Whitcliffe Mount - Specialist Business and Enterprise College(VC) Gomersal CE(C) Middle School West End Middle School and Whitechapel Middle School

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• Message from councillors Smith and Smithson

The proposal

Extensive investment and development of Whitcliffe Mount – Specialist Business and Enterprise College(VC) as a 1500 place school for 11 to 16 year olds.

This would mean prescribed alterations to:

• Increase the size of the school from 1283 to 1500 pupil places from 1st September 2012
• Increase the annual admission number for years 7 and 8 from 22 to 300 from 1st September 2012
• Close Gomersal CE (C) Middle School, West End Middle School and Whitechapel Middle School on 31st August 2012

We will work with the school’s governing body to explore a change in the upper age range from 18 to 16 years in order to remove the sixth form. The proposal to work with the governing body at Whitcliffe Mount – Specialist Business & Enterprise College (VC) to close the sixth form is part of the overall plans to develop a sixth form college based in central Dewsbury initially for 400 to 500 students with a view to expansion to 1000 places.

Who could attend?

Priority would be given to pupils who live in the planned admission areas currently served by the following primary schools:

• Gomersal First School
• Gomersal St. Mary’s CE (A) First and Nursery School
• Heaton Avenue First and Nursery School
• High Bank First and Nursery School
• Hightown First and Nursery School
• Howard Park First and Nursery School
• Moorend CE(C) First School
• St. Luke’s CE(C) First School
• Scholes First and Nursery School

Support through changes

We are preparing detailed plans to plot the pathway for pupils, parents and staff so that we can all effectively manage with any proposed changes.

Maintaining stability and creating an improvement in the current standards of our children’s education will remain the backbone of everything we do. The following shows how the changes may affect your child. The transition pathways do not affect the rights of parents and carers to apply for a place at other schools.

Support for staff

Retaining our skilled teaching and support staff to maintain high standards of teaching and learning is fundamental to our plans. We have been working with staff groups and trade unions to develop a HR framework to support staff transitions that will ensure processes are fair and support individuals in terms of their career ambitions and personal aspirations.

The chart below shows how the changes would affect pupils each year as they progress through school.

Find the current year group for your child and follow the row across from September 2008.

All current pupils in Years 9 and above at Whitcliffe Mount - Specialist Business & Enterprise College (VC) would progress through the current pattern of provision. They would not be affected by re-organisation.

*We are working on plans to establish a new 6th form college in Dewsbury to serve all 16-19 year olds in North Kirklees. This would replace the current 6th form provision at Whitcliffe Mount – Specialist Business & Enterprise College (VC). Detailed plans will be published for consultation in the Autumn Term 2009

Middle School closures

In January 2008 it was agreed in principle to change to a two tier system of Primary and Secondary schools in the Whitcliffe Mount pyramid.

We have already asked for your views about the proposals to close Middle Schools, however due to
the revised proposals for Whitcliffe Mount - Specialist Business and Enterprise College (VC), we are
consulting again about the closure of Gomersal CE(C), West End and Whitechapel Middle School. This is because Gomersal is now included in the proposed PAA for Whitcliffe Mount - Specialist Business and Enterprise College (VC).

The following shows how the changes may affect your child. The transition pathways do not affect the rights of parents and carers to apply for a place at other schools

Table 4 - How would the proposed changes affect my child currently attending Gomersal Middle School, West End Middle School or Whitechapel Middle School?

The chart below shows how the changes would affect pupils each year as they progress through school. Find the current year group for your child and follow the row across from September 2008.

• Pupils in all Years 5, 6, 7 and 8 would not be affected by the proposals. They would follow the existing pattern and progress through the Middle School and then transfer to Whitcliffe Mount - SBEC at the start of Year 9.
• In addition, we propose to strengthen existing partnerships between middle and secondary schools to ensure a smooth transition for all pupils.

Table 5 - Proposed timeline for changes to First Schools.

This table outlines the timeline for the proposed general changes for pupils currently attending Gomersal, Gomersal First, St Mary’s CE(A) First and Nursery School, Heaton Avenue First and Nursery School, Howard Park First and Nursery School, Moorend CE(C) First School, Scholes First and Nursery School or St. Luke’s First Schools.

Further consultation about the proposed pattern of primary schools in Cleckheaton will take place in the summer term.

Table 6 - How would the proposed changes affect my child currently attending First School in Cleckheaton or Gomersal?

(Currently Gomersal First, Gomersal St Mary’s CE(A) First and Nursery School, Heaton Avenue First and Nursery School, Howard Park First and Nursery School, Moorend CE(C) First School, Scholes First and Nursery School or St. Luke’s First Schools. Further consultation about the proposed pattern of primary schools in Cleckheaton will take place in the summer term)

The chart below shows how the changes would affect pupils each year as they progress through school. Find the current year group for your child and follow the row across from September 2008

• Current Year 4 pupils would transfer to Middle School at the end of Year 4. They would progress through years 5, 6 and 7 at Middle School. The school would close in July 2012 and the pupils would then transfer to Year 8 in Whitcliffe Mount - SBEC. Year 8 would be based on the former West End Middle School site until the Whitcliffe Mount building has been re-modelled.
• Pupils in Year 3 would transfer to Middle School at the end of Year 4. They would progress through years 5 and 6 at Middle School. The school would close in July 2012 and the pupils would then transfer to Year 7 in Whitcliffe Mount - SBEC. Years 7 and 8 would be based on the former West End Middle School site until the Whitcliffe Mount building has been re-modelled.
• Pupils in year 2 and below would follow the new pattern. They would progress through to the end of Year 6 in a 5-11 Primary School and then transfer to Year 7 at Whitcliffe Mount - SBEC. Years 7 and 8 would be based on the former West End Middle School site until the Whitcliffe Mount building has been re-modelled.
• Pupils would progress through Years 7-11 at Whitcliffe Mount - SBEC.
• We are working on plans to establish a new 6th form college in Dewsbury to serve all 16-19 year olds in North Kirklees.
• In addition, we propose to strengthen existing partnerships between middle and secondary schools to ensure a smooth transition for all pupils