Author: Wendy Varley
Schools Reorganisation: Competition Public Meetings Announced
Friday, 26th June, 2009 at 2:50 pm, Isle of Wight
If you thought it had all gone a bit quiet on the schools reorganisation front, it’s hotting up again just as we’re all busy preparing for the summer holidays.
So make a note of the relevant dates in your diaries now!
The competition the council has been running to invite bids to establish new island schools (five secondaries for ages 11-19, and two amalgamated primaries) enters its next phase in July, when the various bidders get to present their proposals to the public.
We will remind you nearer the time, but for the moment make a note of these dates in your diaries.
Meetings are from 5.30pm (for a 6pm start) to 8.30pm:
Monday 13 July: Cowes High (for proposals for Cowes Secondary School)
Tuesday 14 July: Carisbrooke High (for proposals for Carisbrooke Secondary School)
Wednesday 15 July: Medina High Leisure Centre (for proposals for Fairlee Secondary School)
Thursday 16 July: Sandown High (for proposals for Sandown Secondary School)
Friday 17 July: Ryde High (for proposals for Ryde Secondary School)
Monday 20 July: Medina Theatre (for proposals for Rural Amalgamation Primary School, ie Chillerton & Rookley, Godshill and Wroxall)
Tuesday 21 July: Medina Theatre (for proposals for East Cowes/Whippingham Amalgamation Primary School)
Even if your children are currently at primary or middle school, do go along to the relevant high school meeting, so you can see what kind of vision each proposer has for the school and give the council feedback on what you would prefer.
Following the presentations there’s a period for written representations before the council decides who to award the contracts to, with the handover planned for September 2010.
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I find it all a bit depressing how the debate on local education (including this forum) appears to have gone silent. Is this not how bad policies and crass decisions get carried through? Sit out the clamour till boredom kicks in.
Two weeks ago I wrote to the CP to suggest that local election results were not the endorsement of Council education policies that some would claim. I have received back no word of comment of any kind in any form, whether to agree or to take issue. Guessing this response, I asked what changes of policy the Conservatives would make to take account of the many voters opposed to the closing of good schools. Answer: none.
Over recent years I have through different channels raised many points of criticism and put many questions to the Council leadership over their handling of schools. Only once have I received any kind of reply and that proved incorrect. I can think of only three possible explanations for this lack of response:
- my points are all so barmy and ill-informed as to be beneath contempt and unworthy of attention
- those in County Hall, our servants not masters, see themselves as beyond criticism and above the need to answer to the electorate
- my points are all quite valid and cannot be defended or answered, given the apparent inability ever to admit to error
Choose which. A look at the direction of education on the Island over recent years invites serious questions over salaries, performance, use of public money and policy decisions. Silence and indifference are surely the least good response to such activity.
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See what I mean?
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We’re with you on this all the way rb.
But we wonder what it would take for things to change?
Does the new style of politics that we’re supposed to be seeing, mean the electorate will be listened to if objections were to be raised on companies tendering to run the schools.
Or perhaps the 40 cllrs will now listen to the 1000s of people who objected to the reorganisation and refuse to sign off statutory notices?
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Some of us are just tired. We’ve been fighting this for a long time now. Unfortunately, this administration WILL see their election ‘victory’ as a mandate. The system’s going two tier and all the schools will soon be run by agencies other than the LEA. Blame a disengaged electorate, who, a few weeks ago had a real opportunity to change things and chose not to.
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They said, “back us or sack us” and I think that they consider they have been backed. Lie back and enjoy it!
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Ventnor Parents may get engaged again if it becomes apparent that their children, without elder brothers or sisters, have to go to Ryde or Cowes for secondary school. The heavily cut 270 places per year at Sandown may not satisfy all the catchment area, and the distant ones lose out. Fairlee may be filled with Ryde children (Ryde is closer than Ventnor, which will leave space at Ryde. The info is out there, just not well known – yet.
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Since when has the encatchment area for Ventnor been Sandown then??? I think you will find that it is still Medina High.
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If it’s the same as it was 20 years ago, mojo, it’s always been both Sandown and Medina.
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The competition notice map shows ventnor = fairlee.
But last year Sandown got 458 applications (335 priority, 123 other areas). With only 270 places in future, bembridge children may not get places, never mind our choice.
Figures from page 23 of
http://eduwight.iow.gov.uk/parent/admissions/images/middleandhigh09-10.pdf
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The election result was a mandate to do as they will over schools, whether we like it or not.
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I’m in a quandary with it myself. Letting schools by competition is a new concept (and I publicly questioned the wisdom of going down that route here). But as things stand, I feel I can’t afford to be an ostrich: the competition is happening, bids are in and people need to hear what they are. I’m sure there are all sorts of questions that ought to be asked. Bottom line: attend the meetings.
This week’s County Press has news about one academy bid on the front page of the current issue, and says inside there are 16 bidders for 7 schools (that includes the two primary school amalgamations). Link here:
http://www.iwcp.co.uk/news/news/partnership-plans-to-take-on-high-schools-26935.aspx
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Anyone else heard rumours of a one year delay to implementation to ‘get it right’? No council decision on 29th September anymore?
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>a one year delay to implementation to ‘get it right’
Or (more likely) to find the money!
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May find out on Tuesday
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