section 6: the consultation questions
Rural school closures ( section 3)
Q1. Do you support the proposal to require local authorities to have regard to certain matters before they can proceed to consultation on the closure of a rural school?
Q2. Do you agree with the four matters we propose requiring that authorities should have regard to before proposing a rural school closure? These are:
- alternatives to the closure of the school
- likely overall impact of the school's closure on the communities which it serves
- likely impact of closure specifically on the community's subsequent use of the school's building facilities and grounds
- likely impact that new travel to school patterns and arrangements would have on pupils and other school users and the environment.
Q3. Do you agree that it is not appropriate to set up a rural schools fund?
Q4. Do you agree with the proposed definition of "rural schools"?
An educational benefit statement ( section 4)
Q5. Do you support requiring local authorities to publish a statement setting out the educational benefit of the school closure proposal?
Q6. Do you agree that it should be left to the authority as to how it sets out an educational benefit statement?
Tightening the regulations for all school consultations ( section 4)
Q7. Do you agree that HMIE's views should be sought in all cases?
Q8. Do you support the proposed changes to the way consultations should be conducted? These are:
- introducing a requirement that a consultation paper should be published containing certain information;
- establishing a mechanism for addressing allegations of factual inaccuracies in a consultation paper;
- extending the list of people who must be consulted;
- updating the way consultations are publicised;
- updating how people can respond to a consultation;
- extending the minimum consultation period to 6 weeks of term time; and
- introducing a requirement that the authority publish a Consultation Report, 28 days before the final decision is taken.
Q9. Do you agree that Ministers should take a power to issue 'statutory guidance' to which authorities would have to have regard?
A referral system ( section 5)
Q10. Are you content with the present system of referrals of closure cases to Ministers?
Q11. If not, what changes would you wish to see made, and why.
Q12. Do you agree with the proposal to place the responsibility on authorities to satisfy themselves regarding the provision of denominational education? If so, do you agree with the proposal to continue to allow referral to Ministers if the Church or denominational body has an objection?
Q13. Do you agree with our proposal that in future only school closure cases should be referable to Ministers?
Anything else?
Q14. If you have any other comments or suggestions to make on, or any addition to, the proposals set out in this consultation paper, please included these in your response.