Campaigns
25/06/2009
Primary Schools for the Future - East Bierley
Batley and Spen MP Mike Wood is campaigning to keep the school in East Bierley open as Kirklees Council consults on options for primary school re-organisation in the village and in Birkenshaw.
Mike Wood said:
"Having assessed the council's proposals, spoken with key people in some of the schools, looked at the detailed pupil forecasts and spoken with Kirklees education department officers I have a number of initial observations.
- The options presented are lacking in detail
- There are insufficient options presented for consultation
- The pupil forecast figures are unreliable and do not reflect any joined up relationship with housebuilding targets across Kirklees or increasing birth rates
- The financial implications/costings are described by Kirklees as ‘loose'
- Kirklees is resistant to anything other than whole class entry arrangements
- Not enough regard has been paid whatsoever to existing identity or the principles of safeguarding and enhancing sustainable communities
- In fact, Kirklees is through its actions actively encouraging and fermenting community discord.
"Of the three options, the status quo proposal (Option 1) is the only one I could back in order to maintain my expressed support for keeping the school at East Bierley open.
However, it is my view that Kirklees should have produced a fourth option. This option would be a version of existing Option 3. I have drafted an Option 4 for local people to consider."
In essence Mr Wood's Option 4 would enlarge East Bierley and relocate Birkenshaw First to the Birkenshaw Middle site. Neither school closes.
Mr Wood added: "I will be submitting this to Kirklees and lobbying for it to be adopted. I will also make the obvious points about the extremely negative impact closure would have on the village as a whole.
"I hope this would find favour in the community while on an educational point I believe it is as sound as the other options presented."
Click here to read Mr Wood's Option 4.
