News
Parents abandon Walsall schools
Around a third of pupils kicked out of the doomed Sneyd Community Secondary School will now attend schools outside the borough of Walsall. Families angry with the imposed closure of the Vernon Way school in Bloxwich, have decided to vote with their feet and place their children in schools not run by Walsall Council and Serco.
The closure of Sneyd is a result of a contractual obligation between the council and Serco to provide “vocational” training rather than an academic education for young people. The governing body has been replaced with an Interim Executive Board who will oversee the closure and the establishment of a University Technical College that will offer non-academic courses for young people aged between 14 and 19.
Sneyd was given a notice to improve in November 2008 and in spite of claims by Serco that “considerable” extra support and resources were given to the school, standards and achievement were allowed to decline. The school was placed in Special Measures following an inspection by Her Majesties Inspector of Schools in February 2010.
Neighbouring Frank F Harrison Engineering College was also judged to be “inadequate” in a damning Ofsted report after previously been judged as “good” in 2006 before Serco took over education in Walsall. Other secondary schools have made no improvement apart from Walsall Academy which is not run by Serco and is able to select the brighter children in the borough.
All Year 9 and Year 11 pupils at Sneyd will be forced to transfer to other schools in September and sixth form students will have to continue their A Level courses elsewhere. There will be no Year 7 intake as the school is allowed to wind down to closure in 2012.
The options available to families with children at Sneyd are limited. Only three other secondary schools, Brownhills, Blue Coat and Joseph Leckie have spaces to take the displaced pupils and all three are a considerable distance from the Sneyd catchment area. Walsall Council’s children’s and young people scrutiny panel were told that those families who needed support to identify a suitable place had been contacted. Avril Walton, Walsall Children’s Services – Serco assistant director, said pupils would be going to eight Walsall and four out of borough schools with most pupils going to Brownhills Community Technology College. Around a third of children had chosen to attend the four out of borough schools. She said that Walsall Children’s Services – Serco had agreed to consider funding the transport costs of Year 9 pupils transferring to new schools on 1 September 2010. Financial help will also be given towards new uniforms. She added;
“We are looking at each case and will work with receiving schools to explore travel options.”
The panel also said it was concerned about future provision for Year 12 students and Graham Talbot, Walsall Children’s Services – Serco interim managing director said letters had been sent out to all those affected.
“We are working with students individually and the resolution will be whatever works best for the young people concerned,” he said.
Members of the panel agreed that they wanted another update in June giving specific details about the progress on Sneyd’s closure.