Frequently asked questions about Future Schooling in
Knowsley
- What makes a centre for learning different from a
school?
- What will happen to the pupils during the
building and demolition process?
- Will there be much disruption to the local
community?
- How many secondary schools are in the
secondary future schooling in Knowsley programme?
- What is
PFI?
- What is the staffing commission?
- What is the National Computers for pupils
initiative?
- Who will be carrying out the construction of
the new schools?
- Who will the new specialist centre for learning
cater for?
- The current secondary school which is being
replaced by the centre for learning has a specialism which benefits
pupils and the community. What will happen to this new centre for
learning?
- My family are Church of England members and
would like to attend a CE secondary school. Do they have to travel
out of the borough?
- What provision will be made for lunchtimes
in the new centres for learning?
- I have a complaint or enquiry in relation to
the construction work being carried out on one of the building
sites where a new school is being built. Who should I speak
to?
- How will the admission policy work?
- Where can I get further information on the
future schooling in Knowsley projects?
- How
will it affect me?
1. What makes a centre for learning different from a
school?
- they will open longer, often until 10pm, at weekends and during
school holidays
- they will be used by the wider community for sport, cutural and
leisure activities
- they will be centres for lifelong learning, community use and a
point of information about council services
- as technology changes the way we learn, the centres will
promote a learn anywhere, anytime philosophy
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2. What will happen to the pupils during the building
and demolition process?
Disruption will be kept to a minimum. Pupils will continue
to attend their existing schools which will remain open until the
new learning centres are complete and ready to move into.
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3. Will there be much disruption to the local
community?
It would be impossible to guarantee absolutely no disruption to
the community. However, our construction partners are very
experienced in delivering high quality buildings, safely and to
time, and in a way that minimises disruption to local
communities. The work on site will be carefully monitored to
ensure that the builders complete their work in an appropriate
manner and action will be taken where this is not the case.
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4. How many secondary schools are in the secondary
future schooling in Knowsley programme?
There are currently 7 centres for learning in Knowsley's
secondary programme, with funds also reserved for a new special
school.
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5. What is PFI?
The Private Finance Initiative (PFI) was originally used in the
building of new hospitals and prisons it was deemed that this type
of contract could be transferred to the building of new schools.
PFI is usually a single contract that includes design,
construction, maintenance and other accommodation services, usually
for 25 years or more. Often this single contract includes
buildings, furniture and grounds and services such as cleaning and
catering.
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6. What is the staffing commission?
This is an independent body that includes representatives of the
relevant unions and professional associations. It leads and
supports the appointment process, training and development needs of
the staff. The staffing commission is chaired by Rosemary Hawley
MBE (the Chair of Knowsleys Primary Care Trust).
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7. What is the National Computers for pupils
initiative?
We are currently working with our ICT Future Schooling in
Knowsley partner company RM to deliver laptops with wireless
internet access for Knowsley families as part of the national
computers for pupils initative. The project is aimed at students
and their families who currently don’t have a computer at home.
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8. Who will be carrying out the construction of the new
schools?
Knowsley Schools Joint Venture (KSJV) which consists of a number
of partners, including Balfour Beatty construction, Harden Building
Management and Balfour Kilpatrick.
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9. Who will the new specialist centre for learning cater
for?
The school will cater for pupils with a range of complex Special
Educational Needs (SEN) including:
- severe learning difficulties
- profound and multiple learning difficulties
- autistic spectrum disorder associated with severe learning
difficulties
- hearing and visual impairment with severe learning
difficulties
- children and young people from the above groups, who are likely
to have significant physical disabilities
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10. The current secondary school which is being replaced
by the centre for learning has a specialism which benefits pupils
and the community. What will happen to this new centre for
learning?
Existing specialisms, such as arts, sports, languages and
technology, will transfer to the new centres for learning which
also have the opportunity to acquire new specialisms if it is felt
there is a need. Closure of a school will not prevent the transfer
of all areas of good practice.
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11. My family are Church of England members and would
like to attend a CE secondary school. Do they have to travel out of
the borough?
No. The Liverpool Church of England Diocese has been working in
partnership with the council and the Liverpool Catholic Archdiocese
to inaugurate a new joint faith catholic and church of England
centre for learning in North Huyton. There will be 180 places,
larger than the current Catholic school, so that there is more
space for pupils.
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12. What provision will be made for lunchtimes in the
new centres for learning?
We are looking at state-of-the-art facilities for our young
people and planning to move away from the traditional model of one
large dining hall with long queues. Instead, there will be food
access points at different locations throughout the buildings,
offering comfortable surroundings with opportunities to
socialise.
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13. I have a complaint or enquiry in relation to the
construction work being carried out on one of the building sites
where a new school is being built. Who should I speak
to?
Contact Josie Neil, Community Relations Officer at the following
address:
Knowsley Schools Joint Venture
Stephenson House
Acornfield Road
Knowsley Industrial Park North
Liverpool L33 7TY
Telephone: 0151 632 8500
Fax: 0151 632 8520
Mobile: 07876102457
Email: josie.neil@bbcl.co.uk
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14. How will the admission policy work?
Contact the school admissions team on 0151 443 3212 for
information about admission policies.
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15. Where can I get further information on the future
schooling in Knowsley projects?
Visit the future schooling webpages which are regularly updated
with the latest information. You can also find out more on the
Teachers website resource.
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16. How will it affect me?
As a student, parent, practitioner or resident, your opinion
counts. We are committed to engaging with all of Knowsley's
partners and wider stakeholders throughout the education
transformation process. It is important that the people using the
learning facilities have a say in how the new schools will look and
feel.
We have already held a number of events, which many of you have
been involved in . Design festivals, surgeries and best practice
visits have enabled us to capture the views of staff and pupils,
governors, council staff, residents and elected members, providing
us with a huge amount of detailed information.
We will continue to listen to your views about school designs,
leadership, governance and curriculum throughout the whole
transformation process.
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