Proposed Permanent Expansion of Osidge School

1. Proposed Permanent Expansion of Osidge School Meeting with Parents Thursday 21st November 2013

2. Topics to be covered • Introduction of Governing Body • Outline of events • Process • Addressing some views expressed by Parents so far • Funding • Timing • Needs • Summary • Open discussion to express views, to be chaired by CaitO’Riordan

3. The Governing Body of Osidge School • 16 in total, of which 6 are elected Parent Governors • Parent GovernorsTeacher Governor • MrsInsiyaAlibhaiMrs Miriam Winer • Mr Gary Bateman (Chair of Finance Committee) • Mr Stephen BloyceStaff Governor • Ms Loretta CocchiMrs Teresa Owen • Mr Has Mahir (Vice Chair & Chair of Curriculum & Staffing) • Mr Ben TaplinHead Teacher • MrsKatie Coombes • Partnership Governors • Mr David Beckwith (H&S and Responsible Officer) • Mr David Holt (Chair of Governors) • Mr Neil Thompson (School Journeys) • Community Governors • Dr Ruth Lubel (Child Protection, Curriculum & SEN) • Mrs Judy Roberts (Foundation Stage) • LEA Representatives • Mr Peter Demetriou • Councillor Andreas Tambourides Vacancy for Chair of Premises Committee, to be elected at next meetings

4. Outline of events • March 2012, due to the unforeseen increase in applications, the LEA approached a number of schools including Osidge, to ask the governing body to consider taking a bulge reception class from September 2012. The Governors considered carefully a number of issues, including the financial implications for the school, demands on resources and the requirements to house an additional 30 children and felt unable to make such an important decision given the time frame and therefore declined to take the bulge class • October 2012, the Governing body met again with representatives from the Children’s Service at Barnet, who requested us to consider a permanent expansion from 2 to 3 form entry. The data submitted from the LEA to the governing body forecast a genuine need for additional school places from September 2014. The governing body carried out an extensive round of consultations with the LEA • January 2013 Governors agreed in principle to lodge an interest in pursuing the permanent expansion of Osidge School. A number of Governors expressed concerns during the meetings. This came with various conditions, including: • Expansion only, no one-off Bulge classes • Funding to be supplied by the LEA • Building to be permanent in nature (bricks & mortar) and in keeping with the existing aesthetics of the school • March 2013 the Council confirmed that it was their intention to initiate a feasibility assessment to see if there was potential to expand the site • June – July 2013 the LEA applied for, and the government approved , part funding of the expansion of several Barnet schools, including Osidge • October 2013, the LEA began a period of consultation with the whole school community which ended on the 19th November 2013 • Friday 15th November, Mrs Helen Morrison, Head Teacher at Martin Primary School, presented to parents her own experiences at leading a school through an expansion • Thursday 21st November meeting with Parents

5. Process • Concurrently with this process the LEA are conducting a feasibility study to ascertain the high level outline of a plan for the site and an estimate of cost • The Governing Body will consider the output from the consultation process, any additional views that have been gathered following tonight’s meeting and the feasibility study when the expansion is reviewed

6. Some views expressed to date Funding • Barnet have been allocated £1.86 million from a central government fund, called Targeted Basic Need Programme, which is expected to part fund the building work and additional capital funding will be available from Barnet to complete the project. Various amounts for the total project are being mentioned, to date, the final number is unknown • Funding for the proposed expansion will not be allocated to the school's budget, it will be administered by the LEA. The funding is also subject to the expansion being completed by September 2015 • The money is allocated to a project at Osidge only and cannot be used elsewhere, if the expansion does not go ahead, this will be not be released by government to the LEA • Additional costs (extra staffing, resources, operating costs) would be met from the school budget. This would increase in line with the additional intake as the school potentially grows over the next 7 years Timing • It is never the right time ! • Mrs Coombes was aware of the proposal to expand Osidge when she accepted the post. Her previous school, Moss Hall, has recently undergone an expansion from 3 to 4 forms of entry and therefore she has extensive knowledge and experience of leading a school through an expansion • Expansion is a way of injecting much needed funding into improving current site facilities and enabling us to develop better learning provisions throughout the school • To ensure that we do not end up with Bulge classes on a ‘when required’ basis, with the administrative and physical constraints associated

7. Some views expressed to date Needs • This is a nationwide issue • The need to expand is based upon information supplied by the LEA during the initial meetings and subsequently at the consultation meeting • The current school year did not show an imbalance, 270 applications in total for places at Osidge with 150 of them being first preferences, everyone in the catchment area who put Osidge first were successful. However, 30 were unsuccessful the year before. Information available for the forthcoming school year (2014/15) from the admission applications so far received identifies 27 children will be unplaced in September 2014 in the planning area where Osidgeis situated (East Barnet, Brunswick Park and Oakleigh wards) • New building projects and a growing population compound the situation • The school catchment area is not a clearly defined radius from the school, due to the school’s bordering with Enfield. The majority of children who attend Osidgecome from the immediate vicinity unless they have chosen to move away after one of their children has started at the school. The demographics of the catchment area has changed over time with more young families moving into houses in close proximity to the school • Ashmolehas announced an intention to develop a proposal for the creation of a 2 form entry primary school on their site. This is in the early stages and have informed us that their intention is to offer places to children in the local areawhere there are voids created by Walker not expanding and to alleviate the need to develop a school in Grovelands Park • We are currently in discussion with Barnet and Ashmole School to understand the situation and the outcome of this will be considered by the Governors at the forthcoming meeting

8. Summary • The primary aim of Mrs Coombes and the Governing Body is to raise standards and develop Osidge as an 'Outstanding' school. This will be the goal with or without an expansion • The decision to expand Osidge is not firm, this is subject to various processes and approvals, which include the Governing Body, acceptance of the Statutory Notice to expand the school and necessary planning / building permissions • Funding is split into two parts capital (building) and income (day to day operational costs), the amounts discussed this evening relate only to the capital part • The LEA could force the school to take a bulge class from September 2014 and thereafter, resulting in 'porta-cabin city‘, with poor resources and a disjointed system • To reiterate, all the views, opinions, concerns, survey results of parents and other stakeholders are being formally collated as part of the consultation process and will be shared with the Governing Body prior to any decision being made • Therefore, please share your views, which will be considered in the process. We request that you respect other people’s views and allow as many people to speak as possible

9. Osidge School Catchment Area