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Now public get say on Bournemouth school academy plan (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Now public get say on Bournemouth school academy plan
7:00am Wednesday 8th July 2009
PLANS to transform a Bournemouth secondary school go out to public consultation from next week.
If approved, Bishop of Winchester will become a Church of England academy with 200 more pupils and a sixth form from August next year.
Consultation packs outlining the proposals are currently being sent out to parents, carers, teachers, school governors and other interested parties.
They will be invited to approve the change to an academy, vote for no change or suggest other options.
The school was called Summerbee until 2004 and was at one point placed in special measures because of the unacceptable standard of education being offered at the Mallard Road site.
It became the Bishop of Winchester five years ago and dramatic improvements have been made.
Its latest Ofsted inspection, just published, describes it as “a good school in which students achieve well”.
And inspectors added: “The school is a calm, orderly place where students enjoy good relationships with staff and friendships with each other. Students are well cared for – good information is available to help promote their wellbeing.”
However, Bournemouth council thinks standards can go even higher and has proposed the changes under the national Building Schools for the Future programme.
Sponsors of the new academy will be the Diocese of Winchester, Winchester University, Bournemouth School and Bournemouth School for Girls.
It will specialise in enterprise and innovation and mathematics and will have extended opening hours so it can be used by the wider community.
“Over the past year Bournemouth Children’s Services, the school governors and the Diocese of Winchester have worked hard to bring together a group of academy sponsors that we feel will enable the school to continue on its trajectory to success,” said Bournemouth education chief Jane Portman.
And Tony Blackshaw, speaking on behalf of the Diocese of Winchester, added: “We believe that every young person should be able to reach his or her God-given potential.
“It is our belief that a Christian academy infused with Christian values is the very best for our children and young people.”
Head teacher Paul McKeown added: “It is the children who have turned the school around. I give all credit to the students and to may really hard-working staff.”
Consultation will run until September 30 and a public consultation meeting will be held at the school on Monday, September 14, from 6.30pm until 8pm.
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Your Say YourEcho
Gordon Cann, Bournemouth says...
8:54am Wed 8 Jul 09
'The moral law within us , and the starry sky above' that was the basis for the moral code of Beethoven quoting from the Gwerman philosopher Immanuel Kant, and I doubt if it can be improved.
We take full responsibility for own human condition; not as militabt atheists but as( for wnat of a better word )'humanists'
Trifecta, Southbourne says...
10:46am Wed 8 Jul 09
Can you imagine the uproar if he had said "Islamic values" ?
I fail to understand why we allow our children to be brainwashed by these cults. Stone age ideals propagated by by people who really should know better.
WIGGINSv, Boscombe says...
12:51pm Wed 8 Jul 09
MoordownMarc, Bournemouth says...
2:06pm Wed 8 Jul 09
Call it a school, academy or whatever you like but please do not connect any schools to faiths.
Bob Bournemouth, Bournemouth says...
3:25pm Wed 8 Jul 09
Chris..., says...
4:10pm Wed 8 Jul 09
Or do we bow down, and take the wrap of calling it a Christain School in an enforced multi national, multic culteral, multi religious nation.
Personally, this is Britain, a Christain valued country. Say no more.
My query is, is 200 extra places going to be enough for those who would prefer to place their children in a Christain Faith School.
PokesdownMark, Bournemouth says...
5:15pm Wed 8 Jul 09
Q1 Why do so many parents try to get their children into Christian schools then?
A1 Partly the long church PR campaign claiming values and morals as their own. Partly the fact that league tables showed they produced higher academic standards. But this is largely due to their ability to select their pupils as an outcome of their more flexible admissions policies.
More recent league table numbers, which subtract the starting level of the student intake, thereby measuring the school itself, have religious schools doing much less favorably. I'm talking about the Value Add score. Note St Katherines and St James in the bottom sixth of the league table locally. There are still several church schools at the top but I think this is simply because there are so many. What is interesting is that school's value add scores seem to be very close together and change from year to year. With schools surging up or plunging down the league tables.
Q2 Why do Christian schools do better than others?
By being able to select better pupils. See above.
Q3 Could it be the morals and discipline that are instilled in their pupils?
I am not sure that behavior at religious schools is all that different. Based on my 3 going to a C of E primary and state secondaries. Plus stories from friends of their kids are both types of both types. That is pretty subjective. But there were kids excluded from their church primaries. Again I think the selection bias favours better behaved, more motivated children ending up in C of E schools. HOWEVER I note that its not just C of E that parents look for. Although Bish of Winchester school has improved, their intake statistics perfectly clear that parents are not beating down the door there.
As a non-believer the insistence from the church that their own values and morals is very irritating. If they would actually come out with some hard facts to back this up that would be nice. Or a list of the exact values they are talking about. Lets see the Winchester diocese make a list of THEIR values, that presumably will not be found in a state school. They never will. Because their claimed values are everyones values. The only value they offer as extra is the explanation that god is responsible for everything so there is no need to seek any other explanation for the natural world. Which is the opposite of education.
FlamingCarbuncle, Southbourne says...
10:11pm Wed 8 Jul 09
Pokesdown Mark you should try reading the Ofsted reports for these schools, you may well then understand whay parents want their children at these schools. Exceptional teaching and care, more importantly the children are taught the standards and morals that our world needs more of today.
seniorman, Bournemouth says...
12:09pm Fri 10 Jul 09
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PokesdownMark, Bournemouth says...
7:28am Wed 8 Jul 09