Monday, November 08, 2010

Swanage schools

Urgent message !!!!


Please please encourage as many people in Swanage to attend this hugely important meeting, with the adjudicator, this evening - 8th November- at Swanage Middle School 6pm.

This is the last opportunity to respond to the Schools Review Consultation Process

Please turn up to show that the people of Swanage and villages care about local children and their education.  We need to show our support.

If over 3,000 people can respond to the Herston Fields situation, this shows that people do care about the future of our town, so please try to encourage as many people to come along to a meeting that will change things for ever for our children, schools and community.

The adjudicator will listen to all of the reasons why we think its important for local children to be educated in this community and the problems that have been highlighted within the consultation process.  Even if you don't feel able to speak, please come along if you are able. 
It is important that we understand how these changes effect this community.

Even if you don't have children this decision will effect  the whole of the Swanage community and surrounding areas.

In the past, the older generation have supported Swanage Middle School, with history topics, crafts, reading support, sports etc.  Volunteers are easily able to support local children when education is local.  This has been of benefit to the children and to these people involved.   It would be a sad day if this relationship could not continue.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hooray..the response was amazing !!
The school hall was filled to bursting. Many many people spoke up for young childrens education,their welfare and our community.

Great show of support for Swanage Middle School.

The Postman said...

Wasn't this a 'decision time' meeting, to inform the public about whether the Review would continue as planned or not? What was the outcome?

Anonymous said...

The decision will be made in a matter of weeks, once everything has been considered - perhaps as early as the end of the month.

I thought the Swanage speakers were brilliant - presented their case well - the MS head and governor were best - I thought the head of Purbeck School came across as arrogant and dismissive. After all, this is all being done so his school benefits - right? I wasn't impressed by him at all, but maybe others were.

There is real hope yet. If we lose our middle schools, at least we might get a genuine answer why, which will be important for Swanage. DCC's and the Purbeck School Head Teacher's remarks made me realise that indeed they have little regard for the little people of little, remote Swanage.

Anonymous said...

Good show of support for the Middle School from the people of Swanage. Well done everyone for making the effort to turn out. If you couldn't make it and still want to let the adjudicator know your feelings he is accepting emails for another week.
osa.team@osa.gsi.gov.uk

Anonymous said...

would have got a lot more respect if you put "Purbeck" on the banner rather than "purbecks" shows lack of class.

Anonymous said...

I don't see your point about the banner - do you care to explain?

I am not sure what you mean by a 'lack of class'. Something has set you off! Are you the Head of Purbeck School???

The Postman said...

Anyone who was unable to attend the meetings, or who wishes to put their comments in writing, can email david1.atkinson@osa.gsi.gov.uk or write to:
Dave Atkinson
Office of the Schools Adjudicator
Mowden Hall
Staindrop Road
Darlington
DL3 9BG
The deadline for written representations is Tuesday 16 November 2010. For more information call 01325 735621.

Anonymous said...

There was a decent turnout but the hall was hardly full to bursting with plenty of empty seats at the back. Indeed nothing like the turnout at previous meetings and many of those present were school staff. I felt rather disappointed myself.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

post removed by administrator wow i have gone up in the world. it seems the righteous can say what they like and get away with it. what ever you say the banner(pic in echo) was incorrect there is no where called the Purbecks ok plain and simple.It should not need explaining.

Mike I do hope you dont become like the guy on dorset web site bans everything. please Lets be a bit mor exciting, or we could talk about that very important event ..............the price of the tins of chocolates in weymouth.

PS the digital guy is calling at my house I will keep you all up to date as Im sure your interested.

Anonymous said...

Nothing wrong with 'Purbecks' - a well recognised geographic term for the hills in our area. How tedious (absolutely nothing to do with this important post)!

Anonymous said...

Nothing wrong with 'Purbecks' - a well recognised geographic term for the hills in our area. How tedious (absolutely nothing to do with this important post)!

5:49 PM

Im not going to argue any more your wrong im right simples. but the point im making is if you cant get the simple things right how do you expect support. I suppose you have just moved here and need to put us right? well two tier was here years ago and the majority had no probs what hell difference does it make after all im told(/) some in langton scholl pass 2 good primary schools to get there.

Anonymous said...

6.25 Thanks for the warm welcome to Swanage! It is nice to know the locals are such nice people.

Right.

Anonymous said...

stop whittering on about locals, get on with your life you sad person but just get the name of the area you live in correct thats all.

Anonymous said...

Back to the matter in hand. As a parent of two school children in Swanage I really hope that the Adjudicator kicks out DCC's half baked plans. Our kids deserve better that the complete loss of all secondary education in the town together with a new primary school structure that many people feel will be unsustainable.

Anonymous said...

10.49 I totally agree. But, if the Adjudicator does not, I for one expect a full and complete explanation why. It will all depend on how much influence DCC and the Purbeck school can bring to bear. They have done a poor job so far of being fair and trasparent.

Anonymous said...

10.49 I totally agree. But, if the Adjudicator does not reject this, I for one expect a full and complete explanation why. It will all depend on how much influence DCC and the Purbeck school can bring to bear. They have done a poor job so far of being fair and trasparent with the people of Purbeck. Or the Purbecks.

Anonymous said...

There was a decent turnout but the hall was hardly full to bursting with plenty of empty seats at the back. Indeed nothing like the turnout at previous meetings and many of those present were school staff. I felt rather disappointed myself.

11:11 PM

Uhh, how could you feel disappointed with this meeting..aha, you are not in support of SMS or the community of Swanage, I cannot imagine why else you would be disappointed. A good support for the Middles in the Wareham area too we hear. As previous poster comments, if the adjudicator does not smell a rat, then there will be some questions asked. Its good that everyone was finally given a platform to express their concerns.

So at this late stage the adjudicator has confirmed the importance for socio-economic impacts to be considered. How come the DCC officers always declined to take this into considereation. Didn't they follow their rule book??

Anonymous said...

No! How did you reach that conclusion? Actually, I'd like to see the whole scheme halted. It's too expensive and there's no money to do it properly.
I simply disagree that the room was 'filled to bursting' and I wish that more of the Swanage community had turned out and spoken. I bet there were more people at the Sandford meeting than Swanage but, considering we are a larger town than Wareham, I would have hoped more people would come along. I guess many people think two tier is a fait accompli. Also there's not been much press attention lately to keep the issue alive in the minds of Swanage residents. It's a shame.

Anonymous said...

I turned up on the night only due to the announcement I saw here - I agree there was not much in the local press about this event - probably my fault for tending to business and not keeping my eyes and ears open (also the weather was pretty diabolical that night).

Perhaps Education Swanage should use Twitter as a means of sending out alerts to those who want to be kept informed??? It is free.

Anonymous said...

At the end of the day it is the STANDARD of education that is going to matter to all our children. I intend to see how Purbeck School compares to Swanage Middle and decide my views on that basis. With jobs in short supply our kids need the best education they can get - where is not so important as long as it is somewhere relatively closeby in the Purbecks.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the last post. And having our kids get used to long bus trip to school may be useful experience for them, as there will be few good jobs in Swanage in ten years' time.

Anonymous said...

This post has been removed by a blog administrator.

Goodness, was it that bad !

Anonymous said...

The adjudicator has not upheld the objection by Sandford Middle to the reorganisation of Purbeck's schools by DCC. The decision document can be read here:
http://www.schoolsadjudicator.gov.uk/decisions_all.cfm?casetype=search&year=0&order=lea
A sad day for our middle schools, which will close in 2012.

Anonymous said...

If that likk doesn't work try this one:
http://www.schoolsadjudicator.gov.uk/decision.cfm
Type Dorset into the LEA box and submit, then scroll to the bottom of the page. Reorganisation of schools...Not Upheld...Nov 2010