Pantyrysgol
Hermon
Y Glôg
Sir Benfro
SA36 0DT
07/07/03
Russell Jones & Walker Solicitors
Landore Court
51 Charles Street
CARDIFF
CF10 2GD
Dear Michael
Following our recent discussions and e-mail correspondences can I thank you for forwarding the large quantities of the legal aid forms. I have distributed them all where I know the majority will reply directly to you within the next few days.
As mentioned in one of my e-mails we have had visits from 2 of the shadow Educational ministers, Peter Black LidDem and Helen Mary Jones Plaid Cymru. Helen Mary came to see us on Thursday 2 weeks ago where she gave us renewed optimism in the legal Aid battle. She also mentioned the rights of our children under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which we currently looking into. She has also forwarded details of a Prof David Reynolds of Exeter University who has researched the benefits of smaller school; we are now awaiting his response/advise on our particular situation.
As requested by you I am now sending the arguments that we have in terms of retaining the more than satisfactory education provided by our village school:
Education Standards-The pupils are at present receiving a high standard of education that meets the requirements of the National Curriculum as the most recent HMI Inspection reported. The latest set of SATS have shown an excellent level of achievement in delivering full educational needs to fulfill the national curriculum. The fact that within Hermon School the teachers know their pupils as individuals and meet their learning needs more readily assists in the development of the individual child. There are several parents who can testify to this strong teacher pupil relationship, where parents and children who have recently moved into the area can make distinct comments on the improvements in their children’s education having moved from a previous larger primary school to our smaller school. It is therefore unfair and unreasonable to expect children, teachers & parents of such a successfully run school to risk moving their children into an experimental campus at the Crymych Site – housing a large early years center/crèche, integrated children’s centre, E-Learning Centre (with adult provision), Expanding Secondary School, Public Leisure Centre/Swimming Pool; all developed within a restricted area of land.
All children partake in every aspect of school life where other regional local area schools are known to only pick those they feel could excel without giving all children an opportunity. Within primary levels of education the development of children vary according to each individual, where larger schools tend to concentrate sporting and competition activities on those who happen to excel at an earlier age and not give the late developer a chance to participate. Hermon School is renowned (even envied) by parents of neighboring school for ensuring all children are included in all events. Parents of neighboring large schools have commented that their children have not had an opportunity to perform within staged activities or participate within sporting events. It is unfair and unreasonable to expect children who have enjoyed such inclusion to suddenly be excluded from experiencing a full opportunity to participate. Hermon School believes in cooperation rather than competition.
The surrounding, location and environment of the school location ensures that the children feel secure and more self-confidant. It is not the wish of the parents of Hermon to have their children be educated as part of a 1200 plus campus level at Crymych where the additional traffic congestion and adult Learning provisions would be a threat to current standards where also the monitoring of strangers entering the campus would compromise the current secure environment being provided at Hermon School.
Within our village
school, parents do indeed become more involved in their children's
education. The parents have formed a closer bond with each other to
strive not only for the best for their own children but for the
school and the community as a whole. The education is monitored
closely by the parents who can discuss the standards at formal
meeting or at informal discussion when they meet within the
community.
We can site particular cases where individuals have moved into the area from more densely populated area and have seen a vast improvement in their children’s educational standards within Hermon School as opposed to the larger school where they came from, indeed comments confirm that their whole attitude had changed to be much more positive and outgoing.
Financial Benefit- There is no financial benefit to be gained in closing the school. The costs per pupil compare most favorably with the county’s average costs. See attached list of county school running cost where Hermon is below the county average per pupil.
Future Enrolment Numbers- Most importantly is the fact that the future of the school is secure with 52 pupils at present attending the school and 12 pupils in the pre-school and nursery groups which meet daily on the school campus. The report presented by the Director of Education does not give a true picture.
Extra Curricula activities – All children at Hermon School partake in numerous activities hosted by the community. The YFC have a club at Hermon as well as the URDD adran meet at the school. Numerous village sporting, cultural and shows have a dedicated children section where the community and school ensures that relevant community activities/competitions mirrors the National Curriculum topics and also competitions that appear on the URDD calendar.
There are many other positive arguments for keeping Ysgol Hermon open.
The school plays an important community role where parents and children are involved within numerous community groups. The community is distinct to that o the other school and areas which are to be amalgamated at the proposed new Crymych site, where Hermon has its own recreational, welfare, youth and sporting committees – see www.hermonglogue.co.uk
A new housing development is currently underway at present where 40 new homes will be erected, which supports recent trends as to the growth of the village and the numbers is the school (capacity 46 now 53 pupils)
There are also many exciting developments that involve the proposal of a multi-purpose village hall spearheaded by Hermon’s Millennium Committee. This building would be situated next to the school enabling the pupils to use its amenities for various activities such as physical education lessons and social gatherings such as concerts and eisteddfodau. It would also incorporate a car parking area with entrances and exits away from the main road thus ensuring the safety of the children when arriving and leaving the school
We do strongly feel that an unfair consultation and biased consultation has been conducted by the county council, where our views have not been correctly expressed in any documents, facts regarding pupil numbers are incorrect and information recorded by the county council within their minutes have not been a true and accurate account of the discussions held. The whole process has been manipulated.
Professional Research in favor of Smaller Schools
Kathleen Cotton's findings in 1996 show that 'small schools do a better job than large ones on virtually every measure of children’s attitudes and achievement. Teachers like them, and their curricula don't suffer. They don't even cost more.'
The main findings are;
Academic achievement in small schools is at least equal - and often superior- to that of large schools
children attitudes toward school in general and toward particular school subjects are more positive in small schools
Children social behavior (as measured by truancy, discipline problems, violence etc.) is more positive in small schools
Levels of extra-curricular participation are much higher and more varied in small schools
Children attendance is better in small school
Children academic and general self-regard is higher in small schools
Inter-personal relationships between and among children, teachers and administrators are more positive in small schools
Teachers attitudes towards their work are more positive in small schools
Larger schools are not necessarily less expensive to operate than small schools
Mervyn Benford, National Co-ordinator, Cloudshill, High Street, Shutford, Banbury, OX15 6PQ
NASS has extracted from OFSTED's first full cycle of primary school inspections, 51 inspections completed in 1999, data relating to small primary schools (less than 100). This data is published in a supplement entitled 'Small Schools: How well are they doing? March 1999' and is available from NASS. Among the findings are that small schools have:
Better quality of teaching than in larger schools
A positive ethos with a family atmosphere
Close links between staff and parents
An important place in the local community
good standards of behaviour
Finally I have enclosed the Statutory Notice printed in the local newspapers on the 18/06/03, which outlines our response timetable for objections it also states that “any person can object” hence a copy of this will be sent to all A.M.s and MPs as well as all know industry professionals. We will also be printing an advert in the Western Telegraph local newspaper nearer the deadline so that all resident and county council voters who feel strongly about this unfair issue can also object and possibly ask their local councilor what is going on with the local democratic process. Also I enclose the letters sent to the Cabinet of the county council indicating where the Director of Education has provided incorrect evidence to the cabinet where we would argue they have not been able to make fair assessment of the situation.
I hope above information is what you required from us where should you have any further questions please do not hesitate in contacting me on 01239 831962 (work 01239 710238)
Regards