Mar 2 2011
Feedback Please!
I hear tales from time to time that people are using the information on the web site to help them fight a school closure proposal. I know that there are quite a number of visitors to the site on a daily basis. But what I don’t get is much feedback.
I do get the odd comment. But what I would really like is some feedback from people who are practically using the information and tactics. And maybe a little potted history of their struggle and their particular circumstances. We all learn better when we have practical examples to illustrate points and issues.
I also want to know what else I could provide to make it better. Constructive criticism I can deal with. So if you visit the site please leave comments for me. Remember we all feel as though we are working in a vacuum. But there are plenty of other souls out there going through the same uncertainties and struggles. Let’s try and help each other.
Mar 16, 2011 @ 12:19:34
I have just stumbled across your site after googling ‘successful fights against school closure’. I am a member of an action group currently fighting against the closure of Cantley Sycamore Primary School in Doncaster. We are a ‘good’ school (Ofsted nov 2010) with the best educational standards in the area BUT we have low pupil numbers and the council is citing surplus places as the reason for closure. We are in the second week of the consultation period and will be reading your advice carefully. Thank you so much, your site has given ideas for new directions we can try and advice that i’m sure will be helpful. I look forward to reading it all in detail (more late nights ahead!)
Mar 22, 2011 @ 08:34:10
Hello Andrea. Sorry for not replying sooner. If you have any queries about the book or the advice in it then contact me and I will try to help. Hope your fight goes well.
May 09, 2011 @ 09:08:47
This is a brilliant website – we’re trying to save our local secondary school from closure and this website is inspiring and uplifting. And, of course, provides us with loads of information which will help us to save our wonderful school!
May 09, 2011 @ 09:43:09
Thanks for the comments. It’s good to know the site is of value to others fighting school closures.
Sep 24, 2011 @ 07:27:35
David-
Further to Twiggo’s comments in May- We’ve used your great website and advice to fight the Shropshire Council’s proposal to close The Wakeman School and Arts College in Shrewsbury. This is the current situation which I thought might be of interest.
On 7th September, we had lots of complaints and concerns about the proposal and consultation lodged with the Ombudsman, but despite this Cabinet voted unanimously to close the school. We are waiting for the Ombudsman’s findings. More importantly for us and I think for your website too, though, is that the Lichfield Diocesan Board of Education has referred the decision to the Schools Adjudicator and we are hopeful that this will result in our wonderful school being saved. This is significant because The Wakeman is not a church school (please see http://www.lichfield.anglican.org/news&newsID=840), but the church has still given us us that precious route through to the Adjudicator and a fair hearing for the school. We’ll keep you posted.
Sep 26, 2011 @ 20:28:24
Helen
This is great news and this case has taught me something that I did not know. We learn something new every day! The Schools Adjudicator will definitely provide a balanced review of the factors. They will look strictly at the Statutory Code of Guidance and base their recommendations on whether the education authority has met all the requirements in there. If you marshall all of your arguments and evidence around the factors set out in the Guidance then you will stand a good chance of success. After all any change should result in your children having better education not worse. Let me know of your progress.
David
Oct 08, 2011 @ 08:19:33
Hello David,
Following on from my post of 24 September- we’re in the process of preparing for our meetings with the Schools Adjudicator (both potentially between the school and the Adjudicator, and the public meeting) and your experience would be very helpful to us. Any information or tips would be much appreciated. Does the Adjudicator act as the chair of a debate between the two sides, or does s/he take more of an active lead, asking questions of both sides and wanting information about particular things? Are there any issues that you think are particularly important to demonstrate at the meetings? Our appeal is entirely structured around the statutory guidance as you advise, and we think we have a strong case, but we want to make sure we do the school justice at the meeting(s) too. The LA’s case seems riddled with holes- all the way through this process the issue for us has not been looking for ways in which it has failed to meet the statutory guidance but deciding where to stop- so any advice on what to focus on in the meetings would really help. Thank you, and best wishes,
Helen
Oct 12, 2011 @ 19:25:26
Hello again Helen.
I am just back from a week’s holiday so I’ll respond tomorrow to your questions. Be in touch soon.