6 replies to this topic

[Galadriel]

Please see the attached email from the Head at Burley Oaks.
It is vital that everyone in the village gets behind the schools in their bid not to increase the intake as proposed by Bradford Council.
I have children in the school and fear what will happen if places are open to children from other areas of Bradford. I really think this will happen if the intake is increased but not filled.

Burley schools are great - let's all do our bit and keep them that way!!

..............................................................................................................................................................
Burley Oaks Primary School : CONSULTATION RE 2 FORM ENTRY
Dear Parent/Carer,
Bradford Council is once again proposing to increase the intake of Burley Oaks from 45 to 60, changing it from a 1.5 form entry to a 2 form entry school and wishes to seek your views. You will receive a letter with your child outlining the process.
Consultation took place last year on the same matter. The outcome was that we remained a 1.5 form entry school and agreed to temporarily increase the admission number from 45 to 60 for two consecutive years (Sep 2010 and Sep 2011) in order to accommodate large numbers.
Our aim is to ensure that all children living in Burley in Wharfedale are provided with a place at their local school in Burley in Wharfedale. It is worth noting that as recently as September 2008, the school admitted only 45 children into Reception and this completely satisfied the demand for places. The school has always agreed to admit additional pupils into Reception beyond 45, at the request of Education Bradford. Before September 2009, the largest number admitted was only 51.
We have grave concerns if the school were to be permanently made two-form which are explained below. Therefore, we request that before responding to the proposal, the following points are considered:
It is the view of the Headteacher and Governors of both Burley Oaks and Burley and Woodhead Primary Schools that it would not be in the best interests of either school for Burley Oaks to become 2 form entry at the present time.
Accurate and reliable figures suggest that demand for places in Reception will remain high next year (60 places will be available for 2011 entry) and then will fall for the following years.
If the school were to become a 2 form entry school and then not fill all of the 60 places available, this could result in a deficit budget situation. This would clearly have a detrimental effect on the quality of education for all children with the instability this creates.
Competition between the two Burley schools could be created as they would each struggle to fill their own places rather than developing the positive working relationships we currently share.
It would not be financially prudent to commit the school to continued expansion in the long term whilst the figures do not justify this course of action, particularly given the current financial climate and the forthcoming pressure on school budgets.
I sincerely hope that you feel able to support the schools on this matter when responding to the consultation.
All documents regarding the consultation can be found on the website: www.educationbradford.com and emails in response should be sent to: educationconsultation@bradford.gov.uk

Yours sincerely,
Claire Hemmings
Headteacher

[Peppa_pig]

The knock on effect to Ilkley Grammar School (IGS) admissions would also be detrimental to Burley residents if this were to go ahead.

I do not have kids at Burley Oaks, but from those I know that do and from what I have heard, I believe they have adopted a pretty sensible approach in the past of flexing when required to do so to wherever possible accept Burley kids. In light of this I think a permanent increase would not be required and the current temporary increase as required seems the best approach.

Lets please work together to ensure the best outcome for Burley primary, IGS admission rules and building of acceptable provision for IGS long term.

[wharfedalegas]

Peppa_pig, on 25 November 2010 - 12:03 PM, said:

The knock on effect to Ilkley Grammar School (IGS) admissions would also be detrimental to Burley residents if this were to go ahead.

I do not have kids at Burley Oaks, but from those I know that do and from what I have heard, I believe they have adopted a pretty sensible approach in the past of flexing when required to do so to wherever possible accept Burley kids. In light of this I think a permanent increase would not be required and the current temporary increase as required seems the best approach.

Lets please work together to ensure the best outcome for Burley primary, IGS admission rules and building of acceptable provision for IGS long term.

What is this obsession with getting your childern in to Ilkley Grammer ?

[Peppa_pig]

wharfedalegas, on 26 November 2010 - 01:28 PM, said:

What is this obsession with getting your childern in to Ilkley Grammer ?

Where else would you like me to send them ?

[wharfedalegas]

Peppa_pig, on 26 November 2010 - 01:29 PM, said:

Where else would you like me to send them ?

That is for you to chose , but there is more than one good secondary school in this area.

It just appears to be a focused obsession on one school.

[catbazza]

wharfedalegas, on 26 November 2010 - 05:01 PM, said:

That is for you to chose , but there is more than one good secondary school in this area.

It just appears to be a focused obsession on one school.

It has always been more or less a tradition in the village to send our children to Ilkley Grammar School since before I was a schoolkid & I can well remember how the uniform in green & gold stripes was treated with distaste by a lot of the kids but to Ilkley we had to go.

So in my opinion it is a tradition which should be kept.

[Peppa_pig]

wharfedalegas, on 26 November 2010 - 05:01 PM, said:

That is for you to chose , but there is more than one good secondary school in this area.

I think you miss the point.

Ilkley is the school for which we are in the priority catchment area and which is under Bradford council.

As stated, it is the traditional school to which Burley kids have gone, the one to which before all this alleged choice would have been our default local school. There are direct transport links from Burley to the Ilkley school.

At the recent neighbourhood forum the Bradford council education representative advised that of the other local schools - by which I assume you mean Otley, Guiseley (not in Bradfords area), Burley residents would be unlikely to get in based on their admission criteria.

Even if that were not the case, there is a strong feeling among many of the parents that they wish the children who have grown up together, and gone through primary schools together to also go to the same secondary school. The village should not have a divide with one half going to one school and one half to another.

This is an issue very close to the hearts of many Burley parents and surely if that is the case it is up to them to decide what to be passionate (obsessed ??) about.

If it causes you so much upset to see people raise this issue and talk about it, I would suggest you simply ignore any of the forum threads that relate to it and let us get on with it.