Steve describes KCC's proposed merger of the Ellington/Hereson High Schools as 'educational vandalism'

KCC

Steve Ladyman has raised his converns about the proposed merger of the Hereson and Ellington Schools. A formal consultation has now openend, and he hope this will more clearerly bring the implications of the proposal to the attention of parents.

Steve said;

'the decesion of the County Council to move forward on this idea is motivated by their desire to sell the old Hereson site. There is absolutely no reason why the Hereson School could not either be rebuilt on the same site or, if it has to move to Pyson's Road, be built as a seperate school to Ellington sharing some facilities - this would allow Ellington and Hereson to operate as seperate schools and maintain their own ehtos'.

'it is clear that KCC are protecting the Grammar Schools in this process. They will have to launch a consultation on the future of Clarendon and Chatham House in the near future but KCC have refused to do this at the same time as the consultation on Hereson and Ellington as it would open the possibility of Clarendon moving to the Pysons Road site along side Ellington and Hereson moving into the centre of Ramsgate and opertaing alongside Chatham House - these are educationally sound options that would maintain single sex education in Thanet but it would mean Grammar Schools having to share facilities with the High Schools and Kent Council wish to avoid this at all costs.'

Alan Poole, KCC member for Ramsgate, said of the plans;

'Dwindling pupil numbers have reduced the annual intake to below 60 for each school and this is causing significant budgetary problems as the school budgets are determined by pupil numbers'

'KCC are proposing to amalgmate the Hereson and Ellington Schools on the Pysons Road site and reduce the combined pupil intake to 4FE. The main area of parental concern is the loss of 'singe sex provision'. As a member of the School Organisation Advisory Board that will advise the cabinet Member at KCC on the amalgamation, i will insist that the retention of some single sex provision is guaranteed as part of the proposal'.

Currently KCC have said that they would like to see single sex provision retained for certain subjects, but that this would be a decesion for the new Govenors and that they could not order the Govenors to retain single sex provision.

Steve has made his views clear to KCC and will continue to campaign against the proposal.

The matter is the subject of an ePoll, which you can vote on at

http://83.138.154.248/polls?Poll=3d64fe4b-aca7-4dd4-9568-090ff033c57b.