Thousands back Eglwys Newydd school battle
Jul 22 2010 by Kathryn Williams, South Wales Echo
CAMPAIGNERS yesterday stepped up their campaign against a planned schools reorganisation – submitting nearly 5,000 letters of objection.Parents of pupils who attend Whitchurch English-medium school Eglwys Newydd are protesting at Cardiff council proposals to combine the school with another English- medium school in the area.The shake-up of north Cardiff schools would involve Welsh-medium primary Ysgol Melin Gruffydd taking over the buildings of Eglwys Newydd Primary School.The 4,800 letters were submitted at Cardiff County Hall yesterday by the Save Eglwys Newydd Action Group. Protests were also sent to the Welsh Assembly Government.
Justine Richey, mother of six-year-old Morgan, said she did not want her son to have to attend a school of more than 600 pupils, which the combined school would cater for. The new English-medium school would have an investment of £2.2m, compared to a £4.9m investment into Ysgol Melin Gruffydd when it moves to its new home.Mrs Richey said: “It won’t be big enough and I don’t want the disruption of my child’s education through temporary classrooms and a process of relocation. Why spend millions of pounds disrupting 1,000 childrens’ education?“The council needs to listen to the weight of public opinion against their ideas and work with the school governors and parents to find better solutions instead of refusing dialogue and new ideas when it has been offered.”Fellow parent Mike Phillips said: “It is to the staff and governors’ credit that years of effort mean we have a continuously improving school with a clear vision and excellent outputs. Not one council statement on this reorganisation talks about improving or even maintaining these standards.”Cardiff council claims its £160m programme aims to solve the problem of surplus places and an increasing demand for Welsh-medium education provision.A spokeswoman said: “The council is considering education provision across Cardiff and how we can develop a 21st-century schooling system that is both viable and successful, allowing children and young people to reach their potential and making the best possible use of available resources.”All objections to the reorganisation of Eglwys Newydd Primary School should be sent by July 25 to: schoolresponses@cardiff.gov.uk or Schools & Lifelong Learning, Cardiff County Council, County Hall, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff CF10 4UW.
This is the final part of the process, now more than ever, we need to let the council know how we feel about these proposals. Please encourage as many people as possible to send in letters of objection. The council should be acknowledging excellent schools in Cardiff, not looking to close them.
School’s fun day cash will help it fight closure
Jul 10 2010 by Gareth Evans, South Wales EchoCAMPAIGNERS held an afternoon of activities to raise money for a legal challenge against the closure of their school.Whitchurch English-medium Eglwys Newydd Primary School is one of four schools set to be affected by a major schools shake-up in North Cardiff.The city council approved plans to close the Glan-y-Nant Road primary in April as part of a controversial reorganisation to expand Welsh-medium provision.But despite a technical error adding a delay to statutory proceedings, the authority stands by its plans for change.
The Save Eglwys Newydd Action Group yesterday invited the whole Whitchurch community to an after-school summer fun event on the school grounds.Takings from a talent show, bouncy castle, football tournament and barbecue will be used to try to keep the school open beyond 2012.Mum-of-three Annelle Hawkins, a school governor, knows of at least 3,000 objections to the council’s proposals.“There only has to be one person to oppose the plans for it to go to the Assembly for determination,” she said.“If the Assembly agrees with the council, we will instruct our solicitor immediately and send them a notice of our intention to challenge it legally.“They will need to think very carefully about what they are doing.“We are in a very similar situation to Lansdowne and we are sure our children would not get the same accommodation or standard of education if they are moved.”Under preferred proposals, Ysgol Melin Gruffydd would become a two-form entry school and relocate to the current Eglwys Newydd site. Eglwys Newydd and Eglwys Wen would be closed and a new 2.5 entry school opened on the current Eglwys Wen/Melin Gruffydd site. Cardiff North AM Jonathan Morgan, who manned the bar at yesterday’s event, said: “In addition to being the local Assembly Member, I am a governor of the school and very proud of its achievements and proud too that we as governors are taking an active interest in raising money for the school.
“I am convinced that this school, as with the other schools under threat in Whitchurch, has a viable, long-term future and we will continue to fight against the disgraceful attack made by the Plaid-Lib Dem council against educational standards in Cardiff North.”The Save Eglwys Newydd Action Group will run a stall at the annual Whitchurch village festival today, when members will canvass local residents for their support. Parents and children are being encouraged to wear their red protest T-shirts, sold at the school’s summer fete last month, to the event.
Latest Developments
On 25th May, 2 statutory notices were published, one to close Eglwys Newydd and Eglwys Wen and establish a new 2.5 form entry English medium school on the current EW/YMG site. Ysgol melin Gruffydd to relocate to the current Eglwys Newydd site. The other statutory notice is to establish Whitchurch High School at an 11 form entry school from 2012 and a ten form entry from 2015.
Implications
Lack of educational justification – There can be no guarantee that the standard of education will equal or be better than the standard already offered to our children at the English medium schools.
Robustness of council figures – initially the council claimed that a 2 form entry would be sufficient for the EM school, this has now changed to 2.5 form entry, how confident are they in their figures? particularly with the rising birth rate.
Available finance – Council figures indicate that there are sufficient funds to improve the facilities at YMG.
Transition – Hundreds of children will have their education disrupted, with temporary accommodation and building work taking place on both sites.
Value for money – Eglwys Newydd provides excellent value for money, it costs the council just over £3,000 per learner, one of the lowest figures in Cardiff.
Local school – Some of the pupils who are classed as ‘out of catchment’ are in fact attending their closest school, closing Eglwys Newydd may result in more children needing to be driven to school.
High school links – the close proximity of Eglwys Newydd to Whitchurch High School gives pupils an excellent opportunity to use the facilities and strengthen links between the two schools.
Consultation process – the council are still failing to fulfil FOI requests which is reslting in a lack of confidence in their facts behind these proposals.
Out of hours childcare – the council have inadequately considered the Playstation, a business established with their backing. What provision will be available to the children who currently have a place for before and after school care, and the ones who are on waiting lists?
What to do now
Letters can be sent to the Chris Jones, Chief Schools and Lifelong learning Officer, Cardiff Council, County Hall, Atlantic Whalf, Cardiff, CF10 4UW.
Objections can be sent via email to EMears@cardiff.gov.uk
Letters and emails must contain the full name and postal address of the person making the objection if they are to be taken into account.
A copy should also be sent to Leighton Andrews, AM, Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning, Welsh Assembly Government, 5th Floor, Ty Hywel, Cardiff Bay, CF99 1NA.
The statutory notices for Eglwys Newydd and Whitchurch High School have been published separately, therefore if you are objecting to both they will need to be sent as separate letters.
If you want to you could also join the Facebook group called:
Save Eglwys Newydd and the community of Whitchurch
As you choose to bring the Whitchurch campaign into Canton, I shall bring Canton into Whitchurch!
You’re going to lose this campaign and quite right too. Your billboards in particular whipping up passions between “Welsh” and “English” education are a disgrace. By themselves they convince all outside observers that you deserve to lose.
The decision regarding Ysgol Gymraeg Treganna nearly brought down the Welsh Assembly Government. A decision in your favour would bring down the Welsh Assembly Government. Furthermore, this would happen a few months before a referendum on Assembly powers.
I doubt very much whether Carwyn is going to throw it all away on the back of your campaign.
Regards from Canton
Hello Seimon.
Passions are certainly whipped up now, with almost everyone who is anyone who wants to drive the Welsh language forward outraged by the WAG decision. Even to the extent that the deputy council leader feels he can hold his national party to ransome over a decision in a ward in Cardiff. Granted, it is an important issue, but who do you really think your angst and spite should be directed at?
A group of parents who want to uphold the level of education their children received?
Or the council who have failed for years to address the demand for WM places?
The council, who has chosen to mix up their issues in WM schooling with quite separate problems in other areas of Cardiff, that really don’t exist here in Whitchurch?
The council, whom WAG have advised should sort out, quickly, WM education without prejudicing successful EM education or being divisive?
The council, who have ignored arguments that improving the lot of one section of the community to the detriment of another is unacceptable?
Take some time to read the full review and you might identify that far from being a response that would nearly bring down a government (or more likely was a response that was well researched, discussed and advised upon and grounded in fact and legal obligation), it makes very broad consideration of the guidelines for school reorganisations and closures laid down by WAG to which the council should have paid some attention in the first instance.
You might be better off directing your energies towards those at City Hall who are really messing you about.
Mike,
News of our campaign has spread to North Wales! Seimon Glyn is a Plaid activist and unless he has recently moved, is based in North Wales, not Canton as he would have us believe. Be warned, he has stated that any money spent on English medium education is a “waste of resources”.
However, your defense of his nonsense was sound.
Apologies if there is actually another Seimon based in Canton, he’ll let us know.
Geoff, I don’t know if you’ve thought of this, but there might actually be more than one “Seimon” in the country! Just like there is almost certainly more than one “Geoff”, and probably quite a few “Mikes”.
Seimon Glyn hasn’t been a member of Plaid for donkey’s years now BTW.
It goes without saying that I agree with Seimon, this isn’t a trick that Carwyn is likely to pull twice. He quite likes being First Minister and is not going to put his job on the line for a couple of hundred parents in North Cardiff, most of whom, being brutally realistic, don’t vote Labour anyway.
Even more interestingly, Leighton Andrews has today announced a policy review in this area. He is proposing to effectively wash his hands of the whole business and ensure that the vast majority of school closure decisions are taken “at the local level” i.e. by the council. There will need to be legislation first but the new system could be in place by 2011.
Fascinating, no?
Lyndon,
Fascinating, yes, but unlikely to change the outcome in Canton, or very likely Whitchurch for a few reasons:
- the Education Minister’s announcement does not suggest that the guidelines the council / LEA has to follow when considering a school closure are changing, which is extremely unlikely
- it does suggest the process needs to be streamlined to make it quicker, remove cost and remove uncertainty for parents (and by natural extension the schools and staff who are pretty much treated very shabbily)
- it does suggest the minister would call in what he refers to as ‘contentious’ proposals which would be those that contravene their guidelines – Canton and Whitchurch very obviously fall into that category
I understand. Lyndon, you will always cling to the slightest hope that incomplete and ill-interpreted information might give you and you’ll then spin it out disguised as a cheap shot, but no worries, your comment will not raise any concern amongst those concerned about the Whitchurch schools because we have confidence in those who make the difficult decisions that affect our children’s schools – as they have a willingness to do in Canton.
As Geoff points out (thanks Geoff), the points made to Seimon (original Seimon or new) are sound. I notice you didn’t actually make any factual and relevant comments in your post. Again.
I do accept that there may be another (and indeed many) Seimon(s) trading under that moniker, I noted as much in my previous post.
The petulance and vitriol between the lines certainly has a desperate sense of style. I wondered if Seimon himself would clarify if he was one and the same when who should jump out of his box…
Yes, there are many Geoffs, there are shed loads of Mikes but there is only one Lyndon ap Gwynfryn.
Lyndon, as if you need reminding, this is a website campaigning to secure the future of education in Whitchurch (do you know how to get here without a map?), it is not a platform for your politcal point scoring.
But, I’ll match your being “brutal realistic” with this: Closing successful schools is wrong. Educating children in “temporary” classrooms is wrong.
Taking pleasure and making political capital from proposed threats to close schools is shameful. Seimon and Lyndon (along with Berman, McEvoy and Salway)
ought to get some principles sorted before playing politics with our children’s future.
On a positive note, I think the new campaign T-shirts are great (seen them Lyndon?) Keep up the good work Mike and a few more supportive comments here wouldn’t go amiss I’m sure…
There is plenty of support out there Geoff, parents, relatives and the local community. Loving the new t-shirts as another way to raise awareness. However I do think we need to raise the profile of this issue in the wider community much more. The placards were one way to up the profile but proved to be very contentious and divisive. We should be looking to work as one, as a united community to oppose the councils proposals.
Campaigners and supporters of Llais Ein Plant and SENAG have a common goal, to oppose and defeat the Council’s fourth option. Yet there does not seem to be a united front. Both groups are campaigning well but surely we would be stronger if we worked together. Yes there are different end goals, and differing opinions on why we should be fighting the fourth option, but the first objective must be to defeat the proposal. If the Council succeeds, we all lose.
As an aside, but worthy of note, my 6yr old son came home from school last night very subdued. Upon asking why, I discovered that he had become aware that he might lose his school. He said he didn’t want to move schools, lose his teacher or his friends and was visibly upset. Now whilst I don’t attempt to pull on any heartstrings, I want to let those on both sides of the debate know that the kids are already being affected by this. The Council needs to be upfront with the detail of the plans and the WAG needs to make the decision based on sound educational reasons, whilst listening to the voice of the community this affects.
Hi Ian,
Hopefully you will have seen the new banners and placards – just a start of the effort to take the issue to the wider community. It has been a bit slow to get going, espcially with the half term break, but momentum is beginning to buld again. There is a lot of interest from the community to support the objection to option 4 which needs to be maximised. SENAG are trying to keep the issues in the press for all of Cardiff to read and are also planning to get out amongst the community at supermarkets and the high street as much as time will allow. SENAG has also been asking for volunteers to help.
Some people are taking copies of objection letters to their neghbours, even those they do not know, trying to get as many objections raised as possible. Anyone in Wales can make a valid objection.
There are 7 people helping on SENAG – all with full time jobs – so any help that anyone is able to give would be great.
There have been quite a few conversations with Llais with the intention of raising joint objections and a united front. But you are bang on right though that the end game for both sides is different and it is because of that the substance of the joint objections hasn’t come together. That has been disappointing but dialogue continues.
Cheers
Cheers for the update Mike. Great to see some new boards up.
I’m pushing out the ojection letters to friends and family, local and further afield in Wales. Plan to do the same in work and with neighbours too, then send in a batch of objection letters in one go if people are willing to return them to me. Happy to help when I can, so please do let us know what we can all do .
Hi,
I live in Cardiff and it wasn’t until yesterday that I knew about your website thanks to 2 black boards. Am I right in thinking that you’re protesting of the closure of a school called Eglwys Newydd? It’s not immediately apparent when you come to the website. You may as a suggestion like to incorporate an introduction to the protest conducted.
Just a thought.
Not long to go on the statutory notice now – but plenty of time to make a difference.
A staggering number of objection letters have been signed so far. More are needed. On Saturday we shall be asking Whitchurch residents to support the school, at the Whitchurch Festival. Help raise awareness by wearing your campaign t-shirts if you are in the village for the festival. Hundreds of tshirts have been sold – it would make a great visual message if everyone wears theirs on saturday.
If you can help out on saturday; canvassing, talking, just raising awareness and gaining signatures, help would be appreciated. E-mail soseglwysnewydd@googlemail.com if you can help.
Thank you
Check out Berman’s latest offerings via Guardian Cardiff:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/cardiff/2010/jul/14/rodney-berman-schools-reorganisation-llanrumney-rumney-recreation-ground
Last week to get your letters in.
Thanks to everyone who has signed letters already – there are at least 4800 parent, resident and others letter being delivered to council tomorrow plus whatever number have been sent direct to council. That’s some weight of objection and just from our campaign!
Ian – interestingly one-sided piece from Rodney wasn’t it? He seems to equate different opinion with ‘lack of understanding’. Consultation, and listening to the residnets feedback is not really high on their agenda – more in Echo letters today, this time on parking and on Capital Times, which are indicative as to their MO.
Nicola – sorry your message was somehow missed by the action group team – there have been some blips on the way messages have been displayed on some users machines. Thanks for raising that.
Following protests in Canton, Cardiff Council has decided that it can now avoid the closure of EM schools there and build a brand new WM school. The full story available through local media…try walesonline.
The solution to the issue in Canton will be very familiar to to those who proposed something similar here.
When questioned about the Council’s change of mind, the Leader of Cardiff Council, Rodney Berman said:
“The interests of the children are paramount in all this and I have really felt for the parents of Treganna who have been faced with so much uncertainty for so long.
“Some issues should transcend politics and schools reorganisation is certainly one of those. Everyone now needs to pull together to give the children of Canton the best possible educational provision we can.”
Let’s see if the same holds true for Whitchurch, eh Rodney?
Council’s response to objections now available on their website, it’s a great read:
http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=2869,3047,5087&parent_directory_id=2865&id=10808&Language=