Notice to change from a Community to Foundation School

Notice is given in accordance with section 19(3) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 that the Governing Body of Holly Lodge High School College of Science intends to make a prescribed alteration to Holly Lodge High School College of Science (Community School), Holly Lane, Smethwick B67 7JG.The proposed alteration is to Change School Category from Community to Foundation from 1st May 2008.

The Governors see Foundation Status as the first step towards the formation of a Foundation Trust. As a Foundation School, the school will be able to work closely and develop better links with the local community and use the additional freedoms to provide excellence for young people and staff. These additional freedoms and the school's commitment to cooperation with other agencies will be an important component in the school's delivery of the five Every Child Matters outcomes and the further development of the school's extended services programme.

This Notice is an extract from the complete proposal.  Copies of the complete proposal can be obtained by contacting the school on 0121 558 0691 or by e-mail: headteacher@hollylodgescience.co.uk. You can also download the full complete proposal here Click me.

Within four weeks from the date of publication of this proposal, any person may object to or make comments on the proposal by sending them to the Chair of the Governing Body, Holly Lodge High School College of Science, Holly Lane, Smethwick B67 7JG.

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Change of status to a Foundation School

The governing body of Holly Lodge High School College of Science met on Tuesday 5^th February 2008 to consider responses to the informal consultation stage of the process to change status to a foundation school.

At this meeting the governors considered responses and discussed the way forward. Four letters had been received. Sandwell Local Authority supported the proposal while making a number of points about Trust status, welcoming the governing body’s commitment to continuing to work within the local 14-19 consortium and the Hard to Place protocols and offering advice about the legal process surrounding the transfer of staff and land. Birmingham Local Authority commented that they would review/object to any proposals that governors might make to reduce the school’s admissions number as a foundation school. John Spellar, MP supported the proposal. The NUT were opposed to the proposal. Teaching and support staff raised a number of issues and concerns at a Staff Meeting on Wednesday 23^rd January. These included questions about the benefits of Foundation and Foundation Trust Status, the knowledge and experience of governors and safeguards regarding Trust Governors and their influence on the school, safeguards for pay and conditions of teaching staff in the future (including possible uses of the Power to Innovate), benefits for Trust partners of joining a Trust, changes to the school curriculum and union opposition to Foundation and Foundation Trust Status.

Parents and other interested parties had been invited to a special meeting on Wednesday 3^rd October. A representative from Race Equality Sandwell attended. No parents attended. The issue of the school’s continued engagement with the local community was raised. Its commitment to strengthen community links was welcomed.

On the basis of these responses, it was agreed on a majority decision to go forward with the change of status and the following timetable was decided:

• Statutory notice to appear in local papers on 18^th February 2008.

This begins the four week statutory representation period. You may wish to make further comments during this stage.

• The potential date when the school would formally become a foundation school will be 1^st May 2008
• The governing body will meet on 10^th April 2008 to consider any responses during the statutory representation period
• At this meeting the governing body will make the final decision about whether or not to confirm the change of status.

We are prepared to offer a further opportunity to meet governors during the week beginning 10^th March. Please contact the school to make an appointment when it will be possible for you to have a meeting with a governor or the head teacher to put your point of view in person. 

Yours sincerely,

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 What is a Foundation Trust School?

 Trust Schools are:

• foundation schools supported by a charitable foundation or “Trust”
• part of the local authority family of schools, funded on exactly the same basis as other local authority maintained schools
• able to employ their own staff, set their own admission arrangements, and manage their own land and assets
• supported by the Trust through the appointment of governors to the school’s governing body
• not uniform in nature. The members of the Trust might include education charities, further or higher education institutions, business foundations or community groups, for example. A Trust might work with a single school, a group of schools or a network of schools across the country. The important thing is what’s right for the individual school.
• about building formalised long term strategic relationships with partners and/or other schools for the purposes of raising standards for the benefit of all pupils.

It will be for the school’s existing governing body to decide whether to acquire a Trust, who the members of that Trust should be, and whether the Trust should appoint the majority or minority of the governing body...