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Closing an existing Outstanding school and proposing a new untested one makes no sense for our children and cannot guarantee that educational standards will be maintained, let alone raised. This goes against the statutory guidance on closing schools:
Schedule 2 to Education Inspections Act 2006
4.19 The Government wishes to encourage changes to local school provision which will boost standards and opportunities for young people, while matching school place supply as closely as possible to pupils’ and parents’ needs and wishes.
The Purbeck Review body tells us that standards will not drop. But an outstanding school takes time to develop through dedicated staff and the support of parents.
We do not want to move from the Mount Scar site so we do not want to get into a detailed debate about the status or ethos of a new school. But in the event that a new school was built our own outstanding staff can not be guaranteed a place there. If it is a church school, as it may be, it will be legally allowed to discriminate in favour of certain staff, especially at a senior level and if there is competition for jobs.
Guidance on the Salisbury Diocese website states:
Some schools may feel it is sufficient to advertise for a person who 'will actively support the aims and ethos of a Church school'. While this may be adequate for a teacher of a secular subject in a secondary school, it cannot be acceptable for a senior management post, or for a teacher who will lead collective worship or teach denominational RE in a Church school, who must demonstrably believe what s/he practises in school.
This is not in any way an argument about faith, but a concern that there will not be a level playing field for jobs because of these exemptions to employment laws.