Fareham's Henry Cort school to move to North Whiteley as bosses warn of dire future

The decision was made by Hampshire County Council’s cabinet member for children’s services, councillor Roz Chadd (April 22), with the support of almost half of the select committee that met to debate the proposal which will come into effect from September 2027.

During her deputation, Cllr Pamela Bryant urged the council to use “common sense” when making decisions.

The decision comes as a new secondary school in North Whiteley is planned, subject to planning consent, to meet the anticipated demand for between 900 and 1,200 school places across the Whiteley area, once the development of the area is complete. However it comes after a public consultation showed very little support for the proposal from parents.

But the council has warned that Henry Cort would ultimately have an unviable future as pupil numbers - and funding - fell if the move was not undertaken.

At the select committee, questions were raised about rumours the council was in conversation with housing developers.

However, Richard Vaughan, strategic planning officer at the county council, categorically said that the council is not having any conversations with any organisation about the future of the site.

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Mr Vaughan said: “When the site becomes vacant in either September 2027 or later, the asset will move into our land and assets team in Hampshire 2050. They will work proactively with the community and others to understand what options exist around that site and its future use.

“There has been absolutely no decision taken around the future use of that site.”

Eight councillors voted in favour of the plan. Cllr David Drew said that having read the report, he concluded that it “is the right thing to do”.

Chair of the committee, Cllr Juliette Henderson, added that uncertainty is the worst outcome for children. She said that “funding follows a child”, and keeping Henry Cort in the actual site with "falling numbers" and "falling funding" is not viable.

Six council members voted against the relocation. Cllr Lesley Meenaghan said that she has strong concerns about the closure of Henry Cort School ans its effect on the children who live in the area from deprived backgrounds, since “getting to school will be more difficult for these children and the link between persistence absenteeism and deprivation is well documented.”

On her decision day, Cllr Chadd, who asked officers to move the decision to a closer date to give "stability" and "clarity" to parents about the school's future, said that making the decision earlier would give the council two years to support students, parents and staff transitioning to the new school.

She said that she has been reassured that concerns raised by parents about transport could be "dealt with" and that every child on the Fareham side can access transport to make sure they don’t miss school.

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Cllr Chadd said: “I’ve carefully listened to officers, teachers, governors, and listen in great detail to the select committee. And I want to really emphasise that what came out of that is our commitment to support all those in this transition period.

“I’m really happy to make the decision to relocate the school to the new site in Whiteley. This is the beginning of the journey. There is much work to do with the community and the school community. I know we have a fantastic team that will put those communities in the forefront of everything that is to be done going forward.”

Cllr Chadd added that reassurance had been given to her that those who did not choose to relocate to the new site would have a place in the closest school, Fareham Academy and Cams Hill School.

Chris Rice, principal of The Henry Cort Community College, added: “My governors and I recognise that this is the right decision for Henry Cort moving forward. While we fully appreciate that change can be challenging, the relocation will enable the school to remain viable, ensuring ongoing good quality education for local children. We will continue to work closely with the County Council to ensure local parents and pupils are fully supported as the transition is made to the new site from September 2027.”

The decision to relocate Henry Cort in 2027 will include consultations with the local community on changes to catchment areas and admissions later this year.