Published: 30/04/2008 00:00 -
Updated: 08/05/2008 12:43
A LEADING head teacher has raised serious concerns over the proposed move of Bishop's Stortford's two single-sex schools to a joint Green Belt site.
Peter Janke, head of Leventhorpe in Sawbridgeworth, fears Bishop's Stortford High and Herts and Essex High will not be able to keep their separate identities on a shared campus of 3,300 pupils - and questioned whether admission priority would be given to Stortford youngsters.
It comes after residents opposed the proposed move at a meeting at Thorley Community Centre and vowed to send 1,000 letters of objection to planning authority East Herts District Council.
Mr Janke, who is set to retire this summer, told the Observer: "The proposal claims it will provide sufficient places for current demand and potential future growth, but currently both schools set their own admission criteria.
"Will the admission criteria of the relocated schools ensure that priority is given to local Bishop's Stortford children? If not, then the expanded schools will not help to solve this problem."
He says the "supposed educational benefits deserve closer examination".
Bishop's Stortford High and Herts and Essex High are about to submit a planning application to relocate to 50 acres (20ha) of Green Belt land off Whittington Way. The £100m-plus project would allow each to expand to six forms of entry (180 pupils) in 2011 and to eight (240 pupils) by 2020.
Governors say it is the best option to meet the town's growing need for extra school places and to overcome problems with old buildings and lack of space.
Some sports facilities would be shared, but no decision has yet been made on a common dining room, although some sixth form lessons could be combined.
But Mr Janke says there seems to be "very unclear thinking" on the extent to which two distinct schools, sharing facilities, can retain their separate ethos.
"I believe whatever is initially intended will rapidly evolve into something substantially different from the two current schools." Without more information, the community does not know what it is being asked to support, he suggests.
Mr Janke sits on the consortium of Stortford area secondary schools, which is chaired by Chris Ingate, of Birchwood High. This week Mr Ingate said viewpoints among the six heads were "mixed". "There is no consensus," he added.
The Leventhorpe head pointed out expansion from five to eight forms of entry represents a 60 per cent increase in single-sex places. "Is this what parents want?" Those were not the only over-subscribed schools and it would be wrong to conclude that indicated a need for a substantial rise in single-sex places.
And he insisted he would not want combined institutions of 3,300 students for his children.
Mr Janke said there was no alternative offered for comparison and that he is "puzzled" that the reserved school site in Hadham Road is discounted when it is similar in size to others of five-form entry which operate successfully.
Mr Ingate said Mr Janke made his views known at the April consortium meeting of the six heads, which also include St Mary's Catholic School and Hockerill Anglo-European College.
Opinions ranged from "fairly neutral to positive", said Mr Ingate, but they "were not arguing". He said there were some logistical issues about the size the schools would become and added that Birchwood did not see the proposal as a threat.
The secondaries had enough capacity to take primary pupils in Stortford and surrounding villages for the next 10 years, but that did not take into account any new housing, added Mr Ingate.
Herts LEA said Stortford High and Herts & Essex were foundation schools with their own admission arrangements, but it was aware of concerns expressed by parents and would be looking at that issue with both schools.
More than 100 residents attended a meeting on Wednesday last week at Thorley Community Centre about the proposed relocation, organised by Thorley Manor and Old Thorley & Twyford residents' associations.
Overwhelmingly, people did not want the two schools to move, said Alyson Bailey, chairman of Thorley Manor Residents' Association. They wanted to know why the schools could not be improved or Hadham Road be used for a new school, and called for another mixed secondary.
"We are hoping to get 1,000 letters of objection to the planning committee of East Herts council," she said.
Read Mr Janke's full letter by clicking here .
It comes after residents opposed the proposed move at a meeting at Thorley Community Centre and vowed to send 1,000 letters of objection to planning authority East Herts District Council.
Mr Janke, who is set to retire this summer, told the Observer: "The proposal claims it will provide sufficient places for current demand and potential future growth, but currently both schools set their own admission criteria.
"Will the admission criteria of the relocated schools ensure that priority is given to local Bishop's Stortford children? If not, then the expanded schools will not help to solve this problem."
He says the "supposed educational benefits deserve closer examination".
Bishop's Stortford High and Herts and Essex High are about to submit a planning application to relocate to 50 acres (20ha) of Green Belt land off Whittington Way. The £100m-plus project would allow each to expand to six forms of entry (180 pupils) in 2011 and to eight (240 pupils) by 2020.
Governors say it is the best option to meet the town's growing need for extra school places and to overcome problems with old buildings and lack of space.
Some sports facilities would be shared, but no decision has yet been made on a common dining room, although some sixth form lessons could be combined.
But Mr Janke says there seems to be "very unclear thinking" on the extent to which two distinct schools, sharing facilities, can retain their separate ethos.
"I believe whatever is initially intended will rapidly evolve into something substantially different from the two current schools." Without more information, the community does not know what it is being asked to support, he suggests.
Mr Janke sits on the consortium of Stortford area secondary schools, which is chaired by Chris Ingate, of Birchwood High. This week Mr Ingate said viewpoints among the six heads were "mixed". "There is no consensus," he added.
The Leventhorpe head pointed out expansion from five to eight forms of entry represents a 60 per cent increase in single-sex places. "Is this what parents want?" Those were not the only over-subscribed schools and it would be wrong to conclude that indicated a need for a substantial rise in single-sex places.
And he insisted he would not want combined institutions of 3,300 students for his children.
Mr Janke said there was no alternative offered for comparison and that he is "puzzled" that the reserved school site in Hadham Road is discounted when it is similar in size to others of five-form entry which operate successfully.
Mr Ingate said Mr Janke made his views known at the April consortium meeting of the six heads, which also include St Mary's Catholic School and Hockerill Anglo-European College.
Opinions ranged from "fairly neutral to positive", said Mr Ingate, but they "were not arguing". He said there were some logistical issues about the size the schools would become and added that Birchwood did not see the proposal as a threat.
The secondaries had enough capacity to take primary pupils in Stortford and surrounding villages for the next 10 years, but that did not take into account any new housing, added Mr Ingate.
Herts LEA said Stortford High and Herts & Essex were foundation schools with their own admission arrangements, but it was aware of concerns expressed by parents and would be looking at that issue with both schools.
More than 100 residents attended a meeting on Wednesday last week at Thorley Community Centre about the proposed relocation, organised by Thorley Manor and Old Thorley & Twyford residents' associations.
Overwhelmingly, people did not want the two schools to move, said Alyson Bailey, chairman of Thorley Manor Residents' Association. They wanted to know why the schools could not be improved or Hadham Road be used for a new school, and called for another mixed secondary.
"We are hoping to get 1,000 letters of objection to the planning committee of East Herts council," she said.
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