'Save our outstanding school' (From Bournemouth Echo)

'Save our outstanding school'

4:00pm Thursday 8th January 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(9)

PARENTS and governors at a Swanage school have wasted no time in starting a campaign to save it.

A consultation began on Wednesday over Dorset County Council’s plans to shift from a three-tier to a two-tier education system in Purbeck.

They have met with mixed reactions, and now the full proposals have been revealed campaigns have begun to save schools that would face the axe.

Supporters of Wool First School – which would merge with St Mary’s First School in the village – have got theirs under way and now Swanage First has joined them.

Under the plans, both schools would close as the county council looks to mop up 900 surplus places.

Five generations of parent Delphine Fawke’s family have gone to Swanage First – which was deemed outstanding in its last Ofsted inspection – dating back to its opening in 1897.

She said: “I’m thinking: How do I tell my child that the school her family has cherished for so long is closing?”

Parent and governor Vicky Angel added: “I’m devastated. I moved from Bournemouth to Swanage and deliberately moved my sons to this school because it’s a community school. We have capacity to change to a primary.”

Also closing in their current forms would be Swanage St Mark’s and the middle schools at Bovington, Sandford, Swanage and Wareham.

In their place, a new primary school would be established on the Swanage Middle School site.

The rest of the places would be reorganised into first schools around the district, which would expand to house year five and six pupils. The Purbeck School at Wareham would also extend to accept pupils in years seven and eight.

Speaking earlier this week, county cabinet member for chil-dren’s services, Toni Coombs, said the aim was to make sure schools continued “to meet the curriculum needs and help pupils reach their full potential”.

The consultation runs until February 25 and a series of public meetings are being held.

Copies of the plans are available from schools, the district council offices and libraries, as well as by visiting dorsetforyou.com/purbeckreview or by calling 01305 228621.

• To see the list of consultation meetings being held, visit bournemouthecho.co.uk and search for “Purbeck schools”.