Parents step up campaign to save school
Monday 24th November 2008, 2:30PM GMT.
PARENT power is being drafted into the battle to save St Sampson’s Infants’ School.
Its PTA has regrouped and this week, with just two months to go until the States decides the closure-threatened school’s fate, it is stepping up the fight to keep it open.
Campaigners are hoping they can persuade deputies to vote against the Education Department’s recommendation when they meet to have the final say in January. Parents warn the closure could disrupt their children’s education, as well as hit the whole area.
‘Our main aim is to try and persuade deputies to support keeping the school open and we’re going to do this by keeping its profile high and by raising the issues and impact its closure would have on our community, other communities and our children,’ explained PTA deputy chairman Belinda Davis.
The school is still reeling from the announcement in September that it had been earmarked for closure.
It followed a major review by Education, started back in January, which found St Andrew’s Primary to be a more viable long-term prospect on several grounds including the number of pupils and cost savings of £250,000.
St Sampson’s, which has three classes – Reception, Year One and Year Two – had no PTA when the review began but formed a committee to campaign for its survival. In September, some of the founding members resigned but a new group of parents has picked up the gauntlet.
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The closure of St Sampsons primary…can’t savings be made in the Education Department staffing levels rather than close the school..surely if other schools are being rationalised/merged, they will need fewer staff to administer the remaining schools. Only a thought.
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To close the school now may well be premature with the houses that have been built in the catchment area and those planned in the near future, such as those at Leale’s yard and in the Belgrave Vinery site. These new family homes could lead to overcrowding at Vale Infants.
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For what it’s worth, I support the closure. Not because of the potential savings, but because there are not enough pupils at St. Sampson’s to permit them access to the full range of facilities and experiences that they would get elsewhere. Don’t forget that the new High schools will be larger (i.e. more pupils), so they may as well get used to large groups from an early age. Small schools aren’t always the best.
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Jon
Have you visited the school? What evidence do you have that other schools offer a wider range of facilities? This school is often one of the first in the island to initiate new educational developments – I cite the recent BECTA award they have just gained for ICT. Its last validation report was also outstanding.Other schools are green with envy that they don’t have this award yet. Every inch of space in this building is used to enable a full range of curricular opportunities. In my personal experience of several schools in the island, this one does not suffer due to its size – on the contrary, the family-like nature of its community is ideally-suited to Key Stage One-aged children. When they are older, then a larger school may be more appropriate.
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I have to disagree with Jon about small not always being best. It is a HUGE part of a childs life starting school for the first time some children like my daughter are only just 4 when starting school. Who on earth would want to put there child in a huge school with 30 children in a class and without the presence of a full time dedicated classroom assistant. Yes I agree they do have to get used to a larger sized school at some point but I believe schools like St Sampsons prepare them in a sympathetic nuturing environment building their confidence so by the time they are ready to start Year 3 they are more prepared to cope with such a daunting experience. Not all of us have children who dont bat an eyelid when it comes to being in such environments. The care and dedication of St Sampsons and its fantastic Nursery education sessions which run from the October prior to them commencing school are exceptional. Apart from St Andrews no other school offers such a fantastic facility they only have short reading sessions from the May half term where parents stay. This may be sufficient for some children but certainly not for all. The school uses every inch of space is used to provide stimulating learning activities for children.
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