The reasons for this are:
- The school has falling admissions numbers – the school can provide places for a total of 1000 students and currently has only 636 students on roll. As a result, it has 36% surplus places and action is required to remove excess capacity of over 25%.
- In recent years, Hesketh Fletcher has not been the first preference of parents in the area. The school received just 64 first preference applications and this number is expected to fall further.
- Standards of education at the school are a cause for concern.
The proposals will see other schools in the area remodelled and expanded to receive pupils from Hesketh Fletcher.
Westleigh High will be expanded to increase its capacity from 775 to 1,250 students. The admission number for each year group will rise from 155 to 250.
Bedford High will also be remodelled and extended to take on slightly more students. This proposal did not require statutory consultation.
The proposed 14-19 centre on the Hesketh Fletcher site will see the site remodelled and refurbished, to allow the centre to offer high quality education in the form of new style diploma qualifications for those aged 14-19 and a range of academic and work based courses for those aged 16-19. Consultation will take place on this proposal at a later date.
The story so far:
May 2009 – Stage one consultation begins with parents, staff, diocese, governors and the wider community on proposals to discontinue Hesketh Fletcher High and enlarge Westleigh High School;
July 2009 – Wigan Council’s Cabinet agree to proceed to the next stage of consultation for proposals to discontinue Hesketh Fletcher High and enlarge Westleigh High School.
September 2009 – Statutory notices are published to discontinue Hesketh Fletcher High and enlarge Westleigh High.
November 2009 – Wigan Council’s Cabinet agree to close Hesketh Fletcher High and to expand Westleigh High to receive more pupils with effect from August 2012.
December 2009 – An appeal is lodged against the decision to discontinue Hesketh Fletcher High and the case is referred to the Independent Schools Adjudicator for a decision.
February 2010 – The Independent Schools Adjudicator collates evidence from a Hesketh Fletcher High, governors, pupils, staff, the local community and the local authority. All evidence is taken away for further consideration and a final decision by the adjudicator.
March 2010 – The final decision is received from the Schools Adjudicator. The determination document received details the Adjudicator’s decision that Hesketh Fletcher High should be discontinued with effect from August 2012.
Proposals for Hesketh Fletcher and related schemes including those for Westleigh High are currently being progressed by Wigan Council.
We will continue to update you on progress with this and all the WSF schemes.
