Proposal to discontinue Gibbs Green Special School
Notice is hereby given in accordance with section 15 (1) of the Education and Inspection Act 2006 that Hammersmith and Fulham Local Education Authority of Hammersmith Town Hall, King Street, London W6 9JU ("the Authority") intends to discontinue Gibbs Green School, Mund Street, London W14 9LY, with effect from 31 March 2009.
This document, together with the attached appendices, constitutes the Authority’s formal proposal made under the Education & Inspection Act 2006 and relevant regulations to discontinue Gibbs Green Primary School.
It is proposed that the Gibbs Green provision is re-designated as a centre at Langford Primary School. The provision would transfer to new accommodation at Langford Primary School, Gilstead Road, SW6 from April 2009, and would formally become part of the school. All full-time pupils will transfer to the roll of Langford School.
Consultation
The Authority confirms that all applicable statutory requirements to consult in relation to this proposal have been complied with. Hammersmith & Fulham’s Primary and Special Schools’ Strategy: Proposals for Implementation (“the Consultation Document”) was published on 30 March 2007 followed by a 10 week consultation period which included three public meetings. The document, attached at Appendix 1 was available in both hard and electronic copies see link below.
A summary of the consultation responses, together with notes of the public meetings, can be found in and are appended to the Cabinet Report dated 10 September 2007, attached at Appendix 2, which considered the responses received during the consultation period together with all other relevant matters. The Cabinet Report recommended the closure of close Gibbs Green Special School from 31 March 2009 and that the provision be re-designated as a centre at Langford Primary School. See link below.
Appendix 2: Cabinet Report, 10 September 2007 (pdf)
Please see below for web links to other related documents.
Objectives
The objectives for the proposal are set out in detail in the Consultation Document and the Cabinet Report referred to above.
The Authority believes that its proposals for the re-designation of Gibbs Green (and its associated functions) as a ‘centre’ at Langford Primary School is a natural development of the excellent work already achieved at Gibbs Green as a separate school. Re-designation is in line with national trends. The new location would in itself do much to promote further the inclusion of pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) and the LEA believes that the proposals are likely to lead to improvements in the standards and quality of the educational provision for these children.
As an SEBD primary school Gibbs Green is funded for up to 20 full time pupils with statements for SEBD. However, over the past four years it has admitted less than 40. The school also accommodates a small number of pupils on short-term placements who are not on its roll.
The proposal is that Gibbs Green SEBD Special School closes and that its provision
of:
• up to eight funded full-time places for children with statements of SEBD;
• the Primary Pupil Referral Unit (PPRU) - funded for up to eight places;
• the Primary Learning and Achievement Centre (PLAC) - part-time placements;
• the Primary Behaviour Support Team (PBST) - peripatetic team working across the borough;
• the behaviour and Education Support Team (BEST), linked to the borough’s Behaviour Improvement Plan (BiP) - peripatetic team working with six identified high need schools;
is re-designated as a centre within Langford Primary School, from April 2009. The full-time provision, the PPRU and the PLAC will be accommodated in a building currently occupied by a Montessori Nursery. The PBST and the BEST teams will be accommodated within Langford’s main building.
The key intention of the proposed new arrangements will be to keep as many pupils with SEBD challenges in mainstream primary placements as possible, with appropriate support and personalised learning programmes. Currently the pupils on the Gibbs Green site have no immediate access to mainstream provision. Making the provision part of a mainstream primary school would be highly beneficial to the pupils and would allow for greater integration. Re-designation of the Gibbs Green provision would bring about a re-alignment of budgets, allowing for an increase in the amount of outreach support offered to schools and teachers, thus helping to ensure that more pupils with SEBD remain in mainstream, universal settings, without any detriment to the education of other children.
Standards & diversity
Issues related to standards and diversity are addressed in the consultation document and the Cabinet Report. The Council’s Predictive Equality Impact Assessment on the proposals is attached at Appendix 3 (see web link below).
Need for places
The Authority will continue to require up to eight full time places for children with statements of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) and up to eight full time places for the Primary Pupil Referral Unit (PPRU), which will be provided at the Langford School site. Re-location of Gibbs Green School’s provision to the Langford Primary School site will be highly beneficial to the pupils and allow for greater integration. The reasons for closure and re-location are detailed in the consultation document and the Cabinet Report and are not related to capacity. All full-time pupils will transfer to the roll of Langford School. Any pupils on short term placements with the Primary Learning Achievement Centre (PLAC) will access the same provision on the Langford Primary School site.
Current school information
Gibbs Green is a mixed special school, providing education for pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). The school also accommodates the Authority’s Primary Pupil Referral Unit (PPRU) and Primary Learning Achievement Centre (PLAC). The PPRU will continue to be funded for up to eight full time places. The PLAC takes children from Hammersmith and Fulham mainstream primary schools on short term intervention programmes. Currently Gibbs Green has 18 pupils on its full time roll, including 10 on the roll of the PPRU. Any pupils on the full time roll in April 2009 will automatically transfer to the roll of Langford Primary School. Further details of pupil numbers and other pupil level information can be found in the Consultation Document and the Cabinet Report.
Displaced pupils
All full-time pupils, both those with SEBD statements and those in the PPRU, will transfer to the roll of Langford School. Any pupils on short term placements with the PLAC will access the same provision on the Langford Primary School site.
Impact on the community
The Cabinet Report and Consultation Document detail the impact of the proposal and how the Authority will offer full support to transferring pupils, parents and staff.
Langford Primary School was one of the first full extended service schools in London and offers access to a comprehensive range of extended services and facilities and a multi-disciplinary approach that will benefit the transferring pupils and parents.
Travel
For those children transferring from Gibbs Green to Langford, the walking distance between the two sites is 1.565 miles. The Authority believes the proposed arrangements will not lead to greater car usage. Pupils attending the centre at Langford, both full time and those on short term placements, will be taken to and from the centre by minibus. Once the transfer of the Gibbs Green provision is successfully completed, the Authority will develop satellite provision at other schools to further reduce journey times for children in the north of the borough.
Related proposals
In the opinion of the Authority, this proposal is not related to any other proposals which may have been, are or are about to be published.
Special educational provision
The Cabinet Report and Consultation Document detail ways in which the proposed arrangements will lead to improvements in the educational provision for children with SEN.
The Authority is confident that the proposed arrangements for the re-designation of Gibbs Green as a centre within a mainstream primary school will:
• maintain the good practice that already exists while improving inclusion opportunities for pupils;
• improve transition to secondary education;
• ensure there are sufficient and appropriate full and part time places;
• be an effective use of the funding allocated to the Authority to respond to SEN issues;
and the Authority believes that these proposals are likely to lead to improvements in the standard, quality and range of the educational provision for these children.
Where can you find related documents?
The documents underpinning the proposal and referred to above and the Public Notice of the proposal can be found on the Council’s website and can be accessed by the links below:
Appendix 2: Cabinet Report, 10 September 2007 (pdf)
Appendix 3: Predictive Equality Impact Assessment
Public notice - Gibbs Green Special School (pdf)
Alternatively, hard copies of these documents can be obtained from Barbara Beese, Children’s Services Department, Cambridge House, Cambridge Grove, W6 0LE; telephone 0208 753 3636; email: Barbara.beese@lbhf.gov.uk
