'It's an exciting time for the community'

THE RIDINGS & THOMAS WEDGE

HEADTEACHERS in Saughall are excited about plans to amalgamate their schools and create a £4 million all-through primary school.

The Ridings headteacher Judith Davies said: 'It's my personal opinion this is an exciting time and I expect that this will be the opinion of the community and governors.

'We've got to look forward to carrying education in Saughall into the 21st century.

'The options are for a completely new school and as a community we will be looking at the options together. It's an interesting time for the community as a whole.'

The message was re-enforced by Laurie Kwissa, headteacher of Thomas Wedge Junior School.

She said: 'We all feel really positive about it. It's quite simply a fantastic opportunity for us as a school and for everyone.

'It's just early days yet and until the formal consultations are through it would be premature to go into the details.

'We're pleased it's been announced and although we've been kept fully informed, the announcement gives us the chance to respond.

'We know other schools are going through big changes of their own and we would want to support them and be sensitive to their position. But we believe it's a good thing for us.'

'This is a cracking school - why close it?' > > >

'This is a cracking school - why close it?'

HARTHILL & HUXLEY CE

VILLAGE communities are fighting for the survival of two schools they say are central to their future.

Harthill and Huxley CE schools have both been earmarked for closure in August 2008 under proposals to revamp primary education in the area.

In Huxley, villagers have reacted strongly to suggestions that the school should close.

The school, which has 29 pupils, opened in 1851 and has been under threat before, successfully fighting closure in 1932, 1974 and 1988.

Paul Barrow, priest in charge of the parish of Hargrave and Huxley, said: 'This school is a foundation stone in the community and is its seed corn for the future. Pull out the stone, dig up the seed and the community will wither and die.'

Heather Whittingham, of Mill Farm in Huxley has two children at the school, seven-year-old Lee and Charlie, five.

She said: 'I was very upset when I heard the news because my husband went to the school and so did his father, so the family is connected to the school.

'My kids get a very high standard of education here and I don't want them to go anywhere else - it would make a big difference to my life and to theirs.'

Annette Houlihan, of Covert Drive, Tattenhall, explained that she and other parents from Harthill Primary will be fighting against the plans.

She said: 'We are disappointed with the proposal of closure and will fight against this.

'We have just had an outstanding Ofsted report. In fact, the inspector described it as a 'cracking school'.

'The parents value the school because all of the children not only achieve academically they also learn great life skills, which we believe they would not in larger primary schools.

'It appears that the council are only interested in figures on paper, like budgets and surplus places, which closing Harthill will not have a dramatic impact on their overall figures.'

'Gordon Brown announced on Wednesday he 'will invest in every child, every school and every head' so why doesn't he do this now and save our achieving Eco-school.'

'Still early days - but this could be very positive for us' > > >

'Still early days - but this could be very positive for us'

OVERLEIGH ST MARY'S & ST MARY'S NURSERY

STAFF and governors at Overleigh St Mary's CE Primary School and St Mary's Nursery gave a cautious welcome to proposals announced last week.

The plan is to relocate St Mary's to Overleigh's Handbridge site to occupy surplus capacity at the primary school in September 2008.

Cheshire County Council is already consulting parents over plans to transform Belgrave Infant School at Westminster Park and Overleigh.

Belgrave would take on a junior school role - turning it into a primary school - and reduce infant intake.

Overleigh would increase its infant section and reduce its junior intake.

Ken Jones, headteacher of St Mary's on St Mary's Hill, off Castle Street, said: 'I think the important thing is we remain a separate school with its own identity. We have been in this city for 150 years and we'd like to be here for many more years to come.

'It's early days but this could be very positive for us.

'The site at Overleigh has potential we couldn't realise on this site.'

Diane Morgan, chair of governors at Overleigh, said: 'As a governing body we are happy about the proposal. If the change in status at Belgrave goes through we will have space and the nursery would be a very good use of that space.'

Concerns over mixed classes > > >

Concerns over mixed classes

VICTORIA INFANTS & ST THOMAS

PARENTS of tots at Victoria County Infant School are angry plans could reduce choice and produce mix-and-match classes.

Under the new proposals, the Cheyney Road school in Chester will merge with St Thomas of Canterbury Blue Coat Junior School, with which it already shares a site.

Headteacher of Victoria infants, Tricia McGuirk, questioned the idea that a merger would end empty and expensive classrooms.

She said: 'We actually don't have any surplus places here.

'We have got admissions for 60 pupils at present, which equates to two classes of 30 and that will be reduced to 45.'

The resulting one and a half form entry has been criticised by parents. One mum argues the proposal could lead to mixed age group classes which she believes could be disruptive.

Her concerns were echoed by Ian Newton, headteacher of St Thomas Junior School.

He said: 'We're in favour in principle of these plans but we do have some concerns. We are worried about the reduction in admissions. We're used to dealing with mixed year groups but the infants have two clearly distinct Key Stages.'

He said this might be difficult to manage.

Another mum said she was disappointed her daughters would have to go to a church affiliated school. She said this undermined the much discussed intention to give parents choice.

The proposals include promises of a new children's centre but Mr Newton said he wanted these details clarified. He said at present they were vague.

'We're absolutely devastated' > > >

'We're absolutely devastated'

WOODFIELD PRIMARY & NEWTON PRIMARY

GOVERNORS have attacked proposals to axe a Newton school they say is at the heart of the community.

Plans announced last week would see Woodfield Primary close in August 2008 and Newton Primary School enlarged to include the pupils from Woodfield.

Councillor David Hull, chairman of governors at Woodfield, said: 'We're all absolutely devastated by the news. The school ticks all the right boxes and yet we are down to be closed.

'The reasons for closure have got to be good reasons. The argument seems to be that there will be disruption to fewer families if Woodfield closes but that is not a good enough reason.'

Woodfield has 119 pupils and a capacity for 238, Newton Primary has 350 children.

Cllr Hull explained that the school had been adversely affected by the closure of Kingsway High.

'We missed out on a lot of our intake when Kingsway closed. There was an assumption in the area that we would be closing too and the impact has been devastating.

'This school is in the heart of the community and we have capacity for enlargement here.'

He also pointed to the small but significant Bangladeshi population at the school.

'Their kids are well settled here, have been accepted into the community and are doing well at the school.'

Mark Griffiths, acting headteacher at Newton Primary, said: 'School governors are considering the emerging options. Parents will have the opportunity to put forward their views at drop-in sessions later this month.'

'It's only a proposal at this stage' > > >

'It's only a proposal at this stage'

BOUGHTON ST PAUL'S & CHERRY GROVE

GOVERNORS at Boughton St Paul's Nursery and Infant School have been cautious in response to the news their school faces closure.

The proposals, if accepted, would see pupils displaced to Cherry Grove Primary School.

The moves are an attempt to cut county council spending on buildings and maintenance in the region where class sizes are small.

Sue Churchill, chair of governors, said: 'There are surplus places but it's only a small school so we feel any small surplus shows up. We feel the size of the school is an advantage.

'We don't want to whip up any controversy but nobody wants a school to close do they? You can imagine how the parents feel. But it is only a proposal at this stage.'

Ward councillor Bob Rudd has already launched a Save Our School campaign.

He said: 'Here's a fantastic little school that is doing an excellent job with a great re-cord, so I'm not going to agree to this closure without a fight.'

Cllr Rudd said he had a personal interest in fighting the closure as his granddaughter had attended the school.

'The county council is strapped for cash with a huge hole in their budget and they've picked out a site which has the most value.'

He added that it was 'a nonsense' to close a school at time when Chester was going through a period of redevelopment which would offset the falling roles of inner city schools.

Cherry Grove Primary School headteacher Chris Marron said: 'The facts of the matter are there are falling roles nationally and locally and I believe something has to be done.

'We're a large school and we have a surplus of places and every child brings funding to the school so more children is a positive move for us.'