Diocese makes rare intervention in proposed Wakeman school closure
The Church of England’s Diocese of Lichfield has made a rare intervention into Shropshire Council’s proposals to close the Wakeman School in Shrewsbury.
The Diocesan Board of Education is a statutory consultee and has the right to refer closure decisions to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator; but it is rare for the Church of England to intervene in cases which do not involve church schools.
The diocese’s director of education, Mr Colin Hopkins, said the decision to close the Wakeman School and Arts College was questionable. He said: “The Wakeman School is a good school with excellent facilities and good results. The case for closure appears to be exclusively financial. The Council has not made or articulated any case for closure on educational grounds.
“A number of other options, including federation, strategic partnerships and other forms of collaboration could have been explored.
He added: “The closure of any school is a traumatic event for its community and whilst we understand the financial pressures on the Local Authority that have led to this decision, we believe that a decision of this complexity and magnitude should be subject to external review so that a completely independent assessment of the case for closure can be made.
“For these reasons, the Diocesan Board of Education has referred the proposed closure to the Schools Adjudicator for a review under the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (Paragraph 14, Schedule 2).”
Staff and Governors of the Wakeman School and Arts College welcomed the disclosure that the Lichfield Diocesan Board of Education (DBE) has appealed against Shropshire Council’s decision to close the school.
It is unusual for the Church of England to intervene in this way in a non-church school; but the diocese’s decision means the Office of the School Adjudicator will now have to review the Council’s decision.
Andy Rayment, Chair of Governors, said: “Governors are very appreciative of the support of the Diocese. There has been overwhelming support for the school and to now have the support of the Diocesan Board of Education is a massive boost for everyone involved.
“It has been made very clear that the school provides a high quality education for its students and is delivering an excellent service for the community and the DBE recognise this. The rationale for closure is weak and there are significant issues with the way Shropshire Council have conducted themselves. We are extremely relieved that the DBE support our views and that decisions on the future of the school has now been taken out of the hands of the Local Authority.”
Karen Moore, head teacher, said: “Staff, students and parents are very grateful to the diocese for supporting us. Independent advice has suggested that we have a very strong case and that the decision should be overturned. In the meantime it is business as usual. We are working very hard to ensure that our students receive the highest standards of education and care. We offer a very warm welcome to new pupils, their parents and members of the wider community.”
