Background to the School Organisation Review and archive

Introduction to the School Organisation Review

Since the 1970s about half the schools in Suffolk have been organised into a three-tier system with middle schools taking children aged 9 to 13.

In 2006 Suffolk County Council began a review of its school system. This review found that children in the three-tier system made less progress than similar children in the two-tier system. The findings of this review can be found in the Policy Development Panel Report.

This review recommended that the Council began a review of school organisation in Suffolk with a preferred option of a two- tier system of Primary and Secondary School education. This was approved by the County Council in 2007.

The focus of the review is raising attainment and creating a school system that is sustainable in the future.

Since 2007, there have been major changes in the world which have affected the funding available to the County Council. The Council remains committed to the School Organisation Review and has adapted the timetable to reflect the new circumstances.

Background to Middle Schools

Until the 1964 Education Act primary schools took children up to age 11 and secondary schools took them from the age of 11 onwards.

Factors which led to the law being changed and middle schools being created were:

• The abolition of the 11+, which removed any common point of assessment
• Raising the school leaving age from 15 to 16 in 1973 required additional school places; in some areas the places needed were provided in new middle schools
• The Plowden report which suggested children should remain in primary schools until they were 12

In 1981 there were over 1,800 middle schools in nearly 50 local education authorities. These middle schools had various age ranges starting at 7 and going up to 13.

The first large scale closures of middle schools began in 1981. Factors which led to the demise of middle schools were:

• Falling rolls in secondary schools leading to some schools not being viable
• The introduction in the National Curriculum in 1988 with schools being accountable for children’s progress at age 7, 11 and 13 as well as GCSE at age 16

There are currently only about 200 middle schools left – fewer than at any time since 1971. The number looks set to fall yet further. If all of the authorities which currently have plans to withdraw middle schools achieve their aims, by 2015 there could be as few as 100 middle schools remaining.

Policy Development Panel

• Policy Development Panel: Full Report
• PDP report: Annex 1
• PDP report: Annex 2
• PDP report: Annex 3 (Annexes referred to in this section:
• Annex 1 - attainment milestones
• Annex 2 - performance report 2005 to 2006
• Annex 3 - pupil attainment outcomes
• Annex 4 - performance of Suffolk two tier and three tier systems
• Annex 5 - school improvement: a transfer review 1996
• Annex 6 - report investigation
• Annex 7 - a classification Of Regional Neighbourhoods (ACORN)
• Annex 8 - Key Stage 1 attainment in the 2 and 3 tier systems in Suffolk 2002 to 2005
• Annex 9 - Key Stage 1 attainment in the 2 and 3 tier systems in Suffolk 2002 to 2005
• Annex 10 - Year 4 attainment in the 2 and 3 tier systems in Suffolk 2005
• Annex 11 - Key Stage 3 attainment in the 2 and 3 tier systems in Suffolk 2002 to 2005
• Annex 12 - Key Stage 4 attainment in the 2 and 3 tier systems in Suffolk 2002 to 2005
• Annex 13 - ANNEX 13 Post 16 attainment in the 2 and 3 tier systems in Suffolk
• Annex 14 - Ofsted Contextual Value Added Performance Key Stage 1 to 2 in 2003
• Annex 15 - Ofsted Contextual Value Added Performance Key Stage 2 to 3 in 2003
• Annex 16 - Ofsted Contextual Value Added Performance Key Stage 2 to 4 in 2003
• Annex 17 - Ofsted Contextual Value Added Performance Key Stage 3 to 4 in 2003
• Annex 18 - information prepared by the Fischer Family Trust
• Annex 19 - Key Stage 1 and 2 attainment in large and small schools Suffolk 2002 to 2005
• Annex 20 - transfer review 2001 summary
• Annex 21 - The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment
• Annex 22 -Inspection report Suffolk 14 to 19 Area Inspection
• Annex 23 - Suffolk 14 to 19 development plan
• Annex 24 - annual performance review of 14 to 19 education in Suffolk (June 2005)
• Annex 25 - Suffolk maintained schools: attainment patterns in relation to sixth form size
• Annex 26 - overview of the Impact of Size of Sixth Form on the Curriculum Offer
• PDP report: Annex 4
• PDP report: Annex 5
• PDP report: Annex 6 (Annexes referred to in this section:
• Annex 3 - 14 to 19 education and skills
• Annex 4 - Higher Standards, better schools for all
• Annex 5 - 14 to 19 education and skulls: implementation plan
• PDP report: Annex 7
• PDP report: Annex 8
• PDP report: Annex 9
• PDP report: Annex 10 (Annexes referred to in this section:
• Annex 1 - public consultation data table
• Annex 2 - consultation document  - record of individual comments
• Annex 3 - how many contacted us
• Annex 4 - Consultation with Ethnic Minority Communities
• Annex 5 - learner survey data tables
• Annex 6 - list of pupil comments
• Annex 7 - the learning pod
• Annex 8 - Connexions Survey: Analyses of Results
• Annex 9 - list of contributors
• PDP report: Annex 11
• PDP report: Annex 12

Implementation of the School Organisation Review

Cabinet Report 22 March 2007: School Organisation Review 

• Annex 1: Recommendations of the Policy Development Panel (PDP) on school organisation
• Annex 2: Principles to inform on stage 2 review of school organisation
• Annex 3: Summary of responses to the PDP report
• Annex 4: Responses to key points made in letters and presentations
• Annex 5: Parents against change report, with county council response
• Annex 6: Chart showing staging of reorganisation from a child's perspective
• Annex 6 (i)
• Annex 6 (ii)
• Annex 6 (iii)
• Annex 7: School reorganisation in Woodbridge 1985-88 - a case study

Cabinet Report 10 May 2007: Implementation of the School Organisation Review

Cabinet Report 10 June 2014: Bury St Edmunds Area School Reorganisation - Determination of Statutory Notices

• Appendix 1: List of affected schools
• Appendix 2: Commentary on key issues arising from the representations
• Appendix 3: Partnership representations
• Appendix 4: Redeployment statistics
• Appendix 5: Impact of School Organisation Review at key stage 2
• Appendix 6: Equality Impact Assessment (school organisation in the Bury St Edmunds area)
• Appendix 7: Equality Impact Assessment (new school provision in Suffolk)
• Appendix 8: Pupil allocations to Bury St Edmunds schools