Council and democracy

Secondary schools review initial consultation closes

In June this year, the council set out its vision for the transformation of secondary school education through The Secondary Review. The ambitious proposals were developed after discussions with teachers across the borough and were designed to reflect the changing needs for education in Croydon.

The proposals included:

• facilities available in each local area for children with special educational needs
• better sports and technology facilities for students as well as the local community
• new buildings and facilities to improve the learning environment for teaching and learning for all.

The four month consultation opened on 11 June and was one of the most extensive carried out by the council. It included:

• eight public meetings, with 1093 attendees in total
• responses via post, email or text from 1225 residents
• collaboration with neighbouring local authorities including Lambeth, Sutton, Surrey and Bromley
• individual schools governors meetings, a parents forum and meetings with groups of governors and chairs.

The council has listened to the views of its residents, pupils, parents and teachers and is currently assessing all feedback received during the consultation. The council has also written to all headteachers asking for any additional feedback now that the process has concluded. Proposals for The Secondary Review will be finalised in the coming weeks.

Councillor Maria Gatland, cabinet member for children's services and adult learning, said: "It is clear from the volume of feedback that Croydon's aspirations for the quality of our children's education are high. We are delighted that so many share our ambition to transform Croydon's schools.

"All of our schools, even the outstanding ones, should be challenged to modernise, improve and adapt to the needs of Croydon in the 21st century. We believe that the review, together with an unprecedented scale of investment, provides us with a strong foundation to achieve this. We are now analysing the feedback so that we can take proposals forward to cabinet and embark on the next stage of this exciting plan for education in Croydon."