CLOSE OUR SCHOOLS.....KILL OUR TOWN! (From Hereford Times)

CLOSE OUR SCHOOLS.....KILL OUR TOWN!

12:06am Friday 18th January 2008

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italic]WATCH OUT HEREFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL - THE FIGHT HAS JUST BEGUN!!!

Tonight myself and my 12 year old son, attended the meeting held at Queen Elizabeth Humanities College, Bromyard.
The meeting was organised between the College and the Town Council to give local residents of Bromyard and the surrounding cluster villages involved the chance to hear for themselves the proposals that have been made and to voice their own opinions.

Over 1,126 members of the community turned up! (This number comes from the Hereford Times own report.)

Firstly l would like to say "What a fantastic job the school and the pupils and community members who volunteered their time did" There were so many of us, we were seated in the canteen, the main hall, the gym, and many where standing. There where three large TV links set up so we could all hear and see the speakers. It was a fantastic, professional arrangement and just goes to show straight away what this brilliant college is capable of - at such short notice too.
Many of the students help steward the meeting, members of the local Rugby Club and Young Farmers clubs also stewarded and acted as First aiders. - The college has strong links with these groups already so any closure of the college would severely compromise these groups too.

The local ambulance crew was in attendance, in a professional and personnal capacity.

The Police, managed the large amount of vehicles trying to park.
Our local policeman attended the meeting with "two caps on" as the local bobby and as a concerned parent from the school - he spoke about having the 300 pupils on the role bused to Leominster (the proposed replacement)
on one of the Counties most notoriously Dangerous Roads!
also that with the proposed travel it would mean the pupils would end up working a 45 hour week. Most of us adults have to sign contracts to agree to work those sort of hours - and they expect our youngsters do so - then go home and do hours of home/course work afterwards! - no thought to the health of these youngsters at all.

The Reverand Sykes spoke about the children being "inhumanly treated" - in their being put through this uncertaintly and stress.
That it was an illogical proposal and how Bromyard is an excellent example of showing how the schools in the cluster of seven, work together with each other and with the local churches, town council and other organisations.

One of the local senior Doctor's was present, several others would have attended but cover and sickness prevented them. He spoke about how education and health are closely linked and that the surgery at Nunwell will support any proposals to keep the schools in the community going.
The surgery since hearing the news of these proposals have done some research themselves, and found that infact in Bromyard our number of children is actually increasing, it seems the statisics used by the county council, looks at the numbers of children born using the Bromyard surgery and doesnt take into account those living in the effected areas but who use other surgeries - for example if the mother works in Hereford they may use a Hereford doctor for convenience - therefore their child wouldnt show as a Bromyard statistic, it also neglects to look at the children born using village surgeries.
In which case immediately the Proposal is flawed.

A local Taxi driver, (and parent) spoke of how the trip to Leominster costs £22! our bus services to Leominster are appaling, there virtually isnt one! so what happens if your child is taken sick while at school - especially if you yourself dont drive!

Recently our local Primary School St Peters Primary, was given an award for being the Best school in the County for its high number of children Walking to school! - many of these same pupil will then walk to QE once they move up.
They now want to close St Peters too, and put all these young children on buses to other schools - where's the sense in that!

Mr Moore, an ex-member of staff from QE and also a parent.
Had some questions to ask of the Council.
He worked out that with approx 300 on QE's role, it would take about 7 buses to get them to The Minster College in Leominster each day, a distance of approx 10 miles.
Each bus makes 2 return journeys each day - which he says tots up to approximately 56,000 miles a year!
With the cost of fuel going up the way it is!
Think of the environmental impact! - the carbon emmissions!
The Road accidents again the worse road in the Midlands!
He and indeed everyone, would like to know exactly how all this is going to be paid for?
Are these buses going to be free? or is that another fee going to be added to the taxpayers pocket.
Mr Moore, discussed the "Hidden agenda" IF QE was to close, what would happen to the land, no doubt the County Council would sell it for housing particularly as its known the Council need to provide another 16,000 new houses in the county.
But Houses - what sort? If these houses are intended for families - where are the children supposed to go to school? Are their number to be added to those already being bused to school!
Clearly things havent been thought through.

WE ARE NOT HERE TO SAVE THE GOVERNMENT MONEY AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR SCHOOLS

Mr Ray ex-head of Aylestone School in Hereford, said that "the best thing to happen to Bromyard and QE was Adrian Long" (the Headmaster),
Mr Ray now works training new teachers, many of which he has placed at QE for on the job experience and training.
It is one of the best placements they have and would be extremely detrimental to the training of new teachers if the school closed.

A Student teacher based at the QE presently said "she believed she would become an excellent teacher BECAUSE of QE school" she also spoke of her other role with the towns Army Cadet force, which if the children are being bused over to Leominster everyday, it would put their group in danger as the pupils would be getting back to late for any extra-curricular activities.

The Majority of feeling is that aswell as loosing a fantastic school and l say that as a parent aswell as a member of this community. It would also have a HUGE social impact on Bromyard which was being totally ignored.
No school, = lower house prices = failing businesses/shops = The Result = a ghost town.

NOW ON A PERSONNAL NOTE

I spoke up myself this evening. Six years ago, my eldest son started the minster school (as it was named then) within six weeks it was clear things werent working out - the school was failing him.
We took the decision to sell our house and move lock stock and barrell to Bromyard purely because of the schools.
As it turned out it would our best decision yet. That son is now nearly 18.
However our youngest son, has been classed as having mild special needs since he was 3years old. He didnt start making any progress until he started at St Peters primary school in Bromyard. He then started to become a much more happy, confident child - he still had problems but the school was fantastic with him and he loved it there, and was eager to go every morning.
He has now moved up to QE and indeed is in year 8. After many months of rangling with Herefordshire County Council we finally secured the necessary funding for his needs.
He is now making fantastic progress!
What happens to all these arrangements if he was moved - would we have to go all through the statementing process again?
One of the main reason QE works so well is that it is small
italic"Big Enough To Prosper - Small Enough To Care"
All the staff know him by name, indeed they know all the children by name whether they actually teach them or not.

You just dont get that in a larger school.

QE has recently received Specialist Status as a Humanities College - so it can hardly be said its a failing school, in fact it has brilliant results.

Leominster on the other hand is far lower down the various league tables - and is a Sports College.
I know in my sons interest that would hamper him straight away as he finds team sports very difficult, and sport in general is not really his thing.

SO LISTEN UP HEREFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

THE PEOPLE OF BROMYARD AND THE SURROUNDING FEEDER VILLAGES HAVE UNITED AND TOTALLY OPPOSE YOUR PROPOSALS - BUT WE HAVE ONE OF OUR OWN.

Councillor David Kemp - who also teaches at QE
said this evening "in his 28 years experience he'd never seen anything like this" he was refering to the vast turn out to show strength of opposition this evening.

Cllr Kemp proposed

"This public meeting whole heartedly rejects the proposals as outlined by Herefordshire County Council in its review of schools. These proposals should be formally withdrawn immediately.
Furthermore, we call upon this community to work together for the development of education within its 7 schools."

THERE WAS COMPLETE SHOW OF HANDS AGREEING TO THE ABOVE PROPOSAL IN ALL 3 ROOMS!

(including as Cllr Kemp pointed out the raised hand of Councillor Tom Hunt)

Everybody also signed an attendance sheet to show just how many where present.

FINALLY

if you are a facebook user there is two groups now going Stop QE from closing for former QE students, and Bromyard:"Close our schools, kill our town" for everyone.

There has also been a petition lodged at Downing Street.

Once this is approved and up and running l will post the link for you to sign, please do!!!


Thank you from an extremely concerned Bromyard Resident and Parent.