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A campaign for another new secondary school in
North Bristol which would serve Henleaze, Westbury
on Trym and Stoke Bishop is gaining momentum.
The need for a new school was
raised at a recent meeting of the
Neighbourhood Partnership.
With approximately two thirds
of leavers from Henleaze Junior
School failing to get a place at the
new Redland Green School many
parents are sending their children
to secondary schools as far away
as North Somerset and South
Gloucestershire. Others choose
independent schools.
When Redland Green was
opened there was disappointment
among many local parents that
their children failed to get a place.
Large parts of Henleaze proved to
be outside the catchment area.
Many parents campaigned for it
to be built at Stoke Lodge in Stoke
Bishop rather than Redland Green.
Campaigners claim there is a
“significant need for a new or additional
secondary school in North
West Bristol”.
Over 200 parents have signed
a petition to the council.
Campaign supporters led by
local mother Karen Foster are also
investigating the possibility of setting
up their own independent
state school. They`ve linked up
with the New Schools Network
which advises parents and charities
on setting up state funded
academies.
The new schoool campaign is
supported by Charlotte Leslie, the
prospective Tory candidate for
Bristol North West. There is an
online petition www.parentsvoice.
charlotteleslie.com.
She says: “I passionately believe
in the need to improve
Bristol`s poor educational performance.
Critical to this is ensuring
Bristol families positively choose
Bristol schools, which in this area
means a new local school serving
North Bristol whether that's a
brand new school, or an existing
school becoming an state-funded
academy.”
In 2006, Redland Green`s first
year, 29 Henleaze children gained
entry. The following year 42 . By
2008 the number had dropped to
24. The 2009 entry from Henleaze
Juniors was 34.
One suggestion at the Neighbourhood
Partnership meeting was that
an independent school might enter
into the state system following Cathedral
School and Colston`s Girls`
School who both became state sector
academies.
The low performance of many
Bristol secondary schools has led
the education authority to pour in
extra resources. Performance
levels are rising including those at
Monks Park.
But Bristol results overall in January 2009 were still well below the
national average although standards are improving faster than the rest
of
the country giving some cause for optimism.
As part of changes aimed at improving standards some schools have
been relaunched and rebranded as Trust Schools or Academies. Monks
Park is renamed Orchard School and Portway School rebranded Oasis
Brightstowe. But there are surplus places at both schools as well as
at
Henbury School.
The prospective Liberal Democrat candidate Paul Harrod accepts a new
school is needed. But adds: "In the current recession it is hard to
see
where Government would find the millions to build a new secondary
school. So short term I think we should support one of the private
schools
converting to an Academy and creating new state sector places.
Prospective Labour candidate for Bristol North West Sam Townend
says: “Given that there are at present surplus places a new school in
Bristol North West would be a hammer blow to Henbury and damage the
other two local secondaries. One lot of parents and children might
benefit,
but up to three lots would suffer." He supports parent promoted
schools
where they do not harm other schools and helped set up the first
parent
promoted school in Lambeth.
Campaigning parents maintain that a new school in the area is badly
needed and say they will be keeping up the pressure for one.
The debate seems likely to continue as parents face the dilemma of
where to get the best education for their children.
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