SEND AN EMAIL AND HELP SAVE OUR SCHOOL

[Jaq13]

Hi

HELP SAVE ST URSULA'S SCHOOL, BRISTOL

If you live in the south west you'll probably have seen the regional press coverage of this - huge efforts have been put in to save this school but are being thwarted at the last minute by the religious order who used to run it up til the 1980s not accepting the cash being offered by the charity looking to take it over (Oasis) but instead holding out - apparently looking to let the school go to the wall and then profiting from being able to sell the land for residential / retail use.

This is disasterous - both for the 210 families at the school and for anyone else at a Bristol school or with children who'll need a school place in future. Bristol is a fabulous place to live but woefully undersupplied with school place - can it really find places for another 210 children in the next 4 weeks in time for the start of term in Sept?

This week the school went into administration. The charity, Oasis, are still in discussions with the Order and parents are doing all they can to support this. The next few days are crucial - there is still a chance to save the school by persuading the Order to be more flexible or finding a philanthropic 'white knight' who ccould offer some help.

Please show your support by joining the Save St Ursulas School facebook group at www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=136669206370620&ref=ts

Even better by emailing the Sisters of Mercy to object to their actions - if you're in a rush there's some suggested text at www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=136669206370620&topic=147

Many, many thanks all, please spread the word

Jacqui

not very merciful sisters are they???

No, the irony's not lost on me!

How a so called 'christian' organisation can put hundreds of children in this situation is beyond me.

So, the plan is to gain maximum publicity and support IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS to help persuade (or should that be shame?) the Order into reconsidering their view while there's still a chance of rescuing the negotiations.

Any help from Mumsnetters would be hugely appreciated.

Odd behaviour from the sisters.

Its clear looking at the most recently available accounts (for year ending 31 August 2008) that its been in trouble for some time. They made a redundnacy but even taking that into account their expenditure on teaching costs was way down on the previous year suggting they'd not filled vacanies. At the same time their income from fees was down by over 200 thousand.

It also looks as if they dug very heavily into their cash reserve to stay afloat (it went from 271k to 13k in a year) I suepect the most recent accounts (which are late) would show a more depressing picture

However there are substansial assets which does make the school attractive to an investor and if you've found someone willing to try to pull it back then the diocise should give consideration - have you asked the to consider a long term lease if they don't want to lose the land in perpetuity?

Worth a thought dilemna.

Here's a link to the coverage in tonight's BBC news www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fmediaselector%2Fcheck%2Fengland%2Frealmedia%2Fpointswest%2Fpointswest%3Fsize%3D16x9%26bgc%3DC0C0C0%26nbram%3D1%26bbram%3D1%26nbwm%3D1%26bbwm%3D1&h=14657

... the item is 3 minutes into the news bulletin.

A similar thing happened to a private Catholic school near us. I don't know what your Sisters are planning but ours used the money from the sale of the prime land they owned to build new schools to provide free education in Africa. The church/state is doing a good job of providing an education for british children. The Sisters have an obligation to help those whose need is greater. I don't want to sound unsympathertic, it must be awful for those affected but if they are going to use the profits to help educate people who would not have access to an education at all^ then I think they should.

Hi spanxaremyonlyfriend

I think if the Sisters had been open and upfront about their reasoning for trying to maximise the profits from the school's closure sale they'd get more sympathy and understanding.

Instead it's been very cloak and dagger, with them appearing to wash their hands of any consideration for the children and community involved.

Bit left field, but consider the planning angle.

Bristol Local Plan, like most Council plans, has a policy that protects community facilities - including schools. Even if the building is no longer needed for it's existing use, the owners have to prove that the building isn't needed for another community use before something like housing will be considered.

You need to tell the owners that if they force the school to close, you (or the charity) will look to buy it and continue the use as a school. The Council, if they get an application for housing development on the site, would need to be convinced that nobody wanted the site for a community use (and had the £ to buy it at that value - not at residential land value!).

The owners might look to market the site in the hope that you don't really have the £ to buy it, so you'd have to make a clear and unambiguous offer - and let the council know what your intentions were. But it's just possible that the owners wouldn't bother going down the route of marketing the site and would try to sell it to you direct...

Does the offer by Oasis reflect the market value of the business? Could it be that they have an obligation to get the best possible price so the proceeds can go to charity?

My understanding is that it reflects the educational value of the land, but that the Sisters are looking for the commercial value - even though for planning purposes it's restricted to educational use only.

Since my original posting the parents' action group have found out a little more about the situation and it seems its the Sisters' financial advisors who'd been handling the negotiations.

So, they may be more open to taking a compassionate viewpoint than we thought. ..... Just need to maximise the numbers of people objecting to help them appreciate the strength of feeling on this one. So, any help from other Mumsnetters is hugely appreciated.

The facebook page is Save St Ursula's.

Thanks

bump

Have you seen thsis article? It gives an indication to the sort of prices private schools are being marketed for

thanks dilemna, i'll pass it on.

bump

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-1104502