Views to be sought on potential closure of Chiltern Edge School

The council is to consult on the future of Chiltern Edge School, which has been placed in Special Measures following an Ofsted rating of ‘Inadequate’.

The report details serious concerns about the quality of education currently being provided at the secondary school in Sonning Common, and in these circumstances the government requires local authorities to consider the option of closure. The council’s top priority is to ensure good educational opportunities are available to local families as quickly as possible.

The consultation, which will open on Friday (28 April) and run until 16 June, will look into the potential impact of closure and whether alternative solutions can be found to ensure good quality education in this part of Oxfordshire. At the same time, the council is continuing to support the school in addressing the immediate areas of concern raised by Ofsted.

Seeking views

The council’s Director for Children’s Services Lucy Butler said: “There are a number of serious issues raised by the Ofsted report and the council’s priority is ultimately to ensure good educational opportunities are available to local families. That’s why we have acted swiftly in seeking views on the school’s future.

“This will be a very concerning situation and a time of great uncertainty for everyone associated with Chiltern Edge. We are working closely with the school to keep families fully informed of the situation.

“It’s important to stress at this stage that no decisions have been taken and that the school would not close without appropriate transfer arrangements in place for every child to attend a better-performing school. We would encourage everyone with an interest in the provision of good quality education for children in the local area to take part in the consultation.”

Next steps

The council will consider the consultation feedback in June and decide whether the school’s closure may be necessary. If so, it would publish a statutory closure notice, alongside detailed information including a proposed timescale and transfer arrangements for current students. A final decision on whether to close the school would then follow.

Details of the consultation will be published on Friday on the council’s website www.oxfordshire.gov.uk