LETTER: Hanworth schools' future far from secure
May 22, 2004 12:00 AM
With regard to Alan Peckett's letter in the Times (May 21st) in which he questioned whether the U-turn by Cllr. Colin Ellar, on the future of three Hanworth schools was just spin, we must say YES.
Press headlines giving credit to Cllr. Ellar for saving Oriel School are wildly inaccurate.
The local Councillors for Hanworth Ward, having worked closely with the Oriel Action Committee, are of the opinion that any credit for the stay of execution for the Oriel School must go to Alan Peckett (Chair) and other members of the Save Oriel Action Committee, as well as the parents and children who were very supportive. If not for their strong campaign, we believe that Alan Peckett's assumption that Oriel School would have faced closure is entirely correct.
What we have now is a situation where schools in the Hanworth area could suffer 'death by a thousand cuts'. To understand this, we must consider what has been said regarding Hanworth Schools. We were told that there was going to be an informal consultation with the three schools, Oriel, Crane Park and Forge Lane, after which a proposal will be drafted and presented during the formal consultation. However, during the very first meeting, which coincidentally took place at the Oriel school, Cllr. Ellar announced that none of the schools would now be earmarked for closure, contrary to all his earlier statements defending closure of one school.
Ian Beecroft's comment in the Times (May 14th) that the Save Oriel Action Committee will not be disbanded should be well heeded. It is obvious that these parents are well aware that plans for the reconfiguration of Hanworth schools is far from over.
They realise that what are we left with is partial closure of a school through one form entry. The ensuing problems are plain to see. Parents could be forced to abandon their first choice of school; there could be a loss of teachers; overcrowded classes; even the eventual sell-off of school buildings and playing fields and, in the long-term, the school selected could be vulnerable to total closure.
Wider issues concerning education places within the borough have yet to be addressed. Although the spotlight has been focused on Hanworth, we must not forget that a similar predicament is facing schools in the Bedfont area.
Cllr Linda Nakamura
Cllr Ray Fincher
Cllr Andrew Morgan-Watts
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