Children, Adults & Health Department

John Taylor
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Email: / 18 August 2015
FIDP/006187 - 15
FIDP/006187 - 15
Complaints & FOI
(01454) 865 924
(01454) 865 940

Dear Mr Taylor

RE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST
Further to your request for information held by this department, I set out below a response to the issues you raise.

Question 1

Please can you provide copies (redacted if necessary) of correspondence and/or minutes of meetings, where the decision to close Mangotsfield CE Primary School on 17 July 15 and 2nd - 4th September 15 was made.

The position in law in relation to the management of the school is set out in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. Section 38 provides that the conduct of the school shall be under the direction of the governing body and that the headteacher is responsible for the management of the school. This is relevant because it means thatdecisions concerning additional school closure days rest with the headteacher and governing body.

While there is no legal process governing the agreement of additional school closure days, good practice dictates that:

  • any decision to close for additional days is taken only after very full consideration of all the circumstances and,where relevant, with the specialist advice of relevant buildings professionals;
  • headteachers/governing bodiesshould consultwith parents/carers and should liaise with the Local Authority.

The headteacher of MangotsfieldPrimary Schoolconsulted with parents/carers and with the Local Authority. Given the scale of works at MangotsfieldPrimary School, the headteacher was understandably concernedthat works to the staircase taking place over the summer would prevent safe access to the school necessary to ensure that the new extension block is fully operational in the autumn term 2015.

In this instance, thorough consideration has led to the conclusion that not only the full period of the summer holiday will be required, but also the additional days at either end to ensure the school is fully operational. The Local Authority agreed that the additional closure days were necessary in a telephone conversation with the headteacher during May 2015.

Question 2

Specifically, can you provide any details relating to the impact of these lost days on the curriculum given the council's "Every Lesson Counts" position stated in the "Penalty Notices - Information for Parents and Carers" flyer issued by the Council.

The Council’s published information for parents and carers on penalty notices seeks to minimise unauthorised absences and this remains a key priority for the Council and for Government.The penalty notice advice seeks to raise awareness of the impact of sporadic school attendance/lateness on children’s learning and achievement and clearly attendance to every lesson remains important. The delivery of the national curriculum within the 2015/16 academic year is a matter for the dedicated team of teaching staffat MangotsfieldPrimary School. The impact of lost days will be ameliorated through a well structured and well planned curriculum delivered across the remainder of the academic year.

While additional closure days are not ideal,South Gloucestershire Council is investing in the school both to prevent the school from unavoidable school closures in the future and to bring about major benefits at Mangotsfield Primary School. Safe completion of works will ultimately improve the learning environment, modernise the school and improve facilitiesfor all concerned.

If you have any questions about this response then please contact me again via or at the address below. If you are not happy with this response you have the right to request an internal review by emailing . Please quote the reference number above when contacting the Council again.

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO can becontacted at: TheInformationCommissioner’sOffice, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, WilmslowCheshire SK9 5AF or via their website at

Yours sincerely

Tanya Smith

Planning and Development Manager

ccComplaints & FOI Team via

Peter Murphy, Director for Children, Adults and Health

South Gloucestershire Council, Department for Children, Adults and Health,PO Box 298,

Complaints & FOI, Civic Centre, High Street, Bristol, BS15 0DQ