Haberdashers Aske's Hatcham Schools, Deptford (Hansard, 2 December 1988)

§ Ms. Ruddock
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make available a sum of not less than £4 million in capital funding to the Haberdashers Aske's Hatcham school, in Deptford, in the event of city technology colleges being established on the sites of these schools.

§ Mrs. Rumbold
An occasional professional assistant working for the Department visited the schools in July at the invitation of the governors to advise on possible modifications to the buildings. As a result of this, the governors have concluded that adaptation of the premises to meet the objectives of the CTC programme might cost £4 million. This is in line with capital grants to CTCs already announced. Any approach by the governors to my right hon. Friend to establish a CTC in place of these schools will be treated strictly on its merits.

§ Ms. Ruddock
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the guidance issued by his Department in circular 11/88 on the use of interviews in admissions procedures for non-selective county and voluntary schools is intended to apply to the Haberdashers Aske's Hatcham schools in Deptford; and if he will make a statement on the implications of changing the terms of articles of government for the schools to take account of this guidance.

§ Mrs. Rumbold
The guidance in circular 11/88 is meant for all county and voluntary schools. In the Department's404W view, non-selective schools may not have, as criteria for admission, arrangements which involve selection by reference to ability or aptitude, including any arrangements which, by implication, carry an element of selection, such as headteacher interview to assess the qualities a child might bring to the school.
The making of the articles of government of individual voluntary schools is a matter for the maintaining local education authority, which is required to secure the agreement of the school governing body to the terms of the document. In the event of disagreement, the matter can be referred to my right hon. Friend for determination.

§ Ms. Ruddock
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received seeking approval of, or advice on, any draft curriculum for the proposed city technology colleges to be established on the site of the Haberdashers Aske's Hatcham schools in Deptford; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mrs. Rumbold
I understand that a governors' working party which is currently considering various options for the schools' future, including seeking to become a city technology college, has had a paper prepared on a possible CTC curriculum. When this paper was in preparation my officials were asked to give technical advice on how far its contents were in line with the requirements and objectives of the CTC programme.

§ Ms. Ruddock
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has assessed whether the details of the membership bodies and funding arrangements set out under the three options in the consultation document entitled, "Securing the Future of the Schools," issued in July by the governors of the Haberdasher Aske's Hatcham schools in Deptford are in line with the guidance of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mrs. Rumbold
In preparing this document, the Governors sought advice from my officials on the statutory provisions relating to the three options outlined for the schools' future. They also sought advice on whether the plans outlined under the CTC option would meet the requirements and objectives of the CTC programme.
Implementation of possible plans for grant maintained status set out under option 2 of the document would be subject to the publication by the governors of proposals under section 62 of the Education Reform Act 1988, and their approval by my right hon. Friend. Implementation of the CTC plans would require the governors to give notice of their intention to discontinue the schools under the provision of section 14 of the Education Act 1944. They are likely to need my right hon. Friend's leave to give such notice. Any decisions which fall to him will be taken strictly on their merits and in the light of the individual circumstances, including the consultations undertaken by the governors.