South ayrshire council

SOUTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL

REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, CULTURE AND LIFELONG LEARNING TO THE LEADERSHIP PANEL OF TUESDAY 29^TH APRIL 2008

SUBJECT: FUNDAMENTAL REVIEW - SPECIAL SCHOOLS

1. Purpose
(1) The purpose of this paper is to seek Members’ approval for proposals relating to the future management of the Belmont Campus comprising South Park School and Craigpark School.
2. Options/Recommendations
Members are asked to approve:

(1) the retention of South Park and Craigpark Schools, but to move to a joint management arrangement in the Belmont Campus; and
(2) the continuation of the present special educational provision in Invergarven School in Girvan.
3. Background

(1) Proposals for the Fundamental Review of the School Estate were agreed at Leadership Panel in October 2007.

2. 
   Integral to the proposals was a review of Special Education within South Ayrshire, including the Special Schools, but also to consider the present configuration of bases in mainstream schools. In order to progress the Special Schools part of the review, the departmental Area Learning Structures Project Group commissioned papers on the present provision provided by the head teacher of South Park, the Principal Psychologist and other central staff with remits in additional support needs. Overall, the papers strongly supported the retention of the present configuration of special schools in South Ayrshire (South Park, Craipark and Invergarven Schools) and there was full agreement with this view in the Area Learning Structures Review Group. However, the group also suggested that a reconsideration of the present management arrangements in the Belmont Campus would be useful.
   

2. 
   During Session 2006/07, a pilot project involving branch management of Invergarven School and South Park School was undertaken. The Head Teacher of Invergarven School assumed additional responsibility for South Park School. While the principle was broadly effective, the distance between the two schools proved to be a barrier to efficient management and the result was not as effective as anticipated. This arrangement has now been discontinued with a head teacher or an acting head teacher appointed in each school.
   

4. Considerations

1. 
   The branch management pilot project involving Invergarven and South Park was successful in that there was a substantial reduction in the duplication of staff effort in producing curricular materials and in developing school policies in the two centres.
   

2. 
   The 22 mile distance between Invergarven and South Park or Craigpark makes such a branch management arrangement unworkable.
   

3. 
   The geographical proximity of South Park School and Craigpark School does offer the prospect of rationalising the management structures in the Belmont Campus and of capitalising on the successful areas of the Invergarven/South Park pilot.
   

4. 
   Pupil rolls for all three schools are given below and it is anticipated that these numbers will remain relatively constant in future years.
   

School	Pupil Roll 2007/08 (at September 2007)
South Park School	53
Craigpark School	28
Invergarven School	15

5. 
   The school buildings within the Belmont Avenue campus have been given a ‘B’ rating for condition and suitability (satisfactory) and will be assessed for modernisation/improvement under the fundamental review of the school estate. Invergarven School has been listed under Category 1 of the fundamental review and will be the subject of discussion with the parents and wider community during 2008 to explore options for sustaining special educational needs provision in the Girvan area.
   

6. 
   The retiral of the Head Teacher of South Park in January 2008 presents an opportunity to introduce the post of Head of Campus of a combined South Park/Craigpark management arrangement.
   

7. 
   A new proposed promoted post structure would involve a Head of Campus with overall responsibility for the two centres. Depute Head Teachers would be appointed in each centre. The South Park building would have 2 Principal Teachers (representing responsibilities for the primary and secondary departments) and the Craigpark building would have 1 Principal Teacher. In addition, the clerical provision available in the joint campus would be enhanced to meet the increasing administrative demands of the new Additional Support Needs legislation. The proposals have the broad support of teachers’ associations and discussion on the detailed management structures and appointment protocols will take place at the local Joint Negotiating Committee for Teachers.
   

8. 
   The pupils in both schools will benefit from access to staff with a wider range of skills, access to accommodation/facilities in both schools and improved access to a greater range of educational resources.
   

9. 
   Staff will benefit from the reduction in documentation resulting from the alignment of polices and procedures in both schools and also from increased administrative support.
   

10. 
    The Parents’ Councils of South Park and Craigpark Schools have already amalgamated into a single Parents’ Council for the campus.
    

11. 
    The present educational provision in Invergarven School in Girvan should be maintained and the appointment of a permanent head teacher should be progressed.
    

5. Resource Implications

1. 
   If the new management arrangements for South Park and Craigpark are implemented, staff costs are shown in Appendix 1.
   

(2) The proposed model will benefit from a more efficient management structure in the Belmont Campus. The proposal will sustain the present Special School provision in the Girvan area and comply with the new Ministerial guidelines on presumption to educational continuity in rural schools.

(3) Modest budgetary savings in management costs of the order of £11,000 will be generated and the department proposes that this funding should be made available to the new campus as additional classroom supplies.
(4) If the proposals are approved, the current Scheme of Delegation to schools will be amended to reflect the changes to the management and clerical support structures and the non-employee budgets.

6. Public Consultation
(1) Extensive consultation with the parental communities and the staff of both South Park and Craigpark Schools has already taken place and there is substantial support for the proposal to merge the management structures.
(2) Consultation with trade union representatives has taken place.
(2) As part of the ongoing fundamental review of the school estate, an engagement process with the parents and staff of Invergarven School on special education provision in the Girvan area will take place early in the new session.

Officer Producing Report
Brian McInroy

Head of Educational Resources

Tel: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Date. 21^st April 2008

	FUNDAMENTAL REVIEW - SPECIAL SCHOOLS											APPENDIX 1
	LOCATION		POST		GRADE		2008/09 Budget (inc. oncosts)		2008/09 Proposed (inc. oncosts)				Difference
							£		£				£
	Campus		Head of Campus		PO25 (SCP 62)		0		68,442				(68,442)
	Southpark		HT Southpark (Vacant)		DHT & HT Job Sized Spine 6		57,503		0				57,503
	Craigpark		Head of School Craigpark		PO18		57,957		0				57,957
	Southpark		DHT Southpark		DHT & HT Job Sized Spine 4		54,065		54,065				0
	Craigpark		DHT Craigpark		DHT & HT (Conserved Spine) 2		50,214		50,214				0
	Southpark		PT Southpark		PT 2		44,860		44,860				0
	Southpark		PT Southpark		PT 2		0		5,409				(5,409)
	Craigpark		PT Craigpark		PT 2		0		5,409				(5,409)
			Additional PT Management Time		Main Grade Scale 6		0		7,890				(7,890)
	Clerical		Senior clerical assistant		GS3 (SCP15)		0		19,931				(19,931)
			Less RCCT Saving from promoted posts		Main Grade Scale 6		0		(3,156)				3,156
			TOTAL				264,599		253,064				11,536

Assumptions

1 Principal teacher posts are filled by current basic grade teachers at top salary scale point within Craigpark/Southpark

2 2 new principal teachers are initially be placed on Scale Point 2 until job-sizing is undertaken

3 Head of Campus appointment is made under JNCT 42 agreement on school closures and amalgamations (restricted applications)

4 All APT&C posts are costed at top of spinal point