Balloons released in save Wakeman School protest
Thursday 21st July 2011, 4:43PM BST.
Hundreds of balloons were released by pupils as part of a campaign to save Shrewsbury’s Wakeman School from closure on the day that council chiefs confirmed the axe for five other county schools.
Pupils let 250 balloons go yesterday, all attached with tags asking finders to log on to the website and pledge their support for the school. A public consultation on plans to close the school has recently been reopened and is running until August 12.
A final decision on its future will be made at a meeting of Shropshire Council’s cabinet on September 7.
It comes after campaigners fighting to save other county schools claimed their elected officials had let them down.
About 40 teachers, parents and staff from Ifton Heath Primary School in St Martins, near Oswestry, staged a protest ahead of the cabinet meeting at Shirehall yesterday.
However, despite pleas to save it from the axe, councillors agreed to close the school in order to create an all-through school at the village’s Rhyn Park Secondary School.
Headteacher Nicola Bradley said: “We are bitterly disappointed and feel members of the cabinet had already made up their minds.
“I am very angry that the council leader, Keith Barrow, said that it was inappropriate to have Ifton Heath pupils at the cabinet meeting and yet praised Rhyn Park pupils who were there.”
Ms Bradley said that the primary school would now be investigating plans to apply for academy status and also forge links with Maesbury School, which was also backed for closure yesterday.
David Jones, a parish councillor and governor at Maesbury School, said that he was angry but “not surprised” by the decision by the council cabinet members.
Mr Jones said: “We are going to go down the academy route.”
He added: “We are five weeks down the road and we feel positive and have had support from our MP Owen Paterson.”
Jo Humphreys, chairman of governors at Shawbury’s St Mary’s Primary School, said that talks were continuing with the authority’s education officials over which of the two school sites in the village would be used for the single village school once it opens.
Norman Aldhous, who is the chairman of governors at Shawbury Primary School, said that he would have preferred to see Shropshire Council taking steps to merge the two schools rather than closing one of them down.
By Russell Roberts
The Wakeman School balloon release
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As an impartial observer I hope that these protesters have adequate public liability insurance.
Cattle and other farm animals have a habit of trying to eat balloons, chinese lanterns etc when they land on grazing land of which there is a significant amount around Shrewsbury.
But of course the learned people who devised this publicity had that obviously on their radar…..
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Extremely valid point, I suspect however that the usual suspects who denounce anything other than their point of view will be noted by their abscence from this forum and put it all down to scaremongering, all well and good when you’ve got £10k worth of prize bull dead in the fields. At least they’ll have a label to confirm where it comes from. Let’s hope they’ve got deep pockets.
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Get a life Jeff
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Let one farmer in the county or uk produce evidence that one of these produced eco balloons has killed one of their animals.
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An impartial observer with a clip board no doubt. Do you sound like Ken Campbell per chance?.
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The cause may be worthwhile, but releasing balloons is thoroughly irresponsible and should be prosecuted as deliberate littering. Despite education, stupidity remains rampant!
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Taking that we are a democratic society, where do we find details if we are for the closure?
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Mick one is making an assumption these may well be the eco balloons?? I,M sure we will find out in due course.
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Even eco balloons take 6 months to decompose
http://www.greenshop.co.uk/gifts-115/for-kids-248/playtime-267/eco-balloons-6418.html
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Maybe they decompose a bit faster when they have been through a cow and are buried in a cow pat?
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Hey, genetically modified cows which consume waste thus rendering it either inert or of use as a mulch. Have the scientists commence trials immediately.
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AHH Norman not the best impartial website to view is it?.
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Problem here is farmer giles is all to quick to jump on a compo wagon. Hard facts are required the only prize bull is in general comes from a select few farmer giles .
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I was all for putting my vote behind the school but after this exceptionally poor decision I shall really have to consider whether they are a good influence on young people.
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What a chump – if a few balloons have put you off you weren’t really wedded to the cause were you, Jan love.
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On the contrary I expect responsible actions from both sides, I hoped that people would have thought through the possible dangers prior to proceeding. You may have little consideration for the countryside and for farmers ( and their stock) but I do.
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Yep, my political decisions are always balloon-based too. Can’t think of a better way to judge!
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But they are not a risk Jan as for your concern for farmers , i wouldn’t they care not a jot for others outside their own insular little world .
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I like Normski’s analogy about dead bull in the fields.
You were talking of Shropshire Councils miserable consultation process weren’t you Norman?.
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Alas there has been considerable ‘bull’ as you call it from both sides ,the tricks that have been pulled have quite frankly become quite tedious.
My point was a valid one, after all you wouldn’t allow fireworks to be set off near to a petrol station, why chance the deaths of animals through ingestion of foreign objects?
But then again they’re not yours to worry about are they, so it doesn’t really come into the scheme of things.
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Thank goodness they didn’t rashly use streamers or, Heaven forbid, bunting too- who knows where that could have led….. :-)
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Nooooo, not bunting!!
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Shropshire Council have thought long and hard about this and have decided The Wakeman’s a perfect candidate for closure:
1. Excellent Exam results
2. very good Ofsted reports
3. Well-loved by pupils, teachers, parents.
4. Hugely over-subscribed
5. An establishment thats that’s been a highly respected and valued part of the cultural fabric of Shrewsbury for many decades.
Just like the Sixth Form College, a perfect place for the axe to fall!
Excellence actually cost a bit more than failure. The Council could try to improve the failing schools in the region instead of destroying everything that’s consistently excellent.
If this were a ballon debate I would recommend all council leaders thrown overboard!
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Surely this saves farmers having to scoop the poop if it comes out ready bagged? Or is it only dogs that excrete faeces?
I can imagine that it has already been decided to move SSFC to the Wakeman site, after all it was a technical college when my sister in law was there many moons ago.
The ex Priory School can then be developed as posh houses for the well heeled retirees that are/will be propping up Shrewsbury in the next few decades.
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