Latest News - SOR

24 January 2011
The Suffolk County Council Cabinet approved publication of statutory notices for changes to schools in the Thurston Area.

16 December 2011
In response to an appeal by the governors of St Louis Catholic Middle School, the Schools Adjudicator has overturned the decision approved by Cabinet in September 2011 to extend St Edmunds Catholic Primary School and St Benedict's Catholic School and to close St Louis Catholic Middle School.

The schools and Diocese will consider the adjudication before deciding on the next steps.


13 September 2011
SCC Cabinet approved proposals to change to extend St Edmunds Catholic Primary School and St Benedicts Catholic School and to close St Louis Catholic Middle School. 


13 September 2011
SCC cabinet approved the capital funding to enable a change to two-tier in the Thurston area should it be supported through the consultation process. This allows consultation to start in October 2011.

Link to Cabinet Minutes 13 September 2011


10 October 2011
Consultation starts in the Thurston area in 10 October 2011

Link to Thurston area consultation page


17 June 2011
Bury St Edmunds Roman Catholic School Statutory Notices

The statutory notices for changes to St Benedict’s Catholic School, St Louis Catholic Middle School and St Edmunds Catholic Primary School were published on the 17 June 2011.

The representation period for these notices runs from the 17 June to 29 July 2011, copies of the notices are available by clicking on the following links:

St Benedict’s Catholic School Statutory Notice
St Louis Catholic Middle School Statutory Notice
St Edmunds Catholic Primary School Statutory Notice
Published Notice for all schools

Representations should be received by Suffolk County Council by Friday 29 July 2011

Representations should be sent to:
Phil Whiffing
School Organisation Review
Suffolk County Council
Endeavour House
8 Russell Road
Ipswich
IP1 2BX
Email: phil.whiffing@suffolk.gov.uk

Copies of the public consultation document can be found by clicking on the following link:

Bury St Edmunds Roman Catholic Schools Consultation Booklet

Also available are notes of the questions and points raised at the public consultation meetings, copies of these notes are available by clicking on the following links:

St Benedict’s Catholic School meeting notes
St Louis Catholic Middle School meeting notes
St Edmunds Catholic Primary School meeting notes


17 March 2011
The Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia, Suffolk County Council and the
Governing Bodies of St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School, St Louis Catholic Middle School and St Benedict’s Catholic School are consulting on proposals for the reorganisation of Catholic schools in Bury St Edmunds.

There will be the opportunity to discuss the proposals for the future of these schools at a number of public consultation meetings, the dates for these meeting are:

21 March 2011 - St Edmunds Primary School
22 March 2011 - St Benedicts Upper School
30 March 2011 - St Louis Middle School

All meetings will run from 18:30 - 20:00

Below are PDF versions of the consultation documents:

Consultation Booklet

Questionnaire

Further copies of this booklet and other material can be found at your local library, school, or by calling 01284 758540. Or you can attend one of the consultation meetings.

OR Write to us at:

Roman Catholic Schools Consultation
C/o SOR Team
West Suffolk House
Western Way
Bury St Edmunds
IP33 3YU

3 February 2011
This is an important update about the School Organisation Review (SOR).

Suffolk County Council is writing to parents and governors in Stowmarket, Stowupland and Thurston to let them know that it will not be consulting on options for School Organisation Review in these areas in the spring as planned.

At the moment, the government’s funding arrangements for school buildings beyond 2011/12 await the outcome of the James’ Review*: the government’s comprehensive review of all capital investment in schools, early years, colleges and sixth forms.

We will therefore have to plan the School Organisation Review in a different way for Stowmarket, Stowupland, Thurston and Bury St Edmunds. This includes working closely with the Department for Education to use the new opportunities which have arisen since the new government came to power, to improve the standard of education across Suffolk - including the potential for academies and free schools where they help to raise standards.

Letters have been sent to parents, teachers, governors and other key local people today to let them know of the changes to the plan.

Funding remains in place for the first three phases of School Organisation Review, where the county council has already consulted and approved proposals.  Plans remain unaffected in these areas. The majority of building projects in Phase 1 of the scheme in Haverhill and Lowestoft - have already been completed.  The first changes to schools in Phase 2 - Beccles, Bungay, Leiston, Mildenhall and Newmarket - will take place from September 2011, and in the Sudbury & Great Cornard cluster from September 2012.

The county council is in the process of reorganising over 130 schools across Suffolk from a three-tier to a two-tier system. As well as investing over £100m in school buildings, we are providing staff with training and are putting in place special arrangements to support children when they change school.

The county council remains committed to removing barriers to children’s progress in the three-tier system, and to improving attainment in all Suffolk schools. This involves completing the move from three to two-tier schools in areas where the process of change has already started, and working with schools in other areas to make the most of the opportunities that we have available to us. We will also support the Catholic Diocese in its consultation in Bury St Edmunds. 

* Sebastian James is Group Operations Director of DSG international plc and has been appointed by government to lead the review. 

5 January 2011
Consultation is to begin on a move to a two tier system for Roman Catholic Schools in Bury St Edmunds
 
Consultation will begin in early 2011 on moving the three Roman Catholic Schools in Bury St Edmunds, St Edmunds Catholic Primary, St Louis Catholic Middle School and St Benedict’s Catholic High School to a two tier system of schools.  The proposal to consult on this change earlier than the other three tier schools in Bury is to ensure continuity of progression in the Catholic school system as feeder Catholic schools in Haverhill, Newmarket and Sudbury will be retaining pupils until age 11 as part of Suffolk County Council’s School Organisation Review in those towns. 
 
Full details of the options and consultation meetings will be available from the Diocese and the schools in the New Year.

9 April 2010
Statutory notice period for schools in Sudbury and Great Cornard area has ended.

2 February 2010
Cabinet agrees to publish proposals for the future of schools in the Great Cornard and Sudbury area.

22 January 2010
Incorporation notice for Lowestoft Sixth Form College is published

16 December 2009
Suffolk County Council announces way forward for remaining school review areas 

7 December 2009
Changes proposed by Suffolk County Council for schools in a number of areas across the county have today (7 December) been given final approval by the independently appointed Schools Adjudicator. 

5 February 2009
Cabinet approves proposals for schools in the Beccles, Bungay, Leiston, Mildenhall and Newmarket areas

3 February 2009
Changes proposed by Suffolk County Council for schools in the Lowestoft area were approved on 3 February by the Schools Adjudicator.

24 June Cabinet report - proposals for schools in Haverhill and the surrounding areas approved by Cabinet

Training plan developed following middle school staff survey

A training plan has been developed based on the results of a survey carried out with middle school staff in November 2007 (results published below). A summary version has also been produced

Middle school staff training and development analysis published

In November 2007 a questionnaire was distributed to middle school staff, asking them to identify any training or development needs they thought they had.  This report contains the results of the survey.