Forums Forums Local News Schools face closure in new 'academies' programme

remember me dad sayin years ago,and im sure he said the other house on the grounds should'nt of been knocked down either.

i still think a U.E is called 4 me

Ravenswood was listed to a degree. I remember it being on fire and having to be restored.
It wasn't me. But we did used to go and smoke on the roof-that wa an interesting place to go

I might be off topic here but are they merging or something?

yes - there is a thread about it somewhere

@Jamie That is what this topic is about, read page 1

Can you show me where? I dont see any word on that page that says "Merging"

I'm making a habit of being blonde aren't I?

Look at it this way Jamie. They are closing both schools and sending all the pupils to one "Super School". Sounds like merging to me

To quote some song or another (Paul Mcartney/Stevie Wonder)

"Two will become one"

The two schools are closing and being replaced by one Academy.

Clicky

Thanks man needed that bit of inspiration into reading more than the first word

FrSchools face closure in new 'academies' programme
10:29am Thursday 12th March 2009

RIDGEWAY, Rock Ferry and Park High schools will be closed if a new proposal to create two multi-million pound academies in Wirral is approved by the council.

The new schools will be in addition to Birkenhead High School for Girls, which will become an academy from September.

The proposal could see one mixed-sex academy on the former Park High School site and another single-sex boys' academy.

The move has been welcomed by Birkenhead MP Frank Field, who said it would give local children the chance to "achieve secondary education worthy of the name".

But leader of the council's Conservative group, Cllr Jeff Green, said he was "shocked" by the announcement.

He said: "Ridgeway's inclusion to be closed is news to me. I shall be seeking an urgent meeting with our education executives to clarify this position.

"I am dismayed that the council sees fit to announce these major changes to education provision via the local media before they are discusssed in the town hall.

"It is local government by press release."

The council says the new ‘superschools’ would offer educational facilities to rival the best schools in the country.

The move follows an initial proposal in November to look at opening one academy to serve Rock Ferry High and Park High pupils.

Since then, Birkenhead High School for Girls has announced that the go-ahead has now been given to establish an all-ability state-funded girls’ academy on its site.

This meant an imbalance in school places available for boys and girls in Birkenhead and has led to the new proposal for a boys’ academy.

The new schools will be in addition to Birkenhead High School for Girls, which will become an academy from September.

The new state-of-the-art academies would serve pupils currently at Rock Ferry High, Park High and Ridgeway High School.

The scheme will be heard at the council’s cabinet meeting next Thursday and, if approved, will then move to the consultation stage, when staff, pupils and parents at the three schools affected will be able to make their comments.

Councillor Phil Davies, Wirral’s cabinet member for children’s services, said: “This is an extremely exciting idea.

"Wirral would have three brand new state-of-the-art academies, with millions of pounds to invest in building on the expertise and excellent work that already takes place at Ridgeway High, Park High and Rock Ferry."

Ridgeway High headteacher Pauline Roberts said: “Ridgeway School has been judged by OFSTED as being an 'outstanding' school in every aspect of its educational delivery.

“Our pupils, parents and staff are rightly proud of what Ridgeway has achieved and the ethos that exists within the school.

" I can assure them that, if the proposal goes ahead, I will be working with the local authority, sponsors and other local schools to ensure that what we have achieved is not lost.”

Peter Bennett, headteacher at Rock Ferry High School, said: “I welcome this academies programme which brings the number of academies in Wirral to three.

“The proposal to build a new, multi-million pound academy to serve boys from Rock Ferry High School and South Birkenhead is a huge and well-deserved vote of confidence in the local community and in Rock Ferry High School.

“The proposed brand new school would be among the best built and the best equipped in the country. It would offer an unrivalled range of opportunities, both academic and vocational."

Park High headteacher Steve McMahon said: “Parents and students in Birkenhead already have a choice of very good schools but these academies will raise the bar still further still further."

Frank Field said: “This is the last serious chance we have to achieve secondary education which is worthy of its name in Birkenhead.

"These new academies will transform the pattern of education and how it is delivered in Birkenhead.”
This was copied from the Wirral Globe Staff and pupils of Ridgeway were informed of this today.

This is a letter I e-mailed the globe with my view:

The reason we have do not need security in our schools or have any knife crimes or gang associated problems is because our youth are terrotorial and each stick to there own areas and schools by merging these schools with different areas we are going to have the same problems as some of the schools in liverpool where children from different areas are mixed into the same high school the result knife crimes and gang related crimes in their schools.Do we in Birkenhead want to worry about the safety of our children in or schools or do we want things to stay as they are with community based schools where parents know the other pupils and parents and where are children travel to and from school with friends and other local kids safely .We must oppose this and think of our childrens futures .

What do you all think about this do you think it will end with high schools or will the same thing happen to primary schools?

EVERY other Academy in the country has failed, why are they so bloomin' optomistic that this one/two/three will succeed.

To give you an idea how bad acadamies are - most of the go-getter high-flying headmasters that start an acadamy resign within the FIRST YEAR.

No statistics show anything good about acadamies apart from a very small percentage of specific kids get benefit, the far greater majority are not better of.

I am very surprised at Frank Field supporting this waste of public money and waste of kids who don't stand a chance in a proven white elephant.

Do you think this is already a done deal my sister works at Ridgeway school on the dinners and she got told today that she would be made redundant in 2-3 years yet pupils were told that they would not be closing for 4-5 years .