Kirsty Williams AM

Schools closure report must not be used by LAs to ignore alternatives

"This report is an interesting contribution to the very current and emotive debate on small school closures in Wales" was the response of Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Education Kirsty Williams AM to the release of the Institute of Welsh Affairs' (IWA) report on 'Small school closure in Wales'.

"The report places a strong focus upon the performance data results in the receiving school following closure and little substantial consideration of the importance of the school closure in the context of the loosing community and the important impact a socially and economically developed community can have on a child's development.

"The Welsh Liberal Democrats believe that all our children should have access to good quality education within their community or as close to it as possible.

"My fear is that this report will be used to justify small rural school closures when the report itself does not look at reasons for closure and does not highlight that school closure should be considered not only upon a financial basis but upon the effect it will have upon both the children and the community.

"Nor does the report examine alternatives to closure. Liberal Democrats believe that imaginative options such as federation and clustering systems, which have been so successful in parts of England should be considered. This is where the sharing of a head teacher, curriculum expertise and administrative duties could well offer the Council as cost-effective a solution as the environmentally unfriendly bussing of young children around the countryside. Research by the Welsh Local Government Association confirms that Councils do not usually accrue the savings that they anticipated from closures. This report must not be used as an excuse for LAs to rule out these alternatives.

"The report identifies the benefits of a move to larger schools as being a larger peer group within which to find friends and interact, larger pool of teachers and a chance for specialisation of teachers, more after school activities, opportunity to develop facilities for special educational needs - all of these benefits can be brought about through collaboration, federation and clustering without the negative fallback on a community and the environment that closure brings.

"Whilst the report finds that education performance and attitude towards the receiving school does not degenerate it does not provide strong evidence that there is an increase in quality and approval - with performance data for Powys being unavailable, all conclusions in this area are based upon figures from three small schools in Pembrokeshire.

"Estyn reports demonstrate that these small schools are offering a high level of education. Obviously experience offered in a larger school is different but I believe that both parents and children should have choice as to the type of education setting they attend.

"The report highlights the failings of the current consultation process undertaken by local authorities. The Liberal Democrats yesterday proposed an Assembly measure calling for improvement to this process whereby local authorities are required to consult more effectively with all education professionals, those representing local communities and parents and pupils affected, including those at all nearby schools. LAs would also have been required to consider the impact upon the community of closure. The measure would also have created a new category of 'amalgamation' alongside that of closure to facilitate genuine mergers between schools avoiding some of the steps required for a full closure. It is a great loss that the Plaid-Labour Government voted against the measure.

"For any reorganisation to be a success there has to be a clear demonstration to parents, pupils and communities that what they are loosing is going to be replaced by something substantially better and that closure is not being considered on financial reasons alone and that alternatives are being considered."

"The report states that 'the needs of children - not their parents, communities or any other public interests - should be considered above all others' it fails to mention that these are all interlinked and that closure is not the only option but that these needs may at times be best met by LAs working closely with communities to find a happy-medium between a keeping a small school with a falling role open for the sake of it and closure."

Notes:

Small Schools Closure in Wales: New Evidence David Reynolds and Meriel Jones.

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