Subject:

Moulsecoomb Primary School. Items referred from the Council meeting held on the 25 March 2021

Date of Meeting:

14 June 2021

Report of:

Executive Lead Officer for Strategy, Governance & Law

Contact Officer:

Name:

Mark Wall

Tel:

01273 291006

 

E-mail:

mark.wall@brighton-hove.gov.uk

Wards Affected:

All

 

 

FOR GENERAL RELEASE

 

 

1.         SUMMARY AND POLICY CONTEXT:

 

1.1    To receive the following Notice of Motion which was debated at and referred from the full Council meeting held on the 25 March 2021.

 

2.         RECOMMENDATIONS:

 

2.1      That the Committee responds to the motion concerning the Future of Moulsecoomb Primary School either by noting it or where it is considered more appropriate, calling for an officer report on the matter as requested, which may give consideration to a range of options. It is recommended that the Committee notes the Notice of Motion and that there is a report later on the agenda.

 

3.         CONTEXT / BACKGROND INFORMATION

3.1      The following resolution from the full council meeting held on the 25 March 2021 for the committee to consider is detailed below:

      

Council

 

4.30pm 25 March 2021

 

Virtual

 

MINUTES

 

Present:   Councillors Robins (Chair), Mears (Deputy Chair), Allcock, Appich, Atkinson, Bagaeen, Barnett, Bell, Brennan, Brown, Childs, Clare, Davis, Deane, Druitt, Ebel, Evans, Fishleigh, Fowler, Gibson, Grimshaw, Hamilton, Heley, Henry, Hills, Hugh-Jones, Janio, Knight, Lewry, Littman, Lloyd, Mac Cafferty, McNair, Miller, Moonan, Nemeth, Nield, O'Quinn, Osborne, Peltzer Dunn, Phillips, Pissaridou, Platts, Powell, Rainey, Shanks, Simson, C Theobald, West, Wilkinson, Williams and Yates.

 

 

PART ONE

 

NOTICES OF MOTION

 

132.    SUPPORT FOR EXCLUDDED UK and THOSE EXCLUDED FROM COVID SUPPORT SCEMES IN THE CITY

 

132.1   The Notice of Motion as listed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Grimshaw on behalf of the Labour and Green Groups and formally seconded by Councillor Clare.

 

132.2   Councillor Knight spoke in favour of the motion.

 

132.3   The Mayor then put the following motion the vote:

 

            This Council notes;

1)     The Regional Schools Commissioners (RSC) Office has identified three trusts as potential academy sponsors for Moulsecoomb Primary;

2)     An academy sponsor is due to be appointed by the RSC at a meeting on 25 March;

3)     The trajectory of improvement Moulsecoomb Primary is on, following the 2019 ‘inadequate’ Ofsted judgement;

4)     The recent Ofsted monitoring visit reporting that effective action is being taken with the school’s improvement plan described as ‘fit for purpose’;

5)     The overwhelming support for keeping Moulsecoomb Primary within local authority control, with a ballot showing 96% of parents were opposed to academisation;

This Council therefore:

1)     Reaffirms its commitment to stand by parents, staff, unions and community in opposing the forced academisation of Moulsecoomb Primary, as there should be no academisation without community consent;

2)     Requests the Chief Executive writes to the Secretary of State for Education, urging them to revoke the academisation order on Moulsecoomb Primary and requesting an urgent reinspection to enable the school to demonstrate its ongoing journey of improvement;

3)     Requests the Chair of the Children, Young People & Skills Committee to call a special meeting to consider the need to conduct a further urgent ballot of parents and carers of children at Moulsecoomb Primary on whether they are in favour or oppose the forced conversion of the school to an academy trust selected by the RSC; and

4)     Requests the Council’s School Improvements team continue to support the school on its journey to being a ‘Good’ school.

 

132.4   The Mayor then called on each of the Group Leaders to confirm their position as well as the Groups in turn followed by each of the Independent Members:

 

Councillor Mac Cafferty stated that the Green Group were in favour of the motion and this was confirmed by the Green Group Members;

 

Councillor Platts stated that the Labour Group were in favour of the motion and this was confirmed by the Labour Group Members;

 

Councillor Bell stated that the Conservative wished to abstain from voting on the motion and this was confirmed by the Conservative Group Members;

 

Councillor Brennan confirmed that she was voting for the motion;

 

Councillor Fishleigh confirmed that she wished to abstain from voting on the motion;

 

Councillor Janio confirmed that he was voting against the motion;

 

Councillor Knight confirmed that she was voting for the motion.

 

132.5   The Mayor confirmed that the motion had been carried.