 |
Kenilworth and Southam Liberal DemocratsLocal party for Kenilworth & Southam constituency |
 |
A guaranteed future for our Nursery Schools
May 4, 2010 7:58 AM
Nigel Rock and John Whitehouse are 100% behind the campaign to save Kenilworth Nursery School
The Liberal Democrats are pressing the Conservatives running the County Council to bring an immediate end to the current uncertainty surrounding Warwickshire's nursery schools.
Nursery staff, governors and parents have been deeply upset that the future of these much-loved and highly-rated schools has been put into doubt by a planned consultation by the council, which puts forward three options - two of which involve closure of the schools in their current form.
The County Lib Dem group has put forward a motion to be debated at the next Full Council meeting on the 18th May, and is hoping for support from both the Labour group and at least those Conservative members who have already expressed their opposition to nursery closures.
The Lib Dem motion, proposed by Cllr John Whitehouse (Liberal Democrat, Kenilworth Abbey), guarantees the future of Warwickshire's nursery schools as maintained schools each with its own qualified head teacher. It cancels the imminent consultation on their futures, and calls for a joint plan between the schools and the council to develop their roles as centres of excellence for early years education.
John Whitehouse said: "I represent many of the families served by Kenilworth Nursery School, and I know how much it is loved and valued by the whole community. Its results are beyond question, as two successive Ofsted "Outstanding" assessments demonstrate.
"Staff, governors and parents are being put through unnecessary anguish and uncertainty, because the Conservative cabinet member refuses to give them the categorical assurances in writing that they seek. Warm words in council press releases are not enough.
"I hope for all-party support for my motion on the 18th May, to bring this sorry episode to a close, and to start a constructive dialogue between the nursery schools and the council on their future development - but with a written guarantee that closure is off the agenda for good."
Nigel Rock, Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Kenilworth & Southam in the General Election this Thursday, added: "I have visited Kenilworth Nursery School with John Whitehouse, and spoke in its support at the protest rally in Kenilworth last month. The school community has my total support in fighting for it to be kept as a maintained nursery with its own head teacher, so that it can continue its valuable work."
NOTES:
The text of the Liberal Democrat motion to the Full Council meeting on the 18th May reads:-
This Council believes that its maintained nursery schools provide a level of excellence in early years education that must be protected and developed for the future.
It does not support the rationale for the consultation process approved by Cabinet on 28th January 2010, and regrets the way that poor communications with nursery staff, governors and parents have caused great concern and stress among the school communities involved.
It therefore resolves that:
1. The planned consultation process on the future of Warwickshire's maintained nursery schools should be cancelled.
2. Each nursery school should be guaranteed an assured future as a maintained school with its own qualified head-teacher.
3. County officers should commence a constructive dialogue with the staff and governors of each nursery school, to agree how the school might best develop its role as a centre of excellence for the benefit of other early years education providers.
At the previous meeting of the Full Council on the 30th March, Cllr Whitehouse had asked questions of the Conservative cabinet member Cllr Izzi Seccombe to try to gain the categorical assurances of a guaranteed future sought by the nursery schools. Cllr Seccombe refused to do this ahead of the planned consultation. See minutes (item 14, questions 5 & 6) at:
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats
-
Help out or donate
-
Tell us what you think