23/Jan/2007, 05:44 PM
Yesterday evening at Mount Grace School hundreds of concerned parents, family members and local residents attended a meeting organised and chaired by the schools adjudicator Mr Richard Lindley. During this meeting the County once again outlined their proposal to close Sunny Bank School. Sunny Bank School and St Johns playgroup were able to put their cases against the closure plans aided by a non-stop stream of speakers from the audience who voiced their anger and frustration over the proposals. It was obvious to all present that Sunny Bank School and St Johns playgroup are held in the highest regard by parents and the Potters Bar community as a whole.
The head teachers of Dame Alice Owen and Mount Grace Schools attended the meeting and voiced either their concern over the counties processes or their belief that Sunny Bank School should stay open. Alison Peacock the Head of Wroxham School spoke in her capacity as Chair of the Potters Bar Head Teachers Network stating that all the Potters Bar Head teachers had agreed at a meeting last week that they did not support County's proposals to shut Sunny Bank School.
Herts County Councils proposals for closure were as flawed as their inept, and frankly embarrassing, attempts to run PowerPoint slides during their presentation. It was clear that County officers were 'economical with the truth'. They also contradicted themselves several times over the course of the evening. One example of such was County stating that they would make no money from the closure of Sunny Bank as any money made would go back into school budgets. What they failed to mention was the £2 million (or more) made from the sale of the Sunny Bank site would go back to the County not necessarily into school budgets. In the same vein they stated that, if making money was all they were interested in, they would make more money from the sale of the Cranborne site. Once more they failed to mention another fact, that the Cranborne site is effectively one step away from marsh land, kept above water only by a giant soak away drainage system. No developer could even attempt to build anything on the Cranborne site without first addressing the massive drainage problems that exist there.
They have quite obviously not contacted St Johns playgroup or made any plans to provide for it at all despite one County officer having the gall to state in a public meeting that they had. Neither have they made any attempt to properly scope the traffic and travel problems, although one County official did state that he had parked outside Cranborne School a 'couple of times' and 'had a look'. If this is the depth of research that County apply to their educational reviews it is no wonder that they are so flawed and utterly inept.
During a strong rebuttal of the County's ludicrous plans by the Sunny Bank Chair of Governors, County officer's appeared to lose their cool as one officer stood up and attempted to interrupt the proceedings causing the adjudicator to have to ask the County official to sit down and allow proceedings to continue! As Mr Pike used to say in Dads Army 'They don't like it up 'em'. Disrespectful, rude and unprofessional are all words that spring to mind when reflecting on some of the County officer's attitudes and behaviour last night.
I am very pleased to report that the Sunny Bank supporters were well mannered and commended by the adjudicator for their 'good humour' during the proceedings. I was immensely proud of all who attended the meeting and those who stood up and spoke out in support for Sunny Bank School.
We now have two weeks to write letters or send e-mails to the adjudicator. Please do so, especially if what the County officer's said and did last night infuriated you as much as it did me. The contact details are listed below.
Write to;
Mrs Lesley Jackson,
Office of the Schools Adjudicator,
Mowden Hall,
Darlington,
DL3 9BG
Quoting Case Ref: STP/000221
Or e-mail lesley.jackson@dfes.gsi.gov.uk again, quoting Case Ref: STP/000221.
The head teachers of Dame Alice Owen and Mount Grace Schools attended the meeting and voiced either their concern over the counties processes or their belief that Sunny Bank School should stay open. Alison Peacock the Head of Wroxham School spoke in her capacity as Chair of the Potters Bar Head Teachers Network stating that all the Potters Bar Head teachers had agreed at a meeting last week that they did not support County's proposals to shut Sunny Bank School.
Herts County Councils proposals for closure were as flawed as their inept, and frankly embarrassing, attempts to run PowerPoint slides during their presentation. It was clear that County officers were 'economical with the truth'. They also contradicted themselves several times over the course of the evening. One example of such was County stating that they would make no money from the closure of Sunny Bank as any money made would go back into school budgets. What they failed to mention was the £2 million (or more) made from the sale of the Sunny Bank site would go back to the County not necessarily into school budgets. In the same vein they stated that, if making money was all they were interested in, they would make more money from the sale of the Cranborne site. Once more they failed to mention another fact, that the Cranborne site is effectively one step away from marsh land, kept above water only by a giant soak away drainage system. No developer could even attempt to build anything on the Cranborne site without first addressing the massive drainage problems that exist there.
They have quite obviously not contacted St Johns playgroup or made any plans to provide for it at all despite one County officer having the gall to state in a public meeting that they had. Neither have they made any attempt to properly scope the traffic and travel problems, although one County official did state that he had parked outside Cranborne School a 'couple of times' and 'had a look'. If this is the depth of research that County apply to their educational reviews it is no wonder that they are so flawed and utterly inept.
During a strong rebuttal of the County's ludicrous plans by the Sunny Bank Chair of Governors, County officer's appeared to lose their cool as one officer stood up and attempted to interrupt the proceedings causing the adjudicator to have to ask the County official to sit down and allow proceedings to continue! As Mr Pike used to say in Dads Army 'They don't like it up 'em'. Disrespectful, rude and unprofessional are all words that spring to mind when reflecting on some of the County officer's attitudes and behaviour last night.
I am very pleased to report that the Sunny Bank supporters were well mannered and commended by the adjudicator for their 'good humour' during the proceedings. I was immensely proud of all who attended the meeting and those who stood up and spoke out in support for Sunny Bank School.
We now have two weeks to write letters or send e-mails to the adjudicator. Please do so, especially if what the County officer's said and did last night infuriated you as much as it did me. The contact details are listed below.
Write to;
Mrs Lesley Jackson,
Office of the Schools Adjudicator,
Mowden Hall,
Darlington,
DL3 9BG
Quoting Case Ref: STP/000221
Or e-mail lesley.jackson@dfes.gsi.gov.uk again, quoting Case Ref: STP/000221.
