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Cardiff North Liberal DemocratsCampaigning for Cardiff North |
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Dixon opposes school opt-out
October 23, 2009 12:00 AM
Cardiff North Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesperson John Dixon has spoken out against Whitchurch High School's proposals to opt-out of the Cardiff Local Education Authority because of the damage this would do to other schools in the area.
Council proposals would see
A reduction in the number of form entries at Year 7, from twelve to nine with effect from September 2012.
An investment of £9million to improve the quality of the buildings.
No change to the catchment area for the School. Everyone currently in the catchment area will still be able to attend Whitchurch High School.
If Whitchurch High became a Foundation School, this would mean:
A retention of the twelve form entries at Year 7.
Continuing to admit children from outside the catchment area.
The school could adopt a selective admission policy which would mean children from within the current catchment could not be guaranteed a place in Year 7. Some could be left with no local school to go to.
That the school will come out of Local Education Authority control.
No guarantee of investment by the Council in the buildings and infrastructure.
The opportunity for local councillors to challenge the school or support appeals for non-admission could be lost.
That the viability of other local High Schools, and the expansion of Welsh-medium education to meet parental demand would be threatened.
John Dixon, who as a child went through a school reorganisation that saw his school amalgamated with another, said that he respected the right of the Whitchurch High governors to apply to Foundation status, but said that this in itself highlighted the problem with the plan.
He said "Foundation status sets school against school as they compete rather than cooperate.
"The sad fact is that the number of children on school rolls in the City is declining - that has been confirmed by the Wales Audit Office as well as the Council's own Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee. Because education funding depends on children in each classroom, that means more and more schools are having to do with less and less.
"While Whitchurch High's classrooms are full, that comes at the expense of other schools whose results are just as good, because so many of the children attending come from outside of its catchement area.
"We've already seen a school close in north Cardiff - Viriamu Jones. Not because it was a bad school, or an unpopular school with the children and parents, but just because there weren't enough pupils to let it run.
"Planning for schools across a whole city means that you have to have a vision that doesn't stop at the school gate so everyone has the option of a well-funded, well-run school that's close to them."
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