The Church Of The Holy Rood -- Wool, Dorset, U.K.
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The Church Of The Holy Rood -- Wool, Dorset, U.K.
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The following article will be printed in the Holy Rood Parish Magazine in January 2009:
THE PURBECK REVIEW SCHOOL PROVISION IN THE PURBECK AREA
Many of you will have read the article on the front of the December 14th edition of the Swanage and Wareham Advertiser – Parents to have say on schooling – and this article will attempt to shed some light on the matter.
The Governors and staff at Wool CE First School have received a letter from the Pupil and School Improvement department of Dorset County Council, and some particularly relevant sections of this letter are reproduced here:
“Dorset County Council's Cabinet met on the 3rd December 2008. During this meeting they gave approval for us to go to public consultation. This will be to consult on moving from a three tier (first, middle and upper schools) to a two tier (primary and secondary schools) pattern of provision.”
As the article in the Advertiser commented: “That leaves first and middle schools across the area with an uncertain future.” This is because changing from the current system in the Purbeck area of three-tier schools (First, Middle and Upper) to a two-tier system (primary and secondary) will have significant implications for middle schools and first schools in the area. The letter from County continues:
“This does not mean that a decision has been made for this change to happen. It does mean that between January and February 2009 extensive consultation will take place. During this period, we will be encouraging everyone to put forward their views including teaching and support staff, parents and governors.”
A series of meetings that will give the public in general - and staff, governors and parents involved with Wool CE First School in particular - an opportunity to be part of this consultation process has been arranged. These meetings will be as follows: 14th Jan at Wareham DC at 7.00pm 21st Jan at West Lulworth Village Hall at 7.00pm 29th Jan at Sandford (venue tbc) at 7.00pm 3rd Feb at Swanage RUFC at 7.00pm
There will also be meetings at every school. There will be three separate meetings held at Wool CE First School – one for staff, one for parents and one for governors. Governors and staff may attend the meeting for parents. These meetings will take place at Wool CE First School on Monday 12th January: 3.30pm for staff 5.00pm for Governors 7.00pm for parents
It is important that you have your say at these meetings. The necessity and desirability of your participation is prompted by a further extract from the letter from County which says: “All views will be recorded and will contribute to the final proposal. The process will value all contributions from professional and nonprofessionals alike.”
Parents of children at Wool CE First School will receive copies of the consultation documents on 7th January 2009 along with other information which should be available at that time, but for now you are urged to put the meeting dates in your diary. The timetable is very tight, because once the public consultation process has finished “all views will be collated and the findings presented back to cabinet in July 2009. If the decision is then to go ahead with the proposals, the local authority will start the legal process of changing the pattern of schools. This would involve issuing statutory notices in September 2009. A change in the schools is likely to be phased in over a two year period with an earliest start date of September 2011.”
There has been a school for Wool’s children on the site of Wool CE First School for nearly 140 years; many of the readers of this magazine will have been pupils there, or will have sent their children to it, and this consultation process is your chance to make your views and wishes heard.
The campaign is growing . . .These proposals have also made headlines in the Daily Echo and Dorset Echo. The proposals have been opposed by the Schools Minister and local MP, Mr Jim Knight, who said: "Regarding the proposal to close Wool CE First School and merge it into an enlarged St. Mary’s Roman Catholic site, I am not in favour of this option as it would reduce parental choice. This principle applies across the board to all types of schools and in this case, the ability to retain Anglican choice would not be assured.."
Meetings in the village hall have been packed out with 400+ estimated to have attended as parents, friends, and ex-pupils unanimously rallied round to save their outstanding school and preserve choice in primary education.
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