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

Both Rock Ferry High School and Park High School are to close and be replaced by a £30M academy.

So we will have two Birkenhead Academies (New one and Birkenhead High for Girls) not under local government control or ownership.

Council is bound to go along with the Academies - they get to sell the old school sites.

I can't understand Academies - I am sure the investing companies are not planning to make a loss (the original concept was they are part-financed by industry), they invariably mean that joe public loses ownership of schools and the government give them huge amounts of money that they are not prepared to give to normal schools. The logic being???????

they cant close rocky hich that was a class school when i went!so many hiding places to have a smoke too got a few good memories of that place.

There has been talk of Rock Ferry closing for a few years now - falling intake etc (my old school!)

Park High is already the unwanted love child of several birkenhead schools.

They tend to have pretty bad results etc, wonder if the new academy will let all the pupils from the 2 closed schools back in.

they have to let them in
what i cannot understand is where a school will be situated that is convenient to pupils from both these schools? think about the areas they cover. it looks like the bus companies will be making a packet from it as kids will need to go further afield to get to school. what happened to local education - its all bollocks.

From Rock Ferry Nigh School website:
"7th October 2008

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Wirral Review of Secondary School Places

Following recommendations in a government report, Mr. Howard Cooper, Director of Children’s Services, is to propose the opening of a new Academy, to serve Rock Ferry High School and Park High School students.

This proposal will be made to the Cabinet of Wirral Borough Council on 6th November 2008.

Under the proposal, the government is to invest £30 million in a new Super School, to be established on a new site conveniently located for both sets of pupils. This would be a huge investment in the future of our children.

Many people would be sorry to leave the Rock Ferry site, which has a long and distinguished history of serving this community and its children well.

However, the new Super School would be second-to-none. It would offer the finest facilities available in the country and the best possible educational opportunities. This massive vote of confidence in our children is richly deserved and will transform education in the Birkenhead area.

Every child who already has, or takes up a place at Rock Ferry High School would have the automatic right to transfer to the new Super School when it opens, and would benefit from the wonderful opportunities on offer. Meanwhile, Rock Ferry High School and Park High School would continue to offer high quality education and care to all their pupils on the two sites for some years to come.

If this exciting proposal is adopted, both schools will be working closely to ensure that in due course, students can move to the new school smoothly, with teachers and staff who know them well.

Please rest assured that we will endeavour to keep you fully informed of future developments.

Yours sincerely,

P.T. Bennett
HEADTEACHER

PRESS RELEASE

A proposal to open a new £30 million Academy to serve current and future Rock Ferry High School and Park High School students will be heard by Cabinet, following the recommendation of a Government report.

A site for the new Superschool, which would offer educational facilities to rival the top schools in the country, has yet to be decided but will be well placed for both sets of pupils.

The new Superschool will primarily serve communities in south and central Birkenhead. The Council is also committed to improving the quality of secondary school provision for pupils in north Birkenhead.

Wirral’s Cabinet will meet on November 6th to discuss the proposal, following which there will be a period of consultation with key stakeholders.

Park High Headteacher Steve McMahon, said: “This is the very best news for students and the wider community of Birkenhead, Wirral and beyond. Our school has a long and proud tradition and, in recent years, we have been increasingly successful. I see the Academy proposal as a fantastic reward for all our hard work and achievements and, through this move, Birkenhead would secure one of the very best schools in the country.

Peter Bennett, Headteacher of Rock Ferry High School, said: “Under these proposals, Rock Ferry High School pupils will continue to enjoy a first rate education. The size of the investment will offer incredible opportunities, both to pupils and to staff. Only the best is good enough for the pupils of Rock Ferry High School.

“The new Superschool would be second to none. It would offer the finest facilities available in the country and the best possible educational opportunities. I believe the proposal is richly deserved by our pupils and would transform education in Birkenhead.”

Frank Field MP for Birkenhead said: “It’s the most exciting proposal that has come Birkenhead’s way in my 30 years as MP. Future generations will condemn us rightly if we don’t grab these proposals with both hands and I’m pleased that the Council have already begun to develop them.”

Councillor Phil Davies, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Lifelong Learning, added: “The proposal is huge news for the area with £30 million of investment to give youngsters from Birkenhead the very best opportunities in the years ahead. We hope it will drive up aspirations, standards and achievement, setting the benchmark for what can be achieved in urban communities.”

A couple of quotes from the DCSF Standards Site FAQ

"Will opening an Academy adversely affect other schools in the area?
Quite the opposite. Academies will be part of the local family of schools, sharing their facilities and expertise with other schools and the wider community, contributing to raising standards across the whole area."

"Will pupils from a school replaced by an Academy be guaranteed a place there?
We expect most pupils at schools replaced by Academies to have the option of transferring to the Academy."

Rocky High and Park High together ? Do the council want to start wirrarmageddon ?? You know how much they rival each other ?? Christ.. Here goes birkenhead...

wirrarmageddon

i like it

What a load of wank.

There is no convenient location for pupils to travel between the two. For a start, school runs would be 10x worse.

Money has recently been pumped into Park High to bring it up to standard as a specialist sports college.
That will become a waste of government money and lottery funding wont it

Frank Field is a load of shit and so it this "new labour" government

the wirral really isnt that big - and when did u, when u were at school, actually pay the actual fare to where u were going? i used to pay half fare (up until i was about 19 and started to not get away with it lol) and only to about 3 stops from where the bus picked up from where it would usually be the case i was going about 8 or 9 stops etc lol (i have forgotten the concept of full stops and commas)

I walked to school. Wasn't far to Park High Lower (used to go home for lunch, 5 miuntes away), but then when I went to Upper school it took about 20-25 minutes to walk from Claughton village area to Park Rd South. Part of it involved walking through the park. I think there was a bus we could have caught but we never did. Walked rain or shine (even snow). No wonder I was a skinny teenager - I walked everywhere!

lol i was the same... now im a fat beer guzzling slob... well, ok, not wuite... but im certainly not athletic! - used to always walk to school... also about 25-30 mins (new ferry to beb high)

used to walk or ride to school an loved goin out for lunch,dacre hill butty shop!ham an cheese wit brown sauce!!!

What the hell is an Academy?? This is an American idea right?
Jesus Christ!