As usual, Joan Sallis gives wise advice to a governor whose school is considering a change of status (TES, June 28). She is however, technically incorrect when she suggests that the Secretary of State would make a final decision following objections to public notices of the change. Under arrangements for local decision-making introduced in 1999, such decisions are made by school organisation committees, with referral to the schools’
adjudicator where there is not a unanimous decision.
Peter Goringe
Acting senior education officer
Northamptonshire County Council.
Joan Sallis writes:
I am grateful for this friendly correction, and apologise if I misled anyone.
I agree that, in England, proposals for changing the status of a school now go to the local school organisation committee, and the Secretary of State is not involved (though she may take the initiative for changes to overcome excess of insufficiency of places).
This governor gave no address, but something made me think - I may have been wrong - that it was in Wales where the Secretary of State still arbitrates in disputed cases.
But I should certainly have made it clear what happened in England.
