The Case for a Secondary School

in Stoke by Nayland

December 2009

This document has been prepared by the SOS Stoke by Nayland campaign group to outline and commute our case for an 11-16 Secondary School at Stoke by Nayland.

The document can be downloaded in PDF format by clicking HERE

Introduction

We appreciate and welcome the opportunity given to us by Suffolk County Council to comment on the proposals put forward for school reorganisation in the Sudbury area.  We are treating this consultation exercise in good faith and are pleased that the County Council is prepared to listen to our views and suggestions, and take these on board when it comes to the final consideration about the best way to reorganise schools in the Sudbury area.  We note that in the introduction to the School Organisation Review document that “No decision has yet been taken about what will happen to individual schools in this area”.  In a letter from Jeremy Pembroke (Leader of Suffolk County Council) to the Campaign Group he reassures us that: "This is a genuine opportunity for you and anyone else with an interest in the future of education in your area to feed into the process.  As Tim Yeo has said, the stronger and more reasoned the case that can be made, the better".

We believe that our arguments in favour of changing the current proposal regarding Stoke by Nayland Middle School are persuasive enough to change the Council’s mind.

In this document we describe our proposal for an 11-16 Secondary School at Stoke by Nayland, the overwhelming support we have found for this proposal and we set out the supporting evidence.

The Proposal

We propose that Stoke by Nayland Middle School should be converted into a Secondary School covering the 11-16 year age group.  We acknowledge that some supporters of Stoke by Nayland Middle School would like to see it preserved in its current form within a 3-tier system.  It is our understanding from reading the SOR documentation that the decision to move to a 2-tier system has already been made and therefore our response is based on this premise. 

The middle school at Stoke by Nayland already teaches 11 and 12 year olds and test results show that the education provided at the school prepares its pupils very well for Key Stage 3 tests taken at age 14.  Many of the teachers currently employed at the school are secondary school trained (including the head teacher).  We also believe that a secondary school at Stoke by Nayland will be a very attractive place to work for those teachers who do not want to work in large urban secondary schools.

We believe that the current intake alone would produce a secondary school of sufficient size to be viable and successful.  However, we believe that the school would be bigger than this as it would attract children who currently have no choice other than the Sudbury urban Upper schools at age 13.  In addition we believe that some of the children who currently leave the state system at age 11 will remain in the state sector with an attractive rural secondary school choice.  We demonstrate that there is scope and support for partnerships with other local schools which will be mutually beneficial to the school communities and the pupils and facilitate delivery of the required elements of the new 14-19 curriculum.  The revolution in the 14-19 curriculum and the move to a 2-tier system represent two substantial challenges for Great Cornard and Sudbury Upper Schools, an additional Secondary School at Stoke by Nayland would help relieve some of the pressure by preventing the need for these schools to also have to manage a large increase in size (the triple whammy).  This is likely to increase the success in which these schools manage the move to a 2-tier system and deliver the new 14-19 curriculum and therefore would benefit all of the children in these schools.  We outline an implementation model which would allow for a smooth transition from a Middle School to a Secondary School minimising the disruption to pupils’ education and would allow the school to adapt gradually to the greater size and thereby preserve the great qualities that this school exhibits. 

It is important that we utilise this major restructuring of schools in Suffolk to build a strong education and school base for the future.  The proposed domestic housing allocations in the Babergh Local plan for the Sudbury area is for at least 1,000 additional homes plus 19 hectares of residential development at Chilton Woods.  In addition the increase in the participation rate to 18 by 2015 will undoubtedly put pressure on Sixth Form places.  With only two urban secondary schools in the current proposal we believe that they will come under considerable strain as pupil enrolment increases beyond the current planning figures for these schools.  We believe that ultimately a third secondary school would be the preferred option in the Sudbury area.

The closure of Stoke by Nayland Middle School would be the most disruptive of all the proposals due to the close proximity of the three other local Middle Schools with their associated Upper Schools.  Extending Stoke by Nayland Middle School to a secondary school will be much less disruptive for the children and could be easily implemented.  We believe that our proposal is in the best interests of the children concerned and consistent with the Every Child Matters agenda.


The SOR Public Consultation document for Sudbury and Great Cornard states that under Step 1 Developing Options (page 6) information had been obtained from architects, planners, highways specialists and other experts, and that this information had been taken into account in developing preferred options.  In developing our proposal for secondary school at Stoke by Nayland we thought it would be important to see what information had been supplied from these experts for both Stoke by Nayland Middle School and Great Cornard Upper School.  We contacted Suffolk County Council and requested copies of information obtained from these "architects, planners, highways specialists and other experts" under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  We were shocked at the response:

“The options for these two schools do not require additional building work, therefore initial feasibility studies were not carried out.”
(Full request and response included in Annex 1)

This suggests that the preferred options for our schools were decided prior to this information being obtained, contradicting the statement in the SOR document.  We also find it hard to believe that no expert advice was required from planners and highways specialists given the fact that major changes will need to be made to Great Cornard Upper School under the preferred option, even if Great Cornard Middle School site provides temporary facilities in the short term, and the increase in the number of pupils travelling to and from the school. 

Stoke by Nayland Middle School

Stoke by Nayland Middle School is a community school owned and run by the County Council and teaches pupils between the ages of 9 and 13 years.  It is currently a very successful and popular school.  It is located in a rural part of Suffolk, overlooking the Stour and Box Valleys and is surrounded by countryside.  It is a smaller than average school of its type with around 440 pupils.  The school was first established in 1958 as a Secondary Modern School and then converted to a Middle School in 1974.

The school delivers some of the highest Key Stage 2 results in Suffolk, significantly higher than any other Middle School is Suffolk.  The school has a particularly strong music department, offering timetabled music lessons, and lessons in brass, woodwind, violin, viola and ‘cello given by the County’s peripatetic teachers.  There are also guitar lessons, and recorder group, string group, junior choir, senior choir, orchestra and jazz group at lunchtimes.  The music department has links to the feeder primaries, and performs a school musical on alternate years.

The last Ofsted report (November 2008) graded the overall effectiveness of Stoke by Nayland Middle School as Good.  This is the second highest grade available.  The school was awarded an outstanding grade (the highest grade) for Personal development and well-being, Curriculum and other activities, Care guidance and support, Leadership and management.  The glowing conclusion of the Ofsted Inspection speaks for itself

“Stoke-by-Nayland Middle is a good school.  It has a growing number of outstanding features and is demonstrating consistent improvement in all aspects of what it does.  It is exceptionally well regarded in the local community, as demonstrated by the overwhelmingly supportive responses of the very large proportion of parents who returned parental questionnaires. Good teaching, together with outstanding care, support and curriculum, combine with outstanding leadership and management to create a well ordered and purposeful environment in which pupils demonstrate exceptionally good behaviour and achieve well.

Despite some satisfactory aspects of progress at Key Stage 2, achievements and standards are good overall with some outstanding features. As pupils move through the school their rate of progress improves and they attain high standards. When they leave the school at the end of Year 8 their standards are well above national averages. In Years 5 and 6, boys achieve less well than girls. Pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve well because of the outstanding support and curriculum which they experience. Their personal development and well-being are excellent and this is reflected in outstanding attitudes towards school.
Teaching and learning are good, with effective support provided by teaching assistants. Behaviour in class is excellent and pupils demonstrate a willingness to learn. Classes are well managed, and opportunities to read are fully exploited. The use of assessment to monitor progress has improved since the last inspection, but the quality of marking is inconsistent between subjects. Poor spelling or grammar is not always corrected. Lessons are generally well planned, but often do not make the best use of assessment information to challenge all pupils to achieve their best.

Outstanding care, guidance and support complement the outstanding curriculum so that pupils enjoy a fully inclusive school that enables them to reach high standards. Care for those who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is excellent. The school has high expectations of behaviour, which are understood by pupils. Mentoring and pastoral support are excellent. Links with other schools are excellent, and transition between schools is very well supported. Curricular links with schools in the local area are well developed.

Outstanding leadership and management, at all levels, have been responsible for the significant improvements since the last inspection. Changes in staffing and the curriculum have ensured that pupils thrive in a fully inclusive and calm environment. The school has a very good understanding of its own weaknesses and a clear improvement plan. Opportunities for teachers to learn from each other and spread best practice are not provided regularly enough in all subjects. Communications and governance are excellent, and the school makes an outstanding contribution to the local community and its cohesion. The school demonstrates outstanding capacity to improve.”

The school currently prepares its pupils well for Key Stage 3 which is currently examined when they transfer to Upper Schools:

“In Years 7 and 8, pupils undertake Key Stage 3 work, which they complete when they have entered secondary school in Year 9. The progress of boys and girls accelerates as the outstanding support provided by the school takes effect. As a consequence of their good progress they attain high standards in all the core subjects, as well as in other subjects, for example, in music, drama and physical education. In the national tests which they take shortly after their transition to secondary school, the proportion of pupils achieving Level 5 or better in the core subjects is much higher than the national average. For science it is outstanding. Throughout the school, at this stage, good progress and high standards were confirmed by classroom observations. Standards have shown an improving trend in recent years.”

How well do Stoke by Nayland pupils achieve at age 11?

This chart shows the Key Stage 2 results for 2008. It indicates the percentage of pupils eligible for KS2 tests (usually 11 year olds) who achieved or exceeded the expected level (level 4)

Stoke by Nayland Middle school

Local schools (Local Authority)

All schools

Key Stage 2 SAT results are well above both national and Suffolk averages in 2009.

How well do Stoke by Nayland Middle School pupils achieve at age 14?

This shows Key Stage 3 results for 2005. It shows the percentage of pupils eligible for KS3 tests (usually 14 year olds) who achieved or exceeded level 5.

Stoke by Nayland Middle school

Local schools (Local Authority)

All schools

Historical data shows that Stoke has consistently performed well.

Combined achievement in English, Maths and Science Key Stage 2 results (Level 4 or above) out of a maximum of 300

These results are not just due to a privileged intake.  When results are adjusted for pupils’ prior attainment and parental background they show that Stoke by Nayland Middle School consistently adds value.

The most recent results for 2009 were again excellent. 87% of pupils achieved Level 4 or above in Maths, 86% achieved Level 4 or above in English and 98% achieved Level 4 or above in Science.

It is hard to believe that anyone would consider closing such a school but that is exactly what is being proposed.

Support for keeping Stoke by Nayland open as a secondary school

The campaign for keeping a secondary school at Stoke-by-Nayland ran for the last three weeks of the consultation period. 

During this short time, support has come in the form of hundreds of parents attending meetings and distributing leaflets and posters.  Local press such as the East Anglian Daily Times reflected the strong community feeling by giving front page coverage and more, to the campaign.  The alumni and current pupils have shown their support by emailing the campaign website (www.sos-stoke-by-nayland.org), and joining the campaign Facebook group, which has gained more than 900 members in just three weeks (see examples of the messages of support we have received in Annex 2).  The local MP Tim Yeo has given a letter of support, and spoke at the first campaign meeting (Annex 3), highlighting the campaign to Nick Gibb and M Gove.  We have also received letters of support from the Green and Independent Group of Suffolk County Councillors.

It has come to our attention that at least one head teacher has advised parents not to support our campaign.  Their particular motive for doing this is unclear; we can only assume that they have a vested interest in the proposed reorganisation.  While we are not greatly concerned about the impact this has had on our campaign, as we have a wide level of support and we believe the case is strong and compelling enough, we are concerned about the power and influence head teachers have on influencing parents response to the consultation.

The campaign group has met with leading local businesses such as Stoke-by-Nayland golf course, Pepsico/Tropicana/Copella, and the Crown restaurant and hotel (see letter of support in Annex 4) who offered their support, and facilities.  P.G Rix Farms Ltd and Stourgarden Ltd a local employer has also given support to the campaign (see letter of support in Annex 5).  Their support has been given because of the strong impact losing the school would have on their businesses due to losing customers and extra difficulty in attracting employees to the area.  They also appreciated the new school/local business links possible with older children being educated in the area.

The response to the campaign clearly demonstrates the huge loss to the community (past and present) should Stoke by Nayland Middle School close and the positive support that the community would give to a Secondary School at Stoke by Nayland. 

The Parental Choice case

The two main political parties have argued in favour of widening parental choice.  The current proposal will clearly narrow parental choice in the Sudbury area.  The three tier system currently offers the choice of four middle schools in our area.  The two tier system under the current proposal will result in the choice of only two urban secondary schools at the age of 11.  We see this as a retrograde step. 

The Rural case

Stoke by Nayland Middle School is the only Middle School in the Sudbury area that has a predominately rural intake.  This area of Suffolk has a deeply rich rural heritage (agriculture, fruit orchards, arable farming, wool, medieval architecture and conservation building trade, Gainsborough, Constable and so on) we believe that this heritage will be significantly depleted without the positive influence of a strong rural secondary school.  We are not proposing that our children are educated in the past, far from it.  We believe that it is possible to create a modern progressive secondary school fit for the 21st Century deeply rooted in the local rural heritage.  This would allow the children to grow up with a deep appreciation of the unique local environment with a strong and proud sense of Who they are and Where they are from.  If this rural school is lost we believe that aspects of the rural heritage will be lost forever.  This will not only be a loss for the children of Suffolk but also for the whole community.

The current proposal only allows for large two urban secondary schools.  While we believe that these two also have unique local aspects we believe that there is room for a third secondary school which offers an alternative to these urban schools.  Closing this rural school sends out the message that the rural countryside of Suffolk is not valued or cherished by those making decisions about our children’s education.

It is our understanding that under the 2006 Education Act no good performing rural school can be closed without a local consultation exercise.  We believe that the closure of Stoke by Nayland Middle School is not being consulted on in the spirit of this requirement as its closure could be lost within the consultation around the move to a two-tier system. 

In 2008 the then Schools minister Jim Knight wrote to all local authorities to remind them that they should not close rural schools.  The 2006 Education Act makes a presumption that rural schools will not close and all local authority proposals must consult fully with local communities, parents, and governors.  He went on to say "Over the last 10 years, we have made it a statutory requirement for councils to presume that rural schools should stay open. There is not, and never has been, any policy for closing rural schools".

"We require councils to assess the full impact of closure on rural communities and allow every single parent to have their voice heard - and I am writing to local authorities to underline their legal duty to protect popular rural schools”.

He said local authorities should think creatively about their future planning and look at forming federations or consider co-locating with other services to ensure their buildings are viable.

Closures of rural schools increased in the 1970s to reach a peak of 127 in 1983, continuing at around 30 a year up to 1997.

In February 1998 the government put in place a presumption against the closure of rural primary schools.  Since February 1998 the rate of rural school closures has been reduced from an average of 30 a year to an average of just seven per year.

The Conservative party also claim that they are in support of rural schools and against the closure of rural schools.  In their Rural Action campaign  they state that they will “Give parents the power to stop rural schools closing and open new ones”.  Tim Yeo has given his support to the campaign to save Stoke by Nayland Middle School.

In the Liberal Democrats policy document on Rural Living they state that they will “Support the unique position of rural schools through the promotion of shared teaching arrangements and IT and video-conferencing technologies.” And “Provide fairer funding for rural school children through our Pupil Premium, which is based on the needs of the individual pupil not on their surroundings”.

As all parties clearly support rural schools and regularly speak out against the closure of rural schools we are at a loss to understand why our local council seem to be on the verge of closing a much loved high performing rural school in Stoke by Nayland.

In the School Organisation Review consultation document for Sudbury and Great Cornard it states that one of the key principles behind the proposed reorganisation it that “Priority will be given to safeguarding the position of village schools, in recognition of their place at the heart of their communities.  Where the viability of village schools is at risk, federation of schools and other measures will be considered” (page 15).

Many people have made the positive choice of moving (in many cases returning) to this rural part of Suffolk to raise their families.  The good local rural primary schools play a key role in this decision as does the very good education on offer at Stoke by Nayland Middle School.  We believe that closing Stoke by Nayland Middle School without replacing it with a good rural secondary school will have a big impact on the decisions of these families to live in this part of rural Suffolk.

The Community case

Stoke by Nayland Middle school is situated on the outskirts of the vibrant village of Stoke by Nayland.  The two largest feeder primary schools – Boxford and Nayland – are within close proximity.  The links between all the rural village primary schools created through the Middle School at Stoke by Nayland have created strong community bonds over generations (demonstrated clearly by the strong community support for Stoke by Nayland Middle School and for this proposal).  These bonds and friendships created during childhood (and between parents) sustain these rural communities.  We believe that if the school was to close this would leave a massive hole in the local community.  The presence of a good primary and middle school in the village attracts families with children into the village and local area.  With only a primary school Stoke by Nayland will became a much less attractive place to live and work. 

The flow of parents and children through the village at the start and end of the school day and for social events connected with the school provides an essential source of trade and income for local businesses.  Should the school close these businesses will suffer severe losses.

Many community leaders have expressed to us what a great loss it would be to the community should Stoke by Nayland Middle School close and the merits they see in having a secondary school at Stoke by Nayland.  For example, we received the following:

"I would be very happy if a new high school could be established on the SbyN site.  It could become a great asset, since rural high schools benefit so many children - and not only those from the villages."
The Rev Canon B J Findlay Monks Eleigh Rectory Suffolk.

We don’t believe the appropriate impact analysis has been conducted to assess the negative impact of closing this school will have on the local rural community.

Schools also have an important role to play in community cohesion they are situated at the heart of many local communities particularly in rural areas.  Schools no longer purely deliver day time education during term time to their pupils but many offer a great venue and centre for a range of services.  School sites provide an ideal venue to provide Extended Services (formerly Extended Schools) to communities including study support, play/recreation, sport, music, arts and crafts and other special interest clubs, volunteering and business and enterprise activities.  These can be offered alongside community access to facilities including adult learning, ICT and sports facilities.  The school could offer community led activities and offer a venue for advice and support services.  Additional funding is available to help set up these facilities and schools can benefit financially from making these services available.  A secondary school at Stoke by Nayland would provide an excellent rural base for the provision of Extended Services.

The Small(er) School case

We know that this government is a supporter of small secondary schools.  A recent publication by the then DfES Innovation Unit which resulted from a collaboration of around twenty small secondary schools (less than 250 pupils) emphasised the important contribution that small schools can make to teaching and learning in all schools.

There is a growing academic and policy literature on school size and its impact on a variety of outcomes.  Until fairly recently much of the analysis on school size was conducted on American schools.  In the US there are very vocal groups of supporters who favour small schools and who argue strongly about the benefits of small schools.  Any review of the literature on school size reveals evidence that school size has an impact on a range of outcome measures but the findings are not all consistent.  Some of this can be put down to differences in samples, methodologies and data quality.  However, as schools are undoubtedly complex organisations where school size only plays a part in predicting outcomes it is not surprising that variation is found.  For many outcome measures the quality of leadership, teaching, resources, pupil’s background and other factors are more important than school size.  Systematic reviews in situations such as these are more reliable than considering single studies in isolation.

The most recent systematic review on secondary school size (Newman et al. 2006) reviewed empirical studies conducted since 1990 in OECD countries.  In terms of student attainment they found a quadratic relationship between school size and student attainment (i.e. attainment initially increases as schools size increases but reaches a peek and then falls).  Older children were found to do better in larger schools than younger children (this might be due to drop out – those who don’t do well leave).  However they found that the effect of school size on pupil attainment is very sensitive to how the impact analysis model is specified.  They conclude that it is not possible to draw any firm conclusion on the ideal school size (i.e. the point at which student attainment peeks).

The study also found that pupils socio-economic background was always more important than school size in predicting pupil attainment.  In addition, students and teachers in smaller schools have a more positive perception of their schools than their counterparts in larger schools and there was evidence that class size increases with school size (no doubt leading to cost savings).  In addition Newman adds in a separate article that summarises the findings from this review: “The results of the review suggested that there was little empirical evidence to justify policies aimed at changing or mandating particular school sizes” (Newman 2008).

There is even less evidence on the impact of changes in school size.  One of the problems is that it is difficult to isolate the change in school size from the reason why a school changed size.  For example, poor performing schools tend to shrink (where there is real choice) and vice versa.  Schools are very complex social and economic organizations.  From a social point of view as schools get larger there appears to be a decline in the individual participation of parents and students in school affairs (Green and Stevens, 1988).

A large proportion of schools’ budgets are spent on teachers’ salaries and this is where scale economies can be made (Tholkes, 1991).  There is evidence that larger schools have higher pupil-teacher ratios (Alspaugh, 1994) and that this is how they reduce costs per pupil but after a point this is at the cost of attainment.  While there is evidence that larger schools are associated with lower costs per pupil we have found no systematic scientific evidence that a secondary school size of 1200 (the size preferred by SOR) is the optimum size.  While we appreciate that the Council must take cost considerations very seriously we would argue that clearly cost cannot be considered in isolation.  It appears from the literature that although costs continue to fall as school size increases, student attainment very clearly falls after a certain size.  There is a cost-attainment trade-off past a certain school size.  As many factors come into play in determining attainment the literature is not very helpful in informing us on the best point to choose on this trade-off.  Some analysts refer to these as cost (or spending) efficiencies and output (or production) efficiencies.  Where cost efficiencies purely focus on the cost of educating X number of pupils and output efficiencies consider the cost of producing a certain quality of education.  If the Council has worked out an output efficiency measure it is not clear what level of education quality they have chosen. 

We have found no directive policy on secondary school size from the three major parties.  The Green Party in their Education and Young People policy document state:

“We would also work towards having smaller schools with a maximum size of 700 for secondary schools. There is evidence that smaller schools have a more positive ethos which can reduce behavioural problems. It would also enhance a sense of community and encourage a greater proportion of people to be involved so that they are more democratically run as well as reducing the need for transport to school.”

We have received the following message from Suffolk County Councillor Mark Ereira-Guyer (Spokesperson, Children, Schools and Young People – Green and Independent Group) which outlines their local policy on rural schools and support for our campaign:

“The Green & Independent Group on Suffolk County Council support your campaign objectives.  We believe that 'small is beautiful' and that schools such as Stoke-by-Nayland have served children, parents and local rural community very well indeed. Overall we favour schools serving no more than 700-900 pupils to function efficiently whilst at the same time being able to offer personalised approach and care; attention to individual needs; and very importantly a warm, 'socialising' and disciplined school environment.

A school which sits within and serves a rural catchment area is essential to the vitality and viability of that rural community; we recognise this social and economic importance and we hope to see your school continue to play this vital role into the future.”

In the SOR Report of the Policy Development Panel (2006)  on secondary school size the Panel recommended that:

• Priority be given to safeguarding the position of village schools, recognising their place at the heart of their communities, including the possibility of federation or other measures where their viability is at risk
• The preferred size for secondary schools be in the range of 6-10 forms of entry, with an optimum size of 1200, excluding sixth form
• Sixth forms be no less than 200 in number in 11-18 schools

We tried to track down the evidence that was used to base the 1200 figure on and this is the best we could find:

“The Panel accepted that the evidence was not definitive. However, they believed the research suggested that the optimum size was approximately 1200 for 11-16 schools (8 forms of entry) within a range of 6-10 forms of entry. The Panel accepted that this did not imply that all schools outside this range were unviable or ineffective; indeed, there was evidence to suggest that some small schools could offer excellent provision. However, the range would set a benchmark against which viability, quality of provision and value for money could be assessed. The suggested range would also allow for a sixth form of 200+ to be provided where 11-18 provision was considered to be the preferred model.

The Panel concluded that, given the research findings, it was important to have a clear policy on secondary school provision and that this would provide a starting point for discussion, should the review proceed to Stage 2.” (Page 36)

And in the summary of research:

“The question of optimum secondary school size has received considerable attention in recent years. However, the research has not been able to reach a clear conclusion about the relationship between school size and performance. To suggest that student achievement is higher in smaller schools and that student behaviour is worse in larger schools have been shown to be inconsistent with evidence. The relationship appears to be more complex than this simple linkage.” (SOR Annex 9, Page 8).

Our review of the literature has not found such a suggestion that 1200 is the optimum size for an 11-16 school.  We welcome the opportunity to use this as a starting point for discussion.

We are not proposing a very small school at Stoke by Nayland, in fact a fairly average sized secondary school.  We believe it could be in the region of 600-900.  Stoke by Nayland Middle School currently has a full capacity of 480 (based on a PAN of 120) but the site at Stoke by Nayland is perfectly adequate to accommodate a much larger school, certainly a school in the region of 600-900.  Some off-site sports provision may be required but Stoke by Nayland Golf Club have informed us that they will provide an outsourced sports academy.  In addition partnerships with local schools drawing on particular strengths would be formed to ensure high quality delivery of the curriculum.

The Statistical case

In England there is a considerable amount of variation in school performance by school size.  There are many examples of highly successful secondary schools with 800 or fewer pupils even when some correction is made for students’ socio-economic background and prior attainment.  Not surprisingly a whole range of factors impact on student attainment other than school size.  The quality of teaching and leadership play a key role.  The involvement and support of parents cannot be underestimated.  It is fairly clear from reviewing the research literature in this area that it is very difficult to isolate the school size effect from other factors that influence pupil attainment and school effectiveness.  There are well performing small schools and poor performing large schools and vice-versa.  For example, a crude comparison  of school size and GCSE results for 2008 (the results for 2007 are also shown in parenthesis, unfortunately we do not have access to the 2009 data) in our local area shows the following relationship: 

The results in the above table show an inverse relationship between year group size and GCSE performance.  There are clearly many other factors at play but it is not surprising that many parents are very concerned about sending their children to secondary schools were only one-third of pupils gain acceptable GCSE results in the case of Sudbury Upper School and around one-half at Great Cornard Upper School.  The fact that the middle school at Stoke by Nayland is small for its school type demonstrates very clearly that it is possible to have a secondary school at Stoke by Nayland which is small for its type but high achieving.  A secondary school at Stoke by Nayland could easily draw on the experience of two high achieving smaller local secondary schools at Hadleigh and East Bergholt both of which draw their intake from predominately rural communities.

We do recognise the difficulty of maintaining a very small school in terms of costs and to meet the new challenge of delivering 14 specialised diplomas alongside the general curriculum for all 14 year olds.  It is clearly important that the school is not a disproportionate drain on resources so that other pupils’ education suffers as a consequence.  We do not believe that the size of secondary school proposed at Stoke by Nayland is so small that it will be inefficient, we believe that there are cost savings to be made by not overburdening the Sudbury Upper and Cornard Upper sites.  Partnerships with other local schools will help ensure that Stoke by Nayland can offer 14 diploma subjects.  Stoke by Nayland has demonstrated that its teaching of certain subjects such as Science is exceptionally good and maintaining this provision in the local area we believe will benefit other local smaller secondary schools.

In considering the viability of a secondary school at Stoke by Nayland in terms of size we have based our estimates on the data contained on the SOR website  which provides some information on the size of single year age cohorts for local schools and on forecasts for September intakes.  We have viewed these alongside the estimates contained in the SOR consultation document for Sudbury.  We have identified a number of inconsistencies in these estimates and can find no explanation for these.  This has made it difficult to respond to the consultation exercise.  This is particularly a problem when considering the size of future cohorts.  For example, in the Consultation document it is stated that forecasts indicate that the number of children expected to start school in this area each year is unlikely to be more than 500 for the foreseeable future.  The plans allow for 530 primary school places and 480 secondary places (Page 17).  However on page 10 of the SOR Sudbury Locality Toolkit available on the SOR website we find the following table:

This amounts to 13-16 populations of:

This shows that the single year cohorts have always been above 480 (based on the assumption of equal single year groups) and that these were forecast to increase to nearly 560 by 2012.  It is far from ideal having such contradictory estimates in consultation documents without an explanation for these discrepancies.  We welcome the Council’s explanation.  

We are told on Page 9 of the same document that forecasts include potential year on year changes and potential pupils from new housing.

Single year academic year cohorts – 11 year olds

We have attempted to estimate the size of the cohorts that feed into Sudbury and Cornard Upper Schools from the local Middle Schools (plus the relevant Clare Middle School intake).

Schools that feed into Sudbury Upper School (All Saints and Uplands)        210
Plus from (Hartest, Glemsford and Cavendish Primary Schools)        60
Schools that feed into Cornard Upper School (Cornard Middle)        120
(Stoke by Nayland Middle)        112

From the various tables in the SOR documents our best estimate is that the single year age cohorts are likely to be in the region of 500.

From the various tables in the SOR documents our best estimate is that the single year age cohorts are likely to be in the region of 500. 

There are net cross-border flows (from Essex) which may be greater in the Upper School age groups.  It is assumed that this will still happen.

There are some issues with the fact that Clare Middle School is scheduled to close before Sudbury Upper School could be converted into a 11-19 secondary school. 

In a two-tier system the secondary schools would have to accommodate two additional single year age cohorts.  According to the proposed number of secondary school places to be provided under SOR; this amounts to 960-1000 additional pupil places.  In the two secondary school scenario this would require Sudbury and Cornard to expand their capacity to accommodate these extra pupils.  Alternatively we believe that these additional pupils represent a viable and desirable third secondary school in the Sudbury area. 

Expanding Cornard and Sudbury Upper Schools to accommodate these extra pupils will radically change the nature of these schools.  The most recent systematic review of secondary school size cautioned that radically changing the size of a school and the impact that this would have on the school environment and factors relating to school and pupil performance should not be underestimated (see more below).

Populating a secondary school at Stoke by Nayland

There are many different ways of looking at where potential pupils could be drawn from to populate a third Sudbury Secondary School at Stoke by Nayland.  We believe that a good starting point is to consider the current Stoke intake.  KS2 data and information in the SOR consultation document suggests that Stoke by Nayland Middle School’s 11-year cohorts are approximately 110-120 (PAN is set at 120).  If Stoke became a Secondary School (11-16 years), five single year cohorts would amount to around 550-600 pupils.  Drawing on just this population of students we believe that this represents a viable third Secondary School.  Cornard Upper School currently has a 13-16 year population of 635 and this is clearly a viable school.  Hadleigh High School is a secondary school of around 760 pupils aged 11 to 16 delivers good GCSE results and has a very good reputation.

This estimate is consistent with the proposed PANs for Boxford, Bures, Lavenham, Monks Eleigh, Nayland and Stoke by Nayland primary schools adjusted for a loss of 10% as this is built into the current difference in the provision of places between primary and secondary.

This leaves a PAN totally 400 from the remaining primary schools that feed into Sudbury and Cornard Secondary Schools.  With the 10% reduction as above this total could populate two secondary schools each of 900 in size (plus 6th forms) or other divisions depending on what is the most cost efficient arrangement and what best suits parents’ and pupils’ preferences.

Although we have not been able to quantify it we are aware that there exists a not inconsiderable ‘leakage’ of middle school children from the state sector at age 11 purely because parents have not been impressed with the education available at Sudbury and Cornard Upper Schools.  We believe that some of these parents will keep their children in the state sector with an attractive Stoke by Nayland Secondary School option.  We do know that where provision is good (village primary schools and Stoke middle school) parents choose to keep their children in the states sector.

Information supplied to us by Babergh shows that rather than population declines there is projected population growth over the next decade and plans for significant increases in dwellings in the Sudbury area.  We are aware of plans for at least 1,000 new homes in addition to 19 hectares of residential development at Chilton Woods.

The table below shows Babergh’s population forecasts up to 2021, as produced from a dwellings led scenario (i.e. if the housing targets are met, this is the number of people that will be here).  This shows an overall growth of 6.8% over the years 2001-2021.

RSS dwelling-led population projections


This information suggests that we should be planning ahead for an increasing population rather than a declining population.

In addition, if it is believed that moving to a 2-tier system will increase achievement in Sudbury schools then there must be an anticipated increase in the number of children staying-on post-16.  This means that both Cornard and Sudbury will have to expand their sixth-form capacity.  The Stoke solution would help prevent Sudbury and Cornard becoming undesirably big.  The current proposal will create two secondary schools each of 1200.  This size excludes pupils who stay on at school post 16.  Both Sudbury and Cornard Upper schools have sixth forms.  Based on the current staying-on rates at these schools Sudbury would need to accommodate 1350 + pupils.  Given the fact that all 16 to 18 year olds will be required to stay-on in some form of education or training when the participation age increases to 17 in 2013 and 18 from 2015 it is fair to assume that Sixth Form capacity will have to expand.

Delivering the new 14-19 curriculum

There is a major transformation occurring in the 14-19 curriculum across England.  From 2103 there will be a choice of four learning pathways new Diplomas, more Apprenticeships, personalised Foundation Learning alongside updated GCSEs/A-Levels.  In addition there will be the option of an Employment with Training route for 17 and 18 year olds.

This revolution in the whole 14-19 curriculum will come at the same time as the proposed major reorganisation of schools in Sudbury which will present a considerable challenge to our local secondary schools.  Not only will they have to cope with the change to a younger intake, transformational changes in school size, the proposed dual site provision and temporary accommodation, increasing the participation rate to 18, but the whole 14-19 curriculum will be also be revolutionised.  Nobody can predict how well this change will be managed as it is untested.  This situation is far from ideal and everyone has concerns about how well our secondary schools will cope with these major changes and the impact it will have on the transitional cohorts of students.  Schools across England are grappling with the challenges ahead; our local secondary schools are faced with a double whammy.  We believe that both Great Cornard Upper School and Sudbury Upper School face big enough challenges with addressing GCSE performance and adapting to the new 14-19 curriculum without having the extra burden of coping with a massive increase in size.  We believe that a third local secondary school at Stoke by Nayland would assist Cornard and Sudbury secondary schools and increase the chances of a successful transition to a two-tier system.

One of the arguments used by some against smaller schools is the breadth of subjects which need to be covered as part of the new 14-19 secondary school curriculum.  However it is not expected that outside of inner city schools any single school will deliver all 14 diploma topics.  Schools are expected to form partnerships drawing on particular strengths and collectively offer the range of diploma subjects.  Sudbury and Cornard Secondary Schools have already agreed to form such a partnership.  It is anticipated that a Stoke by Nayland Secondary School would form a partnership with the SWISS group which covers some Ipswich schools, East Bergholt, Otley College and the new ONE Suffolk Sixth Form Centre. 

We have made a number of inquiries about the possibility of forming partnerships with local organisations that could assist with meeting the new 14-19 curriculum and these have all been very positive.  For example, we include in Annex 6 a letter of intent from firstsite Colchester’s premier visual arts organisation to work with a secondary school at Stoke by Nayland.

A smooth transition from Middle School to Secondary School

We believe that it would be quite straightforward to implement a smooth transition from a Middle School to a Secondary School at Stoke by Nayland.  The easiest way to represent the transition model we envisage is in the following table.

The 2012 column represents the current arrangement.  In the first year of reorganisation no new Year 5 pupils would be admitted as they would remain at their Primary Schools and Year 8 pupils would remain (becoming the first Year 9) in the school rather than moving to an Upper School.  The same progression would occur in 2014.  If the intake was left unchanged then it would be 2015 before the school would need to increase in size.  In 2015 the first new intake of Year 7 pupils would occur and the previous Year 10 pupils would form the first Year 11.  If, as it is more likely, the intake was increased then this would be gradual and could be done in a number of ways.  For example, additional pupils could be added to Year 7 at any point and additional pupils could be added to Year 9.

Such a transitional model would create the least disruption for the pupils, allow the school to adapt and grow in a gradual organic way and provide continuity alongside adaptive change.  We believe that this transitional model is in the best interest of the pupils and consistent with the Every Child Matters agenda.

The Financial Case

2400 secondary school places need to be made available under the SOR proposals.  It is suggested that these should be located at Cornard Upper School and Sudbury Upper School.  The current capacity of Great Cornard Upper School is 780, Sudbury Upper School is 825, Stoke by Nayland Middle School is 480.  Under the SOR proposal for two secondary schools this would require creating 795 additional places at Cornard and Sudbury Upper Schools.  Under our proposal for three secondary schools only 315 additional places will need to be created across three schools.  Therefore our proposal represents considerable cost savings with real benefits to taxpayers in the current challenging economic environment.

We have been informed by Suffolk County Council that the current cost multiplier is £18,469 per place.  Our proposal thus represents a cost saving of around 8.87 million pounds.  We appreciate that there will inevitably be costs associated with adapting Cornard and Sudbury Upper schools to accommodate younger children than their current intake and to modify Stoke by Nayland Middle School to accommodate older children than its current intake but this does not detract from the fact that a Secondary School at Stoke by Nayland which takes advantage of existing facilities represents excellent value for money for the taxpayer.

While future rounds of the Building Schools for the Future programme may provide funds for building and refurbishing secondary schools in the future, cost savings are being sought across all government departments and there are no guarantees that money under this scheme will be made available for Sudbury schools.  We understand that Suffolk County Council has some capital reserves which could be spent on reorganising secondary schools in the Sudbury area but these are limited.

Conclusion

We conclude that the case for a Secondary School at Stoke by Nayland is compelling and represents excellent value for the taxpayer.

References

Alspaugh, J. W. (1994) ‘The Relationship between School Size, Student Teacher Ratio and School Efficiency’, Education, Vol. 114.

Every Child Matters (2004), DfES.

Green, G., and W. Stevens (1988). ‘What research says about small schools’. The Rural Educator, 10(1), 9-14.

Individuals count: The small schools model, Innovation Unit, http://www.innovation-unit.co.uk/images/stories/files/pdf/small_schools.pdf.

Newman, M, (2008) ‘Big or Small: does the size of a secondary school matter?”, Forum, 50, 2.

Newman, M., Z. Garrett, D. Elbourne, S. Bradley, P. Noden, J. Taylor and A. West (2006) ‘Does secondary school size make a difference? A systematic review’, Educational Research Review, 1, 41-60.

Ofsted Reports.

Annex 1

Freedom of Information – Response – 2075
Request:
The "School Organisation Review Public Consultation in Sudbury and Great Cornard" leaflet states that: "Information has also been obtained from architects, planners, highways specialists and other experts. All these discussions and the information obtained have been taken into account in developing preferred options which are consistent with the principles in the policy framework." Please will you supply copies of the information obtained from these "architects, planners, highways specialists and other experts" for:
1. Great Cornard Upper School and Technology College 2. Stoke-by-Nayland Middle School."

Response:
The options for these two schools do not require additional building work, therefore initial feasibility studies were not carried out.

Annex 2 - Some comments posted on the campaign Facebook site

Suzanne Learmonth i have just invited heaps of people really hope we dont loose this school x x x

Kelsey Redpath We can't loose stoke! ?

Sam Bainbridge STOKE RULES
If it goes, a little piece of me will die :(

Sophia Alcock Howard Hope to make the Friday meeting - and shall be spreading the word!

Abbie Colegate I dont want all saints to close, let alone stoke, but i do like stoke "STAY OPEN"

Patrick Dedross guys i think we should hold a music concert to show suffolk county council tht we want it to stay

Charlotte Ansell I can't believe this is even an option.....Stoke Middle was the best school, the teachers helped me through a really tough couple of years and it would be such a shame to lose such a great school....CHANGE IT TO A HIGH SCHOOL!!!

Kelly Louise West Stoke middle ruled!! It has a great academic record and I actually learned a few things there! It can't just disappear....good luck with the campaigning from an old Stokey girl! x

John Clark fantastic school, every day without fail when we ask our son Aaron how his day was he says "AWESOME". The teachers are outstanding which is reflected in the schools results and the council should never be allowed to close this school. Rant finished, thank you.

Anna 'Edward Cullen' Tomkinson Theres no point in closing one of the best schools in the area! Plus all the kids are gonna have to go further to get to school! Stoke is the best school ever for many children and teenagers! Theres simply no point in closing it! :) x

Fran Gavin just had an idea... if they try to shut it we could just continue going there as normal :L

Christy Walshi'm in my last year at stoke, it's a good school and i don't want it to be closed bcause i had fun here and it's gonna be wasted :(

Lucy Northwood i went to this school many years ago and my daughter is due to go there in sept for only 3 years and then it will close what a complete waste of time and a great school!

Bryony Westwood Bryony Westwood was Everitt!! I used to go to Stoke-By-Nayland and it was great, I got a wonderful start in life and I can't BELIEVE that a close-down is even being CONSIDERED!! I probably won't be able to become an active member of the campaign due to other commitments, but to those who ARE actively campaigning, good ...luck and my thoughts are with you all. DON'T LET THEM TAKE OUR SCHOOL!!!

Jay Stirling and they wonder why education is going down hill when they are closing schools that have never shown any signs of failure, shame on you gov, stoke by nayland works so keep it alive

Jon Garrad I cant brelieve they are even considering closing SBNMS. I only went for a short while but thought it was a good school with good facilities. Probably a prime bit of real estate for greedy fat cat devellopers....think of the children!!

Daniel Collins It still seems that only half of the parents at Nayland primary and nobody at Bures primary are aware of this fantastic campaign. Please tell anyone you know, be it by text email or by whatever means, to join. This is the best time to start such a campaign given an election is just around the corner. This school is alr...e...ady one of the best performing schools in the county so it makes totat sense to build upon this success especially as the surrounding local people (who pay their taxes and do the voting) want it to remain so badly. And wasn't this school a long time ago a secondary school? With massive local support, comprehensive media coverage and support from the local MP; there can only be one outcome which is commonsense. So, with people power, lets make Stoke a High School. We can and will... WIN

Marie Parkinson i went there too, it was my favourite school i attended, i'd be sad to see it close! Well done to all the staff over the years who made it such a good place to be

Mark Jones I remember those years at that school in the 80's, probably the best school of my life at school, Mr Rudkin, Mr Lindsey, Mrs Middleton, Miss Ellis( Mrs Russian) what a fab school.

Suzie Frize-Williams So sad to see that such a lovely school with so many memories might be closed :(

Tom Eddington Stoke is such a popular school and one of the most successful in the county, it would be sheer lunacy to shut it down. I spent some of the best years of my life at Stoke during the 1990s, and still hold it in high affection. What a shame that Suffolk County Council take no notice of public opinion

Miriam Goodchild I've got 3 grandchildren there at the moment, they love it. Don't let it close.

Beth Molloy Stoke's Really Good :) Don't Close It :(

Matthew Beckinsale NOOOOOOOOOO! HAVE THEY NEVER HEARD THE PHRASE "IF IT'S NOT BROKE DON'T FIX IT?" This country is run by idiots who never listen to the people who put them in power in the first place!

Nick Cox I just wanted to add my support fpr this very worthwhile campaign. It is very important for our rural way of life for our children to still have a choice. Why shut down a high achieving school when it could be extended to create an equal or even better school.

Matt Hearnden What are these people thinking?? Brilliant School

Simon Breeze Please dont allow this school to close I left the year the system changed last time around I ended my education at Great Cornard Upper School which apparently was the modern way forward what a mistake people of Suffolk dont let history repeat itself turn this thing on its head let Sudbury and Cornard come to this school of excellence

Peggy Hamilton apparently this money the council said would be there to build this monster school at great conard isn't there anymore so if the councils proposals goes ahead then will the children be educated in portacabins? And isnt stoke by nayland middle school the best in the county? So what do we want, our kids in portacabins i...n cornard or the best school converted into a secondary school with the current headmaster in charge?

Andrew Mills What a superb and worthwhile campaign. A fantastic and successful school, Head, teachers and pupils. Well worth fighting for.

Annex 3

"I fully support the efforts which parents and many other people are making to ensure that there is a wider choice of good quality secondary schools for their children to choose from. Not every family wants to send their children to schools with more than a thousand pupils. Many parents who have chosen to make their homes in rural communities would prefer a smaller school in a more rural setting. That diversity of choice is what this campaign is seeking to provide."
Tim Yeo
MP for South Suffolk

Annex 4

Running a rural business is an art that few can imagine. The hurdles our authorities provide for us to jump our numerous, but jump we do, hoping, wishing and trusting they, the authorities are creating, providing and sustaining a better future for us all. I sit here writing this at my desk and have to ask myself the very simple question what is it all about? For there have been far too many instances for our business in the last two years alone where I believe rural life is being hampered, if not damaged, by the bureaucrats not helped!

1. In the last two years we have built an eleven bedroom hotel, despite it being recommended for refusal by our local planning authority. At our expense we had to build our own sub-station to generate additional power for the Hotel as the village could not cope with the existing power let alone the additional burden of a Hotel. Which again was objected to by the local authority but we forced it through, so that the village now has enough power as well as the Crown. There something surreal about the fact that the village pub, not any authority of governance that we be pay taxes too has created at its own expense enough power for the village.

2. The Hotel has been a tremendous success and has created an additional eight jobs for the area on top of the 45 full and part-time workers we already employed. Then in February this year we had a business rate revaluation which was to be expected. However it was reviewed from £40,000 to £130,000 per annum, an appeal was lodged but rejected. The rates were backdated to when we opened the Hotel, no consideration given to the fact that we had to build the accommodation business up and that customers don’t just appear from thin air, especially in a recession.

And now as a community, let alone as a business, we are faced with the closure of one of our local schools. A very successful school, one that has achieved for its pupils which in turn has meant for us an employer. It would be nice in fact particularly pleasing to have something in return for the huge tax burden we have been encumbered with, but alas commonsense never seems to prevail when it comes to the cumbersome ever increasing in size bureaucratic machine we accept as a nation.
Perhaps this is the time when we should all stand shoulder to shoulder and say enough is enough.

Richard Sunderland
Managing Director

Annex 5

P.G. Rix (Farms) Ltd. 

Lodge Farm, Boxted Road, Gt. Horkesley,
Colchester, CO6 4AP 
Tel 01206 271309   Fax: 01206 271542


14th December 2009

S O S Campaign, Stoke By Nayland


P.G. Rix Farms Ltd and Stourgarden Ltd are two agricultural businesses operating in the Stour Valley and Stoke By Nayland area.  We currently enploy 120 people and include a large number of local people who both live and have families at school in the local area.

We acknowledge that the 3 tier system will go and chages made to accommodate the 2 tier system. 

What we cannot accept is the toal closure of Stoke By Nayland Middle School as a centre of learning.

The site, buildings, facilities and staff are very adequate to take on the challenge of a High School role.  We do not need loacal children travelling to Cornard Upper School which in our opinion is already too large, over subscribed and not conducive to providing a good education.

In the past I was a governor at Stoke by Nayland Prinmary School and learnt to value the enormous benefits of local education.

We as signifcant employers would be very interested to support the concept of Stoke By Nayland High School and would look forward to providing career advice and possible opportunities to the students.

Yours sincerely
John G Rix
Director
P.G. Rix Farms Ltd., & Stourgarden Ltd.

Annex 6

firstsite
4-6 Short Wyre Street
Colchester
CO1 1LN
Tel + 44 (0)1206 577067
Fax + 44 (0)1206 577161



Stoke-by –Nayland Schools

firstsite is Colchester’s premier visual arts organisation.  We commission and present contemporary art; contextualise contemporary art through talks, publications and events and deliver an ambitious range of projects to schools, community groups and artists living in the region. firstsite’s Learning programme is nationally recognised as innovative and accessible.

firstsite Learning is keen to work with schools in Essex and Suffolk and as of February 2010 will be offering a programme of different packages for schools. Below are some examples of packages we can offer. Each can be tailored to a specific age group, curriculum topic or school issue.

1. School Bus Stop

Schools can welcome the firstsite art bus for a one day spectacle as the bus parks up in their playground for a whole or half day. Pupils will be offered a programme which inks to curriculum to investigate contemporary visual art including using the bus space as a social gathering space while experiencing a quick fire programme of contemporary visual art. Pupils might find themselves working together to change the environment of their playground or creating a brand new installation based artwork with a firstsite associate artist to lead the session.

2. Exhibition Monkey Bars

A three session programme of curatorial studies with a firstsite artist or curator working alongside a class of school pupils. The sessions will build to introduce what a curator does, how an exhibition is put together, and set in context different kinds of art exhibition i.e. impressionist, modern sculpture. Current national contemporary art exhibitions will be used as examples. The pupils will then curate their own exhibition to be hung on monkey bars in the gym space using art work from the whole school. Parents are invited to a launch event to open the exhibition.

3. Real Art Real Artist

firstsite will bring a whole range of 'real' contemporary art to explore at the school. They will also bring a real artist to describe what they do and how they do it. An afternoon making session with the artist will help pupils to realise their own real art creation after exploring how an artist today creates a piece of 'real' art.

Art participation is a fantastic way for young people and children to explore creative expression or working together and can help to highlight issue based concerns or work through change for a school community. The firstsite creative approach can be a real bonus to a school community when working through school wide issues. firstsite offers an opportunity to work alongside practicing artists and therefore gives a positive example of people activity working within the creative industries.

We would be delighted to discuss the possibilities of working with the schools in Stoke by Nayland and happy to liaise with the relevant person to pursue the development of a bespoke programme.

Yours sincerely,





Judith Merritt
Head of Learning