Lancaster special school inches towards independent sector

A special school in Lancaster has moved a step closer to being taken over by an independent provider.
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Lancashire County Council has agreed to publish a statutory notice of its intention to “discontinue” maintenance of Wennington Hall School.

The move comes in spite of a public consultation in which more than half of respondents said that they were opposed to the proposal.

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But education bosses have moved to reassure families that the county council will not walk away from the Lodge Lane school until a new provider is secured.

Wennington Hall School (image: Lancashire County Council)Wennington Hall School (image: Lancashire County Council)
Wennington Hall School (image: Lancashire County Council)

The facility – for 11-16-year-olds with social, emotional and mental health needs – was placed in special measures by OFSTED back in 2016 and was still rated as inadequate last year.

Pupil numbers have fallen since the regulator’s critical reports were released and now stand at 55 – well below the 80 place capacity. A small number of those on the roll are resident at the school.

Attempts to find a sponsor to covert Wennington Hall into an academy – the government-mandated process for schools judged to be failing – have been unsuccessful. It also now has a deficit of over £1m, which is forecast to grow over the next 12 months.

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Although 45 percent of consultation respondents agreed with plans for the school to move into the independent sector, the exercise drew comments questioning whether a private provider could meet the needs of pupils – and criticising the county council for a lack of support for the school.

Some responses also pointed to the previous good reputation of the school and the fact that it was now undergoing a period of improvement.

County Cllr Phillippa Williamson, cabinet member for schools, decided to issue the notice in consultation with council leader Geoff Driver under urgent decision powers currently being used by the authority in the absence of cabinet meetings during the coronavirus outbreak.

She said: “The council’s cabinet considered this proposal very carefully, before arriving at their decision.

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“We have a duty to provide a high-quality education for all of our young people and this was a major factor in the discussion that we had about the future of the school.

“Despite all the efforts that we have made the school’s last rating from Ofsted was Inadequate once again. An Academy Order was issued in March 2017, however the Regional Schools Commissioner has been unable to find a suitable sponsor.

“We feel that there is no other option now other than to publish the statutory notice.”

A further consultation will now take place before a final decision is made June. However, the so-called “discontinuance” of County Hall’s involvement with the school will not be implemented until a new operator is in place.