The Academies programme - consultation

The statutory proposal regarding Shene School

Download the notice and prescribed information(pdf, 78KB) regarding the proposed closure of Shene School on 31 August 2010 (and its replacement with an academy the following day). They should be read in conjunction with the brochure for the proposed academy, which will be available to download from this page in due course. Responses to the proposal should be emailed or posted, by the deadline of Friday 19 February, to:

Matthew Paul,
Deputy Head of Commissioning, Delivery and Service Improvement,
Children’s Services and Culture,
Regal House,
London Road,
Twickenham,
TW1 3QB

Email: m.paul@richmond.gov.uk

Responses will be collated into a report, that the Council's Cabinet will consider at its meeting on 22 March 2010. Cabinet will decide at that meeting whether or not the proposal should be approved.

Formal consultation meetings regarding the proposed academy at Shene

The Minister of State for Schools and Learners approved the Expression of Interest at the beginning of December 2009 and the proposal is therefore now in the 'Feasibility' stage. During Feasibility, the detail of the academy proposal will be developed, and full statutory consultation will take place. Once the consultation is completed, the Council's Cabinet will take a decision, on 22 March 2010, on the proposal to close the existing school on 31 August 2010 and replace it with an AET-sponsored academy the following day. The Council and AET, as co-sponsors of the proposed academy, will be holding a series of formal consultation meetings in January and February. The purpose of these meetings is three-fold: for AET to explain in detail the worked-up proposals for the proposed academy; for the Council to explain how parents and other local people can make their views known in the statutory consultation on the proposed closure of the existing school; and for questions to be answered and views to be expressed.

The consultation meetings will be held as follows:

Shene School: 26 January, 7pm;
Darell Primary: 28 January, 2pm;
St Mary Magdalen’s Catholic Primary (with invitation extended to parents of children at St Elizabeth’s and St Osmund’s): 28 January, 7pm;
East Sheen Primary: 1 February, 7pm;
Holy Trinity Church of England Primary: 2 February, 3.30pm;
Marshgate Primary: 2 February, 7pm
The Vineyard Primary: 3 February, 2pm;
Kew Riverside Primary: 3 February, 7pm;
Sheen Mount Mount Primary: 4 February, 7pm;
Lowther Primary: 9 February, 2pm;
Barnes Primary: 9 February, 7pm.

AET brochure for proposed academy at Shene

The brochure, outlining details of the proposed academy(pdf, 688KB).

The consultation process regarding the proposed academies at Hampton and Whitton

The Council wanted to ensure that parents and all stakeholders were consulted and had the opportunity to provide their views on the proposed closure of Hampton Community College (HCC) and Whitton School and their replacement with academies.

The Council and the sponsors sought the initial views of parents of students at the directly affected schools and parents of children at local feeder schools about the sponsors’ initial proposals. Issues and concerns that were raised have been directly addressed during the development of the academy proposals.

In accordance with statutory requirements, the Authority undertook thorough consultation on the proposed closures of the two existing schools. This consisted of the issuing, on Friday 11 September 2009, of notices in relation to the proposed closure of the existing schools and the opening of the academies, with a six-week period for responses up to Monday 26 October 2009.

Download the leaflet for full details of the closure consultation process(pdf, 352KB).

At its meeting on Monday 14 December 2009, the Council’s Cabinet, in its role as local decision-maker, considered the responses to the consultation and approved the proposed closures of the existing schools.

The statutory proposal regarding Hampton Community College

Download the notice(pdf, 20KB) and prescribed information(pdf, 124KB) regarding the proposed closure of Hampton Community College on 31 August 2010 (and its replacement with an academy the following day). They should be read in conjunction with the brochure for the proposed academy, which is available to download at the Richmond Academies website.

Consultation responses closed on Monday 26 October 2009.

The statutory proposal regarding Whitton School

Download the notice(pdf, 20KB) and prescribed information(pdf, 141KB) regarding the proposed closure of Whitton School on 31 August 2010 (and its replacement with an academy the following day). They should be read in conjunction with the brochure for the proposed academy, which is available to download at the Richmond Academies website.

Consultation responses closed on Monday 26 October 2009.

Formal consultation meetings regarding the proposed academies at Hampton and Whitton

The Council and Kunskapsskolan, as co-sponsors of the proposed academy, held a series of formal consultation meetings in September and October. The purpose of these meetings was for Kunskapsskolan to explain in details the worked-up proposals for the academies and for the Council to explain how parents and other local people can make their views known in the statutory consultation on the proposed closure of the existing schools. The meetings were as follows:

Whitton School: 14 September, 7pm;
Forge Lane Primary (Hounslow): 17 September, 6.30pm;
EMAG: 22 September, 2pm;
Hampton Junior: 24 September, 7pm;
Hanpton Community College: 28 September, 7pm;
Hampton Hill Junior: 29 September, 7pm;
Heathfield Junior: 1 October, 6.45pm;
Stanley Junior: 5 October, 7pm;
Oriel Primary (Hounslow): 6 October, 7pm;
Buckingham Primary: 7 October, 7pm;
Trafalgar Junior: 8 October, 7pm;
Crane Park Primary (Hounslow): 12 October, 3.30pm;
Bishop Perrin C/E Primary: 14 October, 7pm;
Chase Bridge Primary: 15 October, 7pm;
Nelson Primary: 16 October, 3.30pm.

Local people who do not have children at any of the schools were welcome to attend any of the meetings.

The consultation on the statutory proposals to close HCC and Whitton on 31 August 2010 (and re-open them as Academies the following day) lasted from 11 September 2009 until 26 October 2009.

Consultation responses regarding the proposed academies at Hampton and Whitton

Download the responses to the Council's proposals to close the existing schools (and replace them with Kunskapsskolan-sponsored academies):

Previous (informal) consultation

In the spring of 2009, meetings were held in which parents and other attendees were able to give their views on what the detailed design of the academies, in terms of themes such as buildings, curriculum, parental involvement, and post-16 provision, ought to look like. meetings were held at Hampton Community College on 23 April and at Whitton School on 5 May.

In addition to those meetings, information-giving sessions were held in March-May at Buckingham Primary, Heathfield Junior, Hampton Hill Junior, Hampton Junior, Trafalgar Junior and Whitton, and in June at Chase Bridge Primary, Forge Lane Primary (Hounslow) and at Hampton Community College. Answers to some of the questions most frequently asked during those meetings are available on the Richmond Academies website.

Expressions of interest

The Expression of Interest documents, which set out the high-level vision underpinning each of the academy proposals, can be downloaded here.

More information on academies

Please contact: