Satellite schools could solve Brighton and Hove school place crisis (From The Argus)

Satellite schools could solve Brighton and Hove school place crisis

7:10am Friday 3rd February 2012 in News By Rebecca Evans

Such is the demand for places at West Hove Infants School that parents can only get their children in if they live within 600 metres of the school.

It is typical of the west of the city where the schools are full, leading Brighton and Hove City Council to look at various radical methods to meet demand.

West Hove Infants’ new second site at the Connaught building, in Connaught Road, Hove, was the first mainstream school open as a satellite when it took in its first pupils in September.

Now the council wants that to be the basis for new classrooms being run by outstanding-rated schools but opened at separate sites.

Opposition councillors have questioned whether this can really work as a sustainable model for the city.

Wendy Harkness, the West Hove Infants headteacher, thinks it can.

“Our motto is two sites, one aim. That’s what we have focused on, to make both sides as identical as we can.”

Headteacher Wendy Harkness

The school’s motto is “two sites, one aim” and staff have tried to model the new site as close in feel as possible to the main school.

The main fears about the satellite school system is that children are isolated away from the main school with no feeling of belonging.

But Mrs Harkness said they have prioritised communication to try to keep a unity between two sites – even though the children rarely meet.

She said: “We knew communication would be a big issue. But we were working with the local ICT team because we needed computers that could speak to each other across the two sites.

“Also in terms of staffing we knew it could be a big issue.

“We divide staff meetings and insets across both sites. Because we are a mile apart, walking four-year-olds across would be very difficult.

“We have a pool at the other site so we were trying to work out how to share that but in the end it was easier to go to the King Alfred Centre.

“Our motto is two sites, one aim. That’s what we have focused on, to make both sides as identical as we can.”

Lower cost

Setting up satellite schools is certainly cheaper than a new build, which helps at a time when the local authority is strapped for cash.

Converting the Grade II listed building into a fully-furnished school cost £2.8 million.

A new build equivalent would cost about £5 million.

The satellite school scheme also solves a political conundrum for the Green-led administration.

Under the coalition Government only free schools and academies are given funding to open – an education policy fiercely opposed by the Green Party.

But using satellite schools, new classrooms can still be opened and run under local authority control.

Discussions are also underway to open a satellite junior in the same area – preferably for the council in Hove Police Station in Holland Road, Hove.

However, a lead school to take it on – the favourites would be Stanford Junior, Summerhill or Davigdor – has not been identified.

Despite the success of the Connaught, the council’s preference for the satellite scheme has met with criticism.

Conservative councillor Andrew Wealls said the Greens are over-reliant on the satellite system and should embrace free schools.

He said: “It is an ideological stance.

“I think it is silly to bind itself only to this.

“It doesn’t make a great deal of sense.”

Labour Group leader Gill Mitchell said she was concerned that the city would be littered with “ad hoc” satellite schools.

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