends to be full and over-subscribed and parents choose to move pupils into them if there are vacancies. This has led to pupils ‘waiting’ for a while until a vacancy occurs, and this is disruptiv e for those pupils and others in their classes. 13. Parents with several children can be irritated by the separate structures, offices and rules applying to their children across the two schools and the differences in policies such as reading, SEN support, behaviour, spelling, homework etc. However, where s eparate schools work closely together, the duplication of structures adds costs. Financial Implications 14. Most of the separate Infant and Junior schools are below 420 pupils, that is two form entry and they lack financial resilience, scope for economies of scale or a wide range of staff expertise. 15. Local authorities are legally constrained in how much they can help schools in difficulty. School Budgets are currently under huge pressure from inflation, high fixed costs and a fall in primary rolls across Lond on due to the impact of the lower birth rate, Brexit and Covid. Separate Infant and Junior schools are more likely than all -through primary schools to have financial pressures, and often the leadership structure and non-teaching costs are disproportionately expensive. The amalgamation of Infant and Junior schools should result in savings being achieved over the first few years, through a rationalisation of resources and economies of scale by combining operations and streamlining the procurement of services. 16. Combined schools sharing the same site are able to maximise the efficiency of their resources, with scope for more expertise to be shared across the school. A combined school staffing structure removes duplication and support functions can be consolidated across the single school, with a positive impact on the budget. 17. Primary pupil numbers are volatile and a combined single school on a site has more resilience to be flexible with allocating staff if year groups different in size, and improve the accommodation and use of the site. Header London Borough of Hillingdon – Infant & Junior Amalgamation Policy - September 2022.docx 6 18. The amalgamation of the sc hools will allow for a pooling of asset related revenue budgets, and the ability to manage property costs over both buildings, which will support a better maintenance regime. The Policy 19. The London Borough of Hillingdon will require Governing Bodies of all separate Infant and Junior schools to consider amalgamating their two linked schools when one or more of the following ‘trigger circumstances’ occur, unless there are compelling and overriding reasons: a) A headteacher vacancy arises in either or both schools. b) Total pupil numbers in either school are 25% or more below the Published Admission Number. c) Ofsted inspection in one of the schools identifies a ‘Requires Improvement’ judgement. d) One or both of the schools cannot set a balanced budget or has financial problems. e) One or both of the schools involved is judged to be a ‘School causing concern’ by the London Borough of Hillingdon. f) One or both schools have PANs or are recruiting at below two forms of entry – making the individual schools relatively small and at risk of becoming unviable within the Hillingdon funding context. g) Other pressures whereby the educational provision would be improved through amalgamation such as provision of SEN support, staff recruitment and retention or issues linked to the buildings. Implementation 20. Discussions, advice, reports, and consultations about school organisation matters will be led by the Head of School Place Planning on behalf of the Director of Education. 21. Progress towards amalgamation will be presumed unless the educational advantages set out in this policy would not be delivered by combining the two schools. Both school Governing Bodies will need to work with the Local Authority to address any concerns and plan the timescale for amalgamation. The London Borough of Hillingdon will conside r using the powers available to it to require amalgamation if there is a pressing case for this and Governing Bodies are not addressing the matters. 22. Newly amalgamated schools retain both lump sums in the year of amalgamation and then get some protection for at least one year (two if Schools Forum and DfE agree) and can choose to plan a longer phasing in of different changes; such as to policies, use of the building or staff structures; in order to maximise benefits and avoid negative disruption to pupils. 23. When considering whether to convert to academy status all governing bodies of separate Infant and Junior schools are urged to consider amalgamation at the same time. The Local Authority will not support separate Infant and Junior conversions as it fails to deliver all the education, social and other benefits to pupils, parents and schools set out above. There are now two lone Infant schools and if they wish to join the Trust of their linked Junior school, this would be supported by the LA. Legislative Framework 24. Amalgamation involves making changes to the organisation of schools and this is governed by statutory processes that are detailed in the Department for Education Header London Borough of Hillingdon – Infant & Junior Amalgamation Policy - September 2022.docx 7 guidance booklet Opening and Closing Maintained Schools . Section 3 of the document specifies that the process for amalgamating a linked Infant and Junior school requi res that one or both schools undergoes a ‘technical’ closure. This requires a formal consultation on proposals led by the LA, working closely with the governing bodies to involve parents, staff, and other stakeholders. 25. In accordance with the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (“the 2006 Act”) the local authority has power to bring forward proposals to make changes to schools. Within these powers there are two routes for the local authority to achieve a combined school: ● To extend the age range and expand the capacity of one school and to discontinue the other school. ● To discontinue both schools and seek proposals for the establishment of an academy school. 26. When it is proposed to amalgamate schools under the terms of this amalgamation policy, the default position of the London Borough of Hillingdon will be to extend the age range and expand the capacity of one school and to discontinue the other school. This approach is adopted to ensure timely processes can be planned a nd to minimise any risk to the continuity of schooling. 27. When the trigger circumstance to amalgamate schools is the resignation of a headteacher, the local authority will usually discontinue the school where the headteacher has resigned and the vacancy occurs. The local authority considers that this provides a c onsistent and objective approach that does not imply any issue of underperformance or of take -over. The local authority will consider each case on an individual basis and consider any specific circumstances. 28. Whichever route is followed to establish the combined school, the governing body of the newly combined school must be representative of the former schools, with experience across Foundation Stage to Key Stage 2. If one school is closed and they do not have already have a federated governing body in place, the governing body of the other school whose age range is extended will reconstitute itself for the combined school to ensure that this representation is achieved. The Statutory Process 29. This section below, from the DfE guidance, sets out the stages of the statutory process. The statutory process below must be followed as set out by DfE in Opening and Closing Maintained Schools. The LA school Place Planning team will lead this for community schools and closely support Foundation schools. Stage 1: Consultation 30. It is a statutory requirement t o consult any parties the proposer thinks are appropriate before publishing proposals under section 10 or 11 for new schools and for section 15 proposals to close a maintained school. 31. The proposer may use the consultation to consider a range of options for the future of a school (e.g. amalgamation, federation, or closure). However, the proposer must then publish specific proposals (see stage two of the statutory process below). It is these specific proposals setting out details of the new school or the school to be closed which can be commented on or objected to during the statutory representation period. 32. It is for the proposer to determine the nature and length of the consultation. It is best practice for consultations to be carried out in term time to allow the maximum number of people to respond. Proposers should have regard to the Cabinet Office guidance on Consultation principles when deciding how to carry out the consultation period. Header London Borough of Hillingdon – Infant & Junior Amalgamation Policy - September 2022.docx 8 Stage 2: Publication 33. The proposer must publish the full proposal on a website along with a statement setting out: • how copies of the proposal may be obtained; • that anybody can object to, or comment on, the proposal; • the date that the representation period ends; and • the address to which objections or comments should be submitted. 34. A brief notice containing the website address of the full proposal must be published in a local newspaper and may also be published in a conspicuous place on the school premises (where any exist), such as at all of the entrances to the school. Stage 3: Representation 35. Proposers of a school closure should consult organisations, groups, and individuals they feel to be appropriate during the representation period (the information at Annex A can be used for examples). 36. The representation period starts on the date of publication of the statutory proposal and MUST last for four weeks. During this period, any person or organisation can submit comments on the proposal to the LA, to be considered by the decision -maker. It is also good practice for LAs to forward representations t o the proposer (subject to any issues of data protection or confidentiality) to ensure that they are aware of local opinion. 37. The decision-maker will need to be satisfied that the proposer has had regard for the statutory process and must consider ALL the views submitted during the representation period, including all support for, objections to, and comments on the proposal. Stage 4: Decision 38. The LA will be the decision -maker on a school closure proposal, unless the closure proposal is ‘related’ to another proposal that is to be decided by the Schools Adjudicator. 39. The Schools Adjudicator will decide proposals for new schools made by the LA (and cases where the LA is involved in the trust of a proposed foundation school). The LA will decide proposals for new schools from other proposers. Header London Borough of Hillingdon – Infant & Junior Amalgamation Policy - September 2022.docx 9 Actions and rough Timeline of key decisions – by both LA and schools Description Conclude informal discussions between Heads, governors and LA officers and other relevant stakeholders such as HR providers. 1 Full Governing Body decision to amalgamate. 2 Liaison with the Borough of Hillingdon over proposed amalgamation including agreeing Borough support/roles and responsibilities and process to seek Department for Education approval. 3 Informal consultation on proposed amalgamation with staff and unions (separate process for parents/carers and pupils). Acting Head Teachers, Governing Body representative, Borough Education Adviser and HR Consultant present. 4 If necessary, agree recruitment strategy for new Head Teacher & place advert. 5 London Borough of Hillingdon Cabinet Member approval to propose amalgamation LA will need to draft a Public Notice which will be sent to the West London Gazette (for publication on a Wednesday) and put up on the school site physically as part of the next step. 6 Formal 4-week consultation on proposed amalgamation with key stakeholders including staff, unions, parents/carers and pupils. Consultation meetings held with staff/unions and parents/carers. Acting Head Teachers, Governing Body representative, Borough Education Adviser and HR Consultant present as appropriate. 7 If needed, selection process for new Head Teacher including short-listing, invitations to selection day(s), interview and selection processes. 8 Ratification of Head Teacher appointment by Full Governing Body. 9 Final decision on proposal to amalgamate subject to the issue of Statutory Notice by Borough of Hillingdon. Once all the views and feedback of all stakeholders has been considered then this must be sent to the lead member to agree for LA approval as per DfE guidance. If the decision is to proceed, the following steps apply. If the decision to remain as separate schools, then the process halts. Where the LA is the decision-maker, within one week of making a determination they MUST publish their decision and the reasons for that decision being made on their website. They MUST arrange for notification of the decision and reasons for it to be sent to relevant parties. 10 Appointed Head Teacher* for the new primary school will review staffing structures for both schools in conjunction with Governing Body, Borough Education Adviser and HR consultant. 11 Head Teacher* in conjunction with Governing Body, Borough Education Adviser and HR consultant create the proposed staffing structure for the new primary school. Header London Borough of Hillingdon – Infant & Junior Amalgamation Policy - September 2022.docx 10 12 Head Teacher* in conjunction with Governing Body, Borough Education Adviser and HR consultant create or amend any new job descriptions for posts in the primary school. 13 Head Teacher* in conjunction with Governing Body, Borough Education Adviser and HR consultant produce a new primary school document covering staffing implications i.e. current and proposed staff structures and how the new structure will be implemented. 14 If there is a risk of redundancy, school** to declare a redundancy situation with advice and support of HR consultant meeting statutory and procedural requirements. 15 Head Teacher** in conjunction with the Governing Body and HR consultant to prepare invite letters to formal consultation meeting for staff and unions. 16 Head Teacher** to send the following documents to staff and unions, along with the invite letter to the formal consultation meeting: 1. new primary school consultation document explaining rationale for staffing changes 2. current staff structures for both schools 3. proposed new primary staff structure 4. implementation timeline 5. new job descriptions (where applicable) 17 Formal consultation meeting with staff and unions. Head Teacher*, Governing Body representative, Borough Education Adviser and HR