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Schools (Liverpool)

The Petition of Parents Against Closure (PAC), and other supporters of Croxteth Community Comprehensive, Declares that Croxteth Community Comprehensive, a specialist college for business and enterprise, has been earmarked for closure; notes that the college plays a vital role in the local community; and further declares that the proposed closure of the college would be highly detrimental to the local community and at odds with Liverpool’s role as the European Capital of Culture. The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to take action and engage with the local authorities to ensure that Croxteth Community Comprehensive remains open and continues to be able to serve its community. And the Petitioners remain, etc. —[Presented by Mr. Robert N. Wareing , Official Report, 5 March 2009; Vol. 488, c. 1090.] [P000319] Observations from the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families: Government appreciates that proposals to change local school provision can be upsetting and often unsettling for those involved. However, school place planning is the statutory responsibility of the Local Authority (LA). This includes making sure there are sufficient school places, and also removing surplus places when this is required. To facilitate this, LAs have the power to propose the closure of any type of maintained mainstream school. Where the LA proposes to make any changes to local school provision, including closure, they must follow a statutory process, which is then decided under established local decision making arrangements. Government has no direct role in the process. As part of its Building Schools for the Future programme Liverpool LA is planning to reorganise its school provision. Croxteth Community Comprehensive School was proposed for closure because of, among other things, its poor academic standards and it being consistently and significantly undersubscribed. There are currently only 462 pupils on roll (Capacity is 875) and this is expected to fall below 300 by 2015. On 13 February 2009, having followed the statutory process, the proposals to close the school were approved and the LA is now under a duty to implement the proposals. We understand that the closure was originally planned for 2010, but that this has subsequently been modified to 2012.