Cabinet members to visit schools considered for amalgamation proposals

Shropshire County Council cabinet members will visit every school being considered for amalgamation or merger before the initial consultation period ends on 2 May.

Consultation is currently under way into proposals to amalgamate sixteen schools, and a cabinet meeting will be held on 19 May when councillors will consider the responses to the consultation.

Meetings have already been held at each school for teachers, governors, parents and the community to discuss the plans – but members of the county council’s cabinet will visit each school again in the coming weeks to see the schools first hand.

Councillors have been considering consultation documents outlining proposals for each school, and reports detailing comments and responses to the plans will be presented to the cabinet meeting on 19 May.

Councillor Ann Hartley, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “I feel very strongly that it is imperative for members of the cabinet to visit each school to get a feel of the ethos and observe at first hand the geography of the area. There is nothing to beat experiencing the visits to the areas, and seeing the schools for themselves.”

Meetings are also taking place with key stakeholders, such as teaching unions, to discuss their views before the cabinet meeting.

Councillors have assured staff, parents and members of the local communities that no decisions have yet been made, and all views submitted during the consultation stage will be taken into consideration. The consultation period runs until 2 May.

21 April 2008