New Secondary schools for Richmond!

[BayJay]

Richmond Council recently published a White Paper outlining plans for Secondary education in the borough (cabnet.richmond.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=23719). They want new 6th forms in every school, and would need to decrease current Yr7 intakes to accomodate that. To offset those decreases they are talking about creating two new secondary schools. One of those new schools would be a Roman Catholic school.

The Roman Catholic community in the borough are currently disadvantaged by the "link" system (www.st-marys.richmond.sch.uk/Newsletter%20Link%20letter%20for%202011%20links%20(2).pdf). Because the Catholic primaries are not linked to any secondaries in the borough, their children tend to go to a combination of out-of-borough Catholic secondaries (which are mostly rated as Outstanding), grammar schools and private schools, though some of the girls do go to Waldegrave, which is not part of the link system. Note that there is no reason, in principle, why the Catholic Secondaries couldn't be linked to local community schools, but because many of their children have other options, they simply don't meet the "25% rule" required to form a link. (See an example set of transfer figures at www.st-james.richmond.sch.uk/Admin/Uploads/Docs/StJamesSchool_Parents_NewsLetter_270910.pdf).

This raises several questions in my mind:

1. Does the problem necessarily need to be solved by providing a Catholic Secondary, or are there alternative solutions that would benefit the community as a whole (e.g. reforming the link system)?
2. Does the majority of the Catholic community specifically want to be educated separately from the rest of us, or is it the case that, like everyone else, they simply want an outstanding education for their children, and find that the Catholic route is often the best way of achieving that?
3. If Catholics had more options for transferring to outstanding community schools locally (as many already do, to Waldegrave), would they choose those options over travelling to a single-faith school in a neighbouring borough?
4. I accept that there will always be very religious people who want to segregate themselves, but would I be right in asserting that there are also large numbers of Catholics who would be happy to attend community schools, provided that gave them the same level of academic excellence that can be found in many Catholic options?
5. If a new Catholic secondary school is created, it is likely to have an entrance policy that requires a priest's reference (as per the majority of existing Catholic schools). How do people feel about that?
6. If a state-funded Catholic School is created in the borough, would non-Catholic parents also like the option of sending their children there, provided they weren't barred by the admission system?

I'd be interested to hear your opinions!

And here's an image of what TA is expected to look like when its rebuilt.

Just adding a link to the latest local press coverage about the Catholic School debate.

Anyone watching this thread should be aware that there is a parallel thread in the Secondary Schools forum. It covers much of the same ground as this one, but has some different voices in it and has been quite active lately.

May I just say how very IMPRESSIVE BayJay is on this thread? She sound dead clever

I just want everyone to have the facts, so that if there is a formal consultation people can be objective, rather than relying on political/religious allegiance, gut instinct, or playground gossip. We're so lucky these days that all the information we need is online, so long as we know where to find it.

Yay! Bayjay for PM!

keeping an eye thanks BayJay

Update October 06: the church has made a formal application to Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, for consent to "publish proposals" for a Voluntary Aided school on the Clifden Road site. This is required to avoid the Council having to hold a competition for the new school, or having to set it up as an Academy (which would have a maximum 50 % faith-based admissions). His decision is a closed process and we don't know what's happening. See: twickenhamlibdems.co.uk/en/article/2011/512963/the-new-school-for-twickenham-what-happens-next for more detail.

Gove will not respond to letters from the public but he will to a letter from an MP on their behalf. So if you object to the church?s application and live in the Twickenham constituency, please write to Vince Cable [[email protected] or by letter to: 2a Lion Road,Twickenham TW1 4JQ] copying [email protected] . A letter is better, if you can make the time to write it.

There are lots of letters about the Catholic school issue in this week's Richmond and Twickenham Times. See pages 28 -31.

For info, on page 31 there is a question from a reader wanting to know the names of the 8 Catholic Secondary schools within 5 miles of the centre of Richmond Borough. If you're interested in the answer to that, here is a link to the map produced by the Richmond Inclusive Schools Campaign.

The same letter also questions the 10% figure that RISC has been quoting for the percentage of Catholics in the borough. This document contains their explanation for that number.

Is the map missing St Paul's Catholic College in Sunbury? Not too familar with that area, so it may be just outside the boundary.

Whoops, just seen that St Paul's has been mentioned in the other thread about this

so are the rumours of adding a primary Catholic school, possibly at the same site, true?

According to paragraph 4.1 of this report the council is planning a one-form entry primary school on the Clifden Rd site. The Richmond Inclusive Schools Campaign are reporting on their Facebook site that they have "an email confirmation from Dfes that they have received two section 10 requests from the Diocese of Westminster for consent to publish proposals outside of a school competition for a secondary and primary school".

Read into that what you will.

many thanks

what on earth justification can there be to spend public money on a primary catholic school? There are already more catholic primary places than there are catholics in the borough.

Note also in Section 4.2 of this report, confirmation that the council does not intend to provide a new Community Secondary any time in the forseeable future, if at all.

I despair, I really do. They should be ashamed of themselves.

We voted them in, or some did

The Conservatives were voted in narrowly and unexpectedly, 44 % to 42 % for the LDs overall, with split results in 5 wards: St Margaret?s, Whitton, Heathfield, Hampton N and Kew. If anyone here thinks they could do better, the borough?s Lib Dems would be glad to hear from them: [email protected]

To be honest the libdems have on the face of it been supporting the Catholic proposal until very recently.

I suspect many who voted them in do not use the local secondary schools or were not aware of all the issues...

Fuming about u-turn in two-school policy. It's all very well the local council asking parents to use existing "spare" places in the academies, but would they themselves? Not until the schools visibly improved; the jury's still out on whether the academy changes will achieve that or are just a rebranding exercise.

I just think the whole faith argument is a sham. The council have conveniently forgotten that Christ's school used to be joint Roman Catholic and CoE, and it was woefully undersubscribed - there was no demand then despite the Catholic provision. Why? Because the school was poorly managed and had terrible results. The new school will provide a fresh option while other secondaries are still struggling, but only to a select few.

At least Christs show how a school can be turned around. Richmond Park Academy etc - please investigate!!

Many people voted for the Conservatives because they liked the sound of 6th Forms, or because they wanted to stop the Twickenham Riverside development, or some other reason unconnected to this. That's the problem with elections ... they're a blunt instrument.

As Kewcumber said, the Libdems supported the idea until recently, and there are still only two Lib Dem Councillors names on the RISC petition (though to be fair I can't see any councillor names on the Catholic petition at all). It would be nice to think that councillors could be allowed to vote freely on this issue, rather than following their party line, but I'm not holding my breath.

I think there's a generational thing going on here. The people driving these policies (Lord True & Councillor Samuel of the Conservatives, and Malcolm Eady of the Lib Dems) aren't necessarily in tune with the local modern demographic of parents. I wonder how many of them read Mumsnet for instance .

Bayjay, totally agree with what you are saying about a 'generational thing' about the councillors pushing the policy through. One of those you mentioned, despite living in the borough and being on the council, chose to send at least one of his kids to an out of borough secondary (not selective) which says it all! They are dinosaurs from the days when more people chose not to send their secondary age children to Richmond's schools- e.g. in my old road, 20 or so years ago, despite being 5 mins from a secondary popular these days, many fellow teens I travelled home with were attending local private schools or one of the Tiffins. Don't think the council realise how many local parents want to/have to send their children to the state schools now. I have nothing against 'faith' schools, having attended 2, but think that if you want your children educated in such an environment you should pay yourself, or the 'faith' or foundation should provide the education at their own cost and charge, or not charge, the parents accordingly.

Linked schools: I have published on the borough Lib Dem website (which I edit) an article describing the likely effects on Orleans School of scrapping the linked schools policy: twickenhamlibdems.co.uk/en/article/2011/523396/abolishing-the-linked-schools-system-who-gains-who-loses-a-forecast-for-orleans-park

Interesting ChrisSquire

So it is ok to discriminate against Catholic children, so long as those attending historically linked primary schools still get to attend their preferred choice of secondary?

The hypocrisy here is amazing.

I am not a Catholic, but actually fully support the proposal for a Catholic secondary school. There are 7 Catholic primaries for heavens sake. Why should they not have a chance of attending an in-borough Catholic secondary school?

What we all should be concentrating on is improving the outcomes of the already established secondary schools. This is what will make a real difference. For those of us living close to Richmond Park Academy, or Twickenham Academy, or Hampton Academy we would not have a chance of getting our children into the new school anyway (unless it becomes a Catholic school and we were Catholic) as we would be too far away to get a place at a small 3 or 4 form entry school.

This new school will be the smallest secondary in the Borough. I am pretty sure, that as a secular school we would need to be living pretty much on the doorstep to be guaranteed a place.

There are enough places at in-borough schools for all pupils; we just need to make our schools ones which we can be consistently proud of. It can be done. When I moved here 10 years ago, I would not have wanted my child to attend Orleans, but it has now clearly turned a corner.

Why are people not fighting hard to improve the schools that already exist, then you would not have to waste your energy fighting the campaign for a Catholic school.