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Standards were so low at a Brighton secondary school that the council considered closing it, The Argus can reveal.
The option to close Portslade Community College was one of four considered by Brighton and Hove City Council as part of a “structural solution” to its problems.
The revelation has been made in papers to the council’s cabinet committee, which recommend replacing the school in Chalky Road, Portslade, with a £21 million academy.
At a meeting tomorrow(22/04) cabinet members will be asked to initiate a consultation process with parents, the local community and other stakeholders about plans to submit an Expression of Interest to the Government in June to develop an academy.
The report states that while improvements have been made under the school’s new headteacher Stuart McLaughlin, who joined in September, they have been too slow.
It said: “Standards at Portslade Community College have been a concern for a number of years and although the appointment of a new headteacher has resulted in some positive improvements, there is a need to consider a structural solution for this school.”
Portslade Community College became a National Challenge School after less than 30% of its pupils achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE, including English and Maths.
Closure of the school was discounted as an option, as a reduction in the city’s nine secondary schools would severely limit the council’s capacity to deliver secondary education.
Council bosses also considered hard federation, which would have involved the creation of a federation with a school that has been judged by Ofsted to be “outstanding” and accepting National Challenge Trust status, which would offer minimal financial resources and support.
However it was decided that the “academy route would best satisfy the external demands on the local authority and provide the best outcome from the options available.”
Perhaps close down most of Portslade at the same time.....
The option to close Portslade Community College was one of four considered by Brighton and Hove City Council as part of a “structural solution” to its problems.
The revelation has been made in papers to the council’s cabinet committee, which recommend replacing the school in Chalky Road, Portslade, with a £21 million academy.
At a meeting tomorrow(22/04) cabinet members will be asked to initiate a consultation process with parents, the local community and other stakeholders about plans to submit an Expression of Interest to the Government in June to develop an academy.
The report states that while improvements have been made under the school’s new headteacher Stuart McLaughlin, who joined in September, they have been too slow.
It said: “Standards at Portslade Community College have been a concern for a number of years and although the appointment of a new headteacher has resulted in some positive improvements, there is a need to consider a structural solution for this school.”
Portslade Community College became a National Challenge School after less than 30% of its pupils achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE, including English and Maths.
Closure of the school was discounted as an option, as a reduction in the city’s nine secondary schools would severely limit the council’s capacity to deliver secondary education.
Council bosses also considered hard federation, which would have involved the creation of a federation with a school that has been judged by Ofsted to be “outstanding” and accepting National Challenge Trust status, which would offer minimal financial resources and support.
However it was decided that the “academy route would best satisfy the external demands on the local authority and provide the best outcome from the options available.”
Perhaps close down most of Portslade at the same time.....
