Update Sept 3rd As we all know its a definite decision that Bennett's Well will close August 2010 and move to Hatchford for September 2010. We have already been working closely together for last 12 months as two schools and pupils and staff have been meeting up. This year we have timetabled many more such meetings and activities and are hoping to also set up some to involve parents. We are also looking into a regular way of keeping parents updated with all developments and activities. If anyone has any suggestions please pop into the office at school.
Update March 27th
This week the local police and a councillor came out to Bennett's Well to meet with Mr Garthwaite, Mr Barker and Mrs Hanson and take a walk between the two schools at home time in direct response to parents concerns about the Bosworth Drive area. The views of parents were clearly shared again at this meeting. We now wait to see what the reponses will be.
In addition this week the proposal to close Bennett's Well has had its final hearing at the council.
Update Feb 13th
At the council meeting on December 10th governors Mr Garthwaite (chair of governors) Mrs Hanson and Mr Barker (headteachers) shared the views of parents with Councillor Meeson. The response was positive and he supported the request of parents to not have split sites and allow Bennett's Well to continue to take Nursery and Reception pupils in 2009, to spend an adequate amount of money on the Hatchford site to enable it to be 'fit for purpose' for the amalgamated school community and to make it possible for the two groups of staff, parents and pupils to feel that this was a truly new school. Finally it was agreed that the concerns re the Bosworth Drive area should be addressed regardless of the final outcomes re the school amalgamation project.
Following on from this there will be a meeting held with councillors and schools to address the Bosworth Drive issues. Mrs Hanson has talked to pupils in year 5 and 6 and invited parents to a meeting to discuss specifics. The parents who met shared their concerns and suggestions which will be sent out to all parents on 24th Feb after half term so that parents can feedback any further thoughts.
Update Nov 13th
The Bennett's Well Parent Action Group
This group joined together to produce the following document asking parents to sign up to this collective view.
Parents Action Group Bennett’s Well
As parents at Bennett’s Well we are working on the assumption that those in power at the council have a long term strategic plan and that the closure plans for Bennett’s Well are one small part of this.
With this in mind we believe it is essential that we are treated as adults who can make informed decisions for our families. In order to be able to do this we need ALL the information about the local area and schools not just small pieces someone has chosen to give us.
For us as parents it is vital that each and everyone of our individual children has the right to the best education possible. To us EVERY CHILD DOES MATTER. We want our children to be able to achieve the highest standards of which they are capable. The Every Child Matters Agenda is very clear that this should be at the core of school life and we believe that those in the council must also want this for our own children NOW as well as those in the future.
The following points are those that we are particularly concerned about when thinking about the standards agenda.
- Children taking SATs tests in the summer of 2011 will be in a very difficult position, moving schools, mixing with other pupils, meeting with new staff and having to get ready for these tests.
- Looking at numbers and knowing how our school currently has small teaching groups to help our children it doesn’t seem possible that the groups and class sizes can be maintained on the Hatchford site with such larger numbers.
- We worry that our children wont be able to receive the same level of help and support in an overcrowded building with larger classes.
- We would also worry that if temporary classrooms are based there that there wouldn’t be a good quality playing area which we our children used to at Bennett’s Well.
- Temporary classrooms are not ideal for supporting raising standards, why should this have to happen to our children when there are two perfectly good schools with space?
- Our children are doing well and getting along well with their teachers how can this be maintained?
-How can there be enough room? Will our children end up in large groups in small spaces or in temporary classrooms? This can not help raise standards?
- Surely the needs of the current pupils must come first as a priority. How does this proposal ensure that our children continue to feel safe and secure, happy and do well with their education?
We as parents have made a conscious choice for our children to attend Bennett’s Well. In addition to achieving high standards its essential to us that our children are safe and happy. Again central aspects to the Every Child Matters Agenda.
- Our children are settled and know the staff who help them feel safe, we need to know which staff will be there that our children and us as parents know and trust?
- There is bound to be some competition and potential antagonism between the older pupils when you mix them up how can this lead to a calm learning environment. Particularly for the Y6 pupils taking tests.
- The Bosworth Drive
area is busy and dangerous we will need assurances that there will be a lollipop person on the Bosworth Drive
. We also have issues about the visibility on the actual crossing that drivers don’t slow down as they cant see that there are people, especially if children on the side of the road due to plant growth. Who will guarantee someone to support crossing the pupils? We would ask that those making the decisions actually come along to this area and see what it’s really like, to see whether they would want their children to walk through this area.
- There needs to be additional policing on the Bosworth Drive area around the shops and pub during start and end of school day as the people who congregate there can be intimidating and parents need to feel safe and that their children are safe, particularly those parents who will be new to the area crossing over from the Bennett’s Well side. Again who will guarantee this – we are very concerned that no one will be able to do so.
- Can the cabinet member making decisions about this proposal actually insist that some of our needs are met eg more police on the Bosworth Drive area?
-The before and after club at Bennett’s Well is run by Wise Owls, there position is also at risk, if they leave before Sept 2010 will there be guaranteed before and after club provision for my children at Bennett’s Well?
- Hatchford is at the end of a small cul-de-sac, dropping off and collecting pupils for this larger group will cause congestion and could put children at risk.
- The parking situation at Hatchford is going to be very limited for parents and the local residents will be affected by the surges of traffic and parking in the road.
Parental choice and impact on community
Parental choice which the government are so ready to promote is being taken from us. As the number of schools shrink there will be less and less choice for parents. We have already made choices for our children and this is being taken from us.
- Are we being treated the same as parents in other parts of the borough?
- As parents we chose our childs school for a reason. We are now being told we do not have this choice. Our childs education is very important to us we are no longer able to make informed choices.
- We were promised a new school building which would be good. Now we are being moved into a building that is old and will probably be cramped- are the needs of our children and community really being met?
- We are a community, sometimes those outside this area might not recognise this. We have a history, many children are second, some third generation members of these school communities. Please don’t think you can simply wipe this all away without effect.
Split site issues, specific issues surrounding the 2009 nursery/reception closure proposal
- Choosing a nursery school place and settling a child into this place, having them leave home for the first time is very traumatic. For this reason we chose our Nursery place carefully. We expected that our child would be able to continue in this school. They and we have already been made to feel part of the whole school community- wearing uniform, going to assembly taking part in performances etc. How can it be right to now tell us that we might not be able to continue our child in the same school where they have settled.
- Can it be right that parents who chose to put their child in private provision outside both these schools could get a reception place over our child?
- How can I be on two sites at once to drop and collect my children, there have been lots of suggestions as to how this could be accommodated but who will fund this? Eg childcare at end of school day. It would be entirely unacceptable for anyone to suggest that our older children could walk home alone because we were on another site. We need guarantees of free after school provision at Bennett’s Well if there are to be split sites. Changing the times of day would not give enough time for parents to be on both sites.
- Bennett’s Well have a purpose built large foundation unit- provided by the Local Authority in response to consultation with parents several years ago. The pupils here are already settled and will make the transition into reception there easily why should these children be upset in this way?
- We would also like confirmation of some decision dates, we as parents are being asked to choose our nursery and reception places for September 2009- some of us had already chosen before this proposal was placed in front of us. We are concerned about how this information can be organised and sent out to parents so close to the final decisions taking place re this proposal.
3. Specific Questions
If this proposal goes ahead we as parents at Bennett’s Well would want Hatchford to be re named. We would expect to be involved in uniform design and would want for our children and the staff that the school be redecorated. We would want some of the artwork that our families have been involved in over years to be moved to the new school as well as asking for the same for similar work from Hatchford. This is not a short term temporary measure and the children and staff who are expected to work there deserve to feel like it’s a new school, a fresh start.
If governors choose to do this will all the pupils still get support with school uniform costs?
IN ADDITION THERE IS A SPECIFIC REPORT FOR NURSERY PARENTS
Parents Action Group Bennett’s Well
Specific Issues for parents of those pupils in Nursery currently at Bennett’s Well
As a group of parents we have each chosen our nursery school place with great care. This is our childrens first taste of formal education a first step on a very important ladder. We want the best for our children in terms of educational standards. In order for this to happen they need to be safe and happy. For some of our children leaving home for the very first time has been a huge challenge. When we made our choice there was no indication that we would not be able to stay part of the Bennett’s Well community as we had planned. We expected that our child would be able to continue in this school.
They and we have already been made to feel part of the whole school community- wearing uniform, going to assembly taking part in performances etc. Our young and impressionable children are already a key part of the school community.
- Many of the pupils in the nursery have siblings further up the school. This adds to their sense of security and belonging. As parents we want to maintain this for our families. It would be entirely unacceptable for families to be split between two schools. Neither is it acceptable to have to move and older pupils who is settled and doing well to ensure both are on the same site.
- For many families the issue of split sites is crucial. A walking bus is unlikely to happen, parents haven’t volunteered for this responsibility before. Changing the times of school days wouldn’t make enough difference to enable parents to walk from one school to another. We don’t want to leave older pupils to walk home alone. The only acceptable support would be free childcare for older pupils on Bennett’s Well site. However we would prefer that this did not have to happen at all. We want the proposal to close Bennett’s Well to reception pupils in 2009 to be amended. If this move has to happen we need it to be all pupils together in 2010.
- Bennett’s Well have a purpose built large foundation unit- provided by the Local Authority in response to consultation with parents several years ago. The pupils here are already settled and will make the transition into reception there easily why should these children be upset in this way?
- We would also like confirmation of some decision dates, we as parents are being asked to choose our nursery and reception places for September 2009 in fact some of us had already chosen before this proposal was placed in front of us. We are concerned about how this information can be organised and sent out to parents so close to the final decisions taking place re this proposal. How can decisions be taken about school places if final decisions about this proposal haven’t been agreed?
Update Nov 7th
The governors have a Task and Finish Group which aims to ensure all groups are consulted and that the process is as open as possible. In particular it is essential that parents, staff, pupils and the wider community share their views and concerns through this process. There is a question box in the school entrance, all parents have been sent consultation paperwork and forms plus a compilation of questions from parents. A parents group will also be looking to compile a joint view from parents and the pupils will use school council to share their thoughts.
There have been precedents for the Cabinet Member to change proposals following consulation - we must all share our views if he is to make an informed decision about something that will impact on our lives.
Hot off the Press Monday 22nd Sept 2008- Amalgamation
A new proposal was presented to cabinet Mon 22nd Sept 08. The proposal was that Bennett's Well school will close for Sept 2010 and move into Hatchford school. From Sept 2009 the admissions to Bennett's Well Nursery and Reception classes will be closed.
There will now be a period of consultation with parents, staff and other local community members. Dates for this to follow shortly.
If anyone has any questions please visit the school office where you can meet with Mrs Hanson or receive a number to contact someone in the local authority. We also have a questions box in the entrance for parents to post questions they would like answered into.
We will ensure that parents are kept uptodate with information as soon as it is available.
Federation of Bennett's Well School and Hatchford School
Summary information
Following on from the successful collaboration between the two schools, the governing bodies of Bennett's Well School and Hatchford School decided that they wanted to federate from 1st January 2007.
A federation is where two schools share a governing body
· Pupils won't change schools.
· Their lessons will be in the same school as they are now.
· Children will not move from one school to the other for their lessons.
· The names of the schools will not change, nor will the uniforms.
· Mr Onyett and Mrs Hanson will still be the Headteachers of their respective schools.
· There will be no change to admission arrangements for either school.
We believe this is good for pupils
· The schools will each continue to have the same ethos as they have today and will continue to retain their individuality.
· However the two schools serve similar communities so they can each learn from the other.
· We believe that this will enable children to share experiences.
We believe this is good for staff
· Staff will be able to share knowledge with people from a different school with similar challenges, this is very rare in education.
· We'll be able to offer a new level for staff development.
· Staff will be able to begin to work together in readiness for the new school.
We believe this is good for parents
· Parents will know that because we can share resources, their children will be getting even more opportunities for a superb education.
· There will be an opportunity to share the development of the new school. We are not merging the two schools at this stage but are working towards the opening of the brand new school expected to open September 2011.
Admission arrangements
There are no planned changes to the current admission arrangements.
The current situation
Bennett's Well School is situated in Woodclose Road, Fordbridge and Hatchford School is situated in Yorklea Croft, Chelmsley Wood. These two schools are due to close in July 2013 and re-open as one new school in a purpose built building somewhere between the two present sites in September 2013. The schools have been collaborating very successfully for some time. The governing bodies of both schools would now like to formalise this collaboration by federating the two schools.
What is a Federation?
Under the Education Act 2002, schools and local authorities can propose that between two and five schools can join together to create a federation. The schools then combine their governing bodies, so that there is just one governing body for the federation so the federating schools can pool resources. In this case, only two schools will be federating.
What's in it for the children?
These two schools will, in effect, become one in five years time and in preparation for this to happen smoothly we need to ensure that there will be opportunities to share staff across the two schools, which will give access to a much larger pool of knowledge and there will be the chance to share specialist knowledge across the two schools. Children will therefore have access to more opportunities for good quality learning. There are also opportunities to use school resources and budgets more efficiently. The two schools are different, however, and we believe that a federation will enable each school to learn from the other, to the benefit of both sets of pupils particularly in preparation for the opening of the new school.
What's in it for the staff?
Most day-to-day management will continue as it is now arranged, but there will be opportunities for staff to get involved across both schools; this will provide exciting career progression for staff, enabling them to extend themselves and to co-operate with colleagues on another school site.
What's in it for the parents?
The schools will become stronger, because when they co-operate, good practice can be shared easily. Better opportunities for learning mean that children can be helped to overcome barriers to learning because resources can be shared across the two schools. The retention of quality staff would ensure a continued high standard of education for the pupils at both schools.
What's in it for the Governing Bodies?
We would expect the federation governing body would have members drawn from both governing bodies and schools, but there would be a single governing body and a single set of committee meetings, covering both schools. The maximum size for a governing body in a federation of the size we're proposing is 18 people. This would include:
· 6 elected parent governors (3 from Bennett's Well and 3 from Hatchford)
· 4 staff governors (2 from Bennett's Well and 2 from Hatchford)
· 4 LEA governors (2 from Bennett's Well and 2 from Hatchford)
· 4 community governors (2 from Bennett's Well and 2 from Hatchford).
We will also strengthen the team by appointing a number of non-voting associate governors to help with the working party workload.
Will the staff change?
The existing Headteacher will be assisted by a senior management team in each school. We are not going to ask any staff to move from one school to the other, but we may ask some staff to take their specialist knowledge into the other school, so that we can share best practice.
Could children be forced to change schools?
No. The admission arrangements will remain exactly as they are at present. Parents will apply on behalf of their children to the school of their choice.
Will children have to travel between the two schools for lessons?
No. The two schools may share staff, but lessons for Bennett's Well children will be on the Bennett's Well site and lessons for Hatchford children on their site. There will be, as now, opportunities to join together and attend activities such as sports events.
Will the arrangements be fair to both schools?
As indicated earlier the members of the governing body will be exactly equal i.e. 50% members from each school. All arrangements made as part of the federation will be completely fair to both schools. There may be some funding for innovation, which the two schools can share: obviously the more pupils who will benefit from a project, the bigger the projects that we can consider.
What if we want to go back to two separate governing bodies?
If at anytime, the schools wished to break up the federation, there is a standard process that would be set in place, which would include a six-week consultation followed by a final decision by the governing body.
For more information on building schools for the future click HERE