Research Resources on the Web

Here are some web sites that could help you if you're doing research on education, population, social and economic trends, or other subjects connected with the proposed closure of Combs School.

• Neighbourhood Statistics on the National Statistics site. This link takes you to the area around Combs. Click "Neighbourhood" at the top of the page, and you'll be able to search on other areas and data sets.
  


• The Teachernet site has a section on the closure of rural schools.
  


• Defra's web site has, as part of its section on rural communities, a page about community halls for rural people.

UPDATE 29 May:

• Closing a Maintained Mainstream School - A Guide for Local Authorities and Governing Bodies (PDF format).
  
  This DfES guide contains both statutory guidance (i.e. guidance that must be followed) and non-statutory guidance on the process for closing a maintained school in accordance with the procedures established by the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (EIA 2006). The relevant provisions of the Act came into effect on 25 May 2007.
  
  In particular, take a look at the section around paragraph 4.20, where it says "Decision Makers should be satisfied that proposals for a school closure will contribute to raising local standards of provision, and will lead to improved attainment for children and young people." We believe that DCC should fail in their closure proposal because of this point.
  


• Expanding a Maintained Mainstream School or Adding a Sixth Form (PDF format).
  
  This guide contains both statutory guidance (i.e. guidance that must be followed) and non-statutory guidance on the process for “expanding” a school. Throughout this guide any reference to “expand” (i.e. or “expanding”, or “expansion”) covers the following “prescribed alterations”: enlarging the physical capacity of a school, increasing a school’s intake by 27 or more pupils and changing the school’s upper age limit to add a sixth form.
  


• Duty to Respond to Parental Representations about the Provision of Schools: Guidance to LEAs (PDF format).
  
  This is guidance to local authorities (LAs) in England on how they should carry out their duty under Section 14A of the Education Act 1996 (“the 1996 Act”) to consider parental representations about the exercise of their functions in relation to the provision of primary and secondary education under Section 14 of the 1996 Act. Section 14A was inserted by Section 3 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, which came into force on 25 May 2007.

UPDATE 1 June:

• Derbyshire County Council's budget calculations, showing budget per school and per pupil, for 2007-08.
  
  
• Another DCC budget document, showing funding by age group.
  


• DCC's School Organisation Plan and Statement of Capital Priorities 2006/7-2010/11. This shows where surplus places are, and states policy on rural and small schools.
  


• This Google Search will show references made, in the last six months, to 'Combs' on Derbyshire County Council's web site.

UPDATE 5 June:

• The Education and Inspections Bill 2006.
  
  They say: "In autumn 2005 the Government published the Schools White Paper Higher Standards, Better Schools For All, a major step forward in the Government’s aim of ensuring that every child in every school in every community gets the education they need to enable them to fulfil their potential. Many of these changes do not require legislation; others are taken forward by the Education and Inspections Bill which was published on the 28 February 2006. The Bill also includes some provisions which were not included in the White Paper, for example those on inspectorate reform."
  
  We say: "A good place to look for the promises and commitments made on educational standards."

UPDATE 16 June:

• This Google Map has been updated to show the 'normal area' for Combs School. It will be added to as we get other geographical data.
  


• DCC provided a map of the 'normal area' that you can download (1Mb, PDF format).

UPDATE 28 June:

• A report from THE CARNEGIE COMMISSION FOR RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT entitled "A Charter For Rural Communities" (PDF format).

UPDATE 3 July:

• All the Ofsted inspection statistics for Autum 2006 and Spring 2007.

UPDATE 21 July:

• Education matters are decided by Derbyshire County Council. You can read about the Council's plans for schools here.

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Let us know of any other good sources of information.