Future Protest Dates for Save Woolston Community High Sc

[Student Geoff]

Here are some future dates for your diary if you want to show your support for Woolston?s Community High School.

 

6th February ? Meet at the Church of the Ascension at 7pm.

18th February ?Protest at the Town Hall 5.15pm

 

Buses will leave the High School 5.00pm for the protest?s at the Town Hall .

To book your free place on the bus contact the High School on 493349

 

[ 31.01.2008, 00:05: Message edited by: Student Geoff ]

[lotts]

Hi,

 

Can I ask people to fill in WBC consultation forms as well as signing the Downing St petition...even if you have done so before. If you have not received one feel free to message me and I will get one to you.

 

The closing date for this final stage is 31st Jan. There are no other public meetings planned now until the dates oulined by Geoff (see above).

 

Thanks to everyone for all of your continued support.

 

Lotts

 

[ 22.01.2008, 21:29: Message edited by: lotts ]

[Student Geoff]

Please can you return your written REPRESENTATION RESPONSEFORM to the school today.

 

You still have time via email to amt@warrington.gov.uk.

 

Remember consultation period will only lasts until 31st January.

[observer]

Hope they have more luck, than they have with the Post Office Campaign.

[Geoff Settle]

Just sent im my objections to WBC - can't understand why you have to do it again at every stage?

 

You have to get them in before the 31st Jan 2008.

 

Dear Warrington Borough Council, Children's Services Directorate.

 

Having campaigned against the closure of Padgate High a year or so ago as the Vice Chair of Brook Acre Community Primary School I find myself having been forced by you to turn my attention to fighting the closure of Woolston.

 

When will the concept of 'Every child matters' apply in Warrington'?

 

I can already see the impact your decision is having and recalling my Geographical and Economic studies at from my Degree studies here are my key issue and observations - no particular order.

 

1. Migration out of Woolston by children to outside feeder schools such as Locking Stumps putting extra pressure on these schools.

2. No or reduced facilities provided by the school as time goes by - where are the guarantees

3. Greater distance for children and vehicles to travel, new and longer bottle necks - where are the travels plans?

4. Increased volumes of traffic heading towards Birchwood, the express way/Crab Lane are car parks in the morning - the new 32 - 2 storey office blocks received planning permission without any consultation with Poulton and Fearnhead what so ever - an apology after the event is useless ? and by the way Harpers Road that leads to it and will become an even busier Rat Run still needs resurfacing!!

5. Discontent between areas, potential gang fights etc - the police have to break up organised events at the end of each school year as it is now! - will this lead to resentment between resident associations etc.

6. Increased Graffiti in Neighbouring areas e.g. by the S.T.E boytz - it?s bad now what will it be like in the future?

7. Brothers & Sisters split up and going to different schools - how can you ensure that this doesn't happen?

8. Friendships torn apart between family and friends

9. I believe that there is only one youth club in Woolston and this is run by the local church, we ha to fight hard in Cinnamon Brow to retain our services!

10. Loss of trade to shops, library etc

11. What about the people of Rixton - I'm their Path Warden and they are miles from Padgate High?

12. Teachers leaving early - you can't force them to stay - how will this impact the quality o the service.

13. Greater stresses & strain on Teachers & therefore increased sickness levels & worse

14. Warrington low in national leagues tables are you prepared for them to fall further

15. No or reduced income to schools due to falling numbers as fewer pupils remain - head count = money per pupil - Are you prepared to help as you did at Brook Acre - that was some fight that our head had to put up against - Tim I know because I was in the office with him

16. You have banished the park Rangers from Woolston Park and people have been sleeping there rough of late what else will happen as children well potentially now have to use the paths etc to get to their new schools.

17. What future do the kids of Woolston really have?

18. Stop playing politics with people's lives - Every Child Matters.

 

Please stop and reconsider a brighter future - these children will be supporting you in your retirement you need to give them the best possible start.

 

I could be wrong and it could all turn out fine. Don?t worry the Woolston & Poulton with Fearnhead Parish Council?s will still be around to pick up the pieces ? after all we?re having to do it more and more for you these days.

 

Geoff Settle

 

Parish Councillor Cinnamon Brow

 

[ 30.01.2008, 23:57: Message edited by: Geoff Settle ]

[observer]

Errm, perhaps you need to consult your Party hierarchy Geoff: who seem to have plans for school closures up and down the Country.

[Student Geoff]

I think that you need a consultant. Thanks for the advice but I'd rather keep a local focus. I've got enough to do with my studies at Chester, tonights stats lecture was a definite crammming session - but it will be stuff that will be very useful in the future - maybe at my forthcoming Industrial Tribunal in Liverpool.

 

Did you support the school, especially as you live in the catchment area?

 

[ 07.02.2008, 00:58: Message edited by: Student Geoff ]

[Peter T]

observer has a point Geoff.

How do you intend to change things locally, when the directives are coming from Government?

Vote them out?

[JayC]

I cannot get my head around this Geoff, so if you are successful and the campaign to save Woolston is won , then how on earth can you then not support the next school on list which is Padgate?. It seems to me that the local government has made a decision rightly or wrongly that one of those two schools will close and you have thrown your hat into the ring to support Woolston, So if you win what happens , do you then go cap in hand to the council and say I have made a mistake I now support Padgate or do you say nothing and let a school which in my opinion the decision to save was the right one.

 

So answer please Geoff its a puzzle which intrigues me.

 

John

[observer]

It's called "leading the charge"; highly visible on your white horse so New Lab can get some brownie points for the next election. Your right JC, they would do the same if it were Padgate next - they must think the voters are brain dead. They did the same over the Post Offices, not one was saved; and the irony is: it's their Government who are doing all this damage!

[Paul Kennedy]

Had to laugh....metaphorically speaking, saw a picture of Mrs Jones introducing the Head Boy of Woolston to Mr Brown, seems as though he had been selected to meet the PM because of his campaigning work....to save the school. Wonder if Mrs J and the young man mentioned the subject of funding. Maybe Mr Brown had been told that the campaign had been against the L/D Council, forgetting who controls the education funding in the first place. :confused:

[Student Geoff]

Originally posted by JayC:

I cannot get my head around this Geoff, so if you are successful and the campaign to save Woolston is won , then how on earth can you then not support the next school on list which is Padgate?. It seems to me that the local government has made a decision rightly or wrongly that one of those two schools will close and you have thrown your hat into the ring to support Woolston, So if you win what happens , do you then go cap in hand to the council and say I have made a mistake I now support Padgate or do you say nothing and let a school which in my opinion the decision to save was the right one.

 

So answer please Geoff its a puzzle which intrigues me.

 

John

Please see last Thursdays WWW page or yesterday's letter to an editor of another media source for my own opinion & the fact that I did support Padgate - I didn't take sides as I have found the whole thing devisive. I want the two communities to work together.

 

In essence we are were we are because Tim Warren's analysis/review/recommendations.

 

I belive that it was floored plus lots of thing have happened since then an I believe that a fresh analysis would draw a different set of conclusion epecially if the context was broadened.

 

[ 08.02.2008, 06:50: Message edited by: Student Geoff ]

[Paul Kennedy]

Problem is, people always want to keep analysing and appealing until they get the result that they want...sometimes you just have to accept the outcome, unfavourable as that might be and then make the best of it ensuring any help promised in light of the situation is fulfilled.

 

The problem is with Woolston, parents are now deciding with their feet...or more correctly their children's feet, as it were.

 

The old cynic in me suggests come 2nd May it won't be such an important subject....for some people

 

[ 08.02.2008, 07:43: Message edited by: Paul Kennedy ]

[little fella]

We tried all these things years ago when they shut St Werburgs school. The plans were made and there was not way that the council were going to shift from their blinkered view. Brainless berks that they are still chose to put millions of pounds into a failing small school in the most polluted part of town.

 

Now that they have almost rebuilt the school put in new staff it does have good reports. It still sits in the polluted area.

 

Woolston will close no matter how good it is, and no matter what you say to the council, they are not going to listen no matter what the cost.

[observer]

So all those "Councils" up and down the Country who are closing schools, arn't listening to their population?

[Paul Kennedy]

As they say, he who pays the piper calls the tune........most local government funding comes from central government.

[observer]

Correct!

[little fella]

Obs since when has a council ever listened to it public. Warrington may not be the worst council for deafness but it must be near to the top.

Unless anyone knows different ........

[observer]

Folk will always "blame" the Council; fact is, their scope for manouvre is extremely limited, they are constrained by a lack of adequate funding from central Government, whilst attempting to meet statutory targets set by central Government.

[Geoffrey Settle]

Does that mean that nothings changed since your short reign?

 

[ 10.02.2008, 23:04: Message edited by: Semi-retired Geoff ]

[observer]

Nothings changed for quite some time, arguably even before Maggie introduced rate capping to control Council spending.

[Geoffrey Settle]

Given thats the case then it's surely upto the Chief Executive to be creative and come up with a vision and new direction.

 

Having met Diana Terris for the first time on Thursday at the by-election count I was suitably impressed.

[Peter T]

Name dropping again?

Was it her long legs?

As long as cllrs are only concerned with "their" patch, the direction is unlikely to change.

[Geoffrey Settle]

Strange comment Pete why should I be concerned about anywhere else afterall I am the sitting Parish Councillor for Cinnamon Brow and that's what's expected of me.

 

But as it happens I have started and joined several campaigns in other parts of Warrington North and South.

 

[ 11.02.2008, 11:01: Message edited by: Semi-retired Geoff ]

[observer]

Are you completely clueless Geoff; even with vision and innovation, the constraints set by central Government act like a straight-jacket. Around 85% of funding is pre-allocated to statutory spending. Approx 70% of funding is down to wages. The little that remains used to be siphoned into "pet projects" by some, without any overall vision or plan; thus the Council was just a cash cow for local worthies.