Hillingdon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Hillingdon Council’s plan to merge an infant and junior school sparks concerns among parents, fearing it may negatively impact education quality and standards.
The council thinks that a more efficient and uniform approach to children’s education will result from the merger of Harefield Infant and Harefield Junior schools.
Some parents have accused the council of using their school as a way to “balance the budget” since they feel the move will negatively impact their child’s education.
The Hillingdon Council has refuted any assertion that the proposed school merger would benefit it monetarily.
Emma Cannon is a teacher from a nearby school with a son at the junior school. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS):
“The local community is also extremely concerned that this is a gateway into selling off land currently part of the school site. While this has been denied, people are understandably concerned.
The fate of the children’s centre that sits between the two school sites is also not referred to in the proposal. Hillingdon has repeatedly tried to close this resource, so it is clearly also under threat.”
Hillingdon Council has denied this claim. The local authority said:
“It’s completely untrue to suggest that the council seeks to sell the land, or that it would financially benefit from these proposals. Any potential savings would go towards reducing the school’s back office costs, which instead could be spent on the pupils.”
The son of Amy Tilson attends Harefield Infant School. The proposals are currently up for public input, and she informed the LDRS that parents in Harefield are concerned about them.
She said that everyone he has spoken to is concerned, but the council’s financial struggles tell us that this is a cost-cutting exercise, and he doesn’t want my son to bear the brunt of it. He is worried about the knock-on effect that this will have in school and on staff.
Losing good staff from the school would be an absolute travesty, it could lead to a decline in education standards.
The planned new primary school will continue to use the existing buildings of both schools to “deliver the same level of high quality education,” according to Hillingdon Council, meaning that students at the current schools won’t see any changes.
Additionally, the council reaffirmed that the school will continue to offer 420 spots, guaranteeing that no kid would be moved.
Debbie Lee, an ex-SEN teacher with children in both schools, said the proposal is ‘laughable’. She told the LDRS:
“They don’t care about my children’s education or the good work teachers do, they care about cutting costs…
It makes me very worried. I was an SEN teacher for 17 years, so I know how essential teaching assistants and intervention groups are, which could be lost if the school loses funding by merging.”
Hillingdon Council said:
“Both schools already work closely together to serve their local community and share a federated governing body, executive headteacher and a number of staff.
The proposal would mean children automatically continue their education as part of one school, removing the need for parents to reapply for Year 3 onwards, as well as a consistent approach to the ways in which they are taught and supported.”
The future of a children’s center situated between the two schools may potentially be impacted by the merger. Given that the council has previously contemplated eliminating similar facilities, parents are worried about the lack of clarity surrounding this matter.
Schools are frequently centers of the community, and mergers may sever these ties. A larger, integrated system may lose the sense of identity and belonging that smaller schools offer to their communities.
There have not yet been any final decisions taken on the idea, which is currently undergoing public comment. Before holding a formal consultation on a statutory proposal, the council will consider all of the comments.
Parents are dubious about the possible effects on staff retention and educational quality, despite the council’s efforts to increase educational continuity and efficiency.
It recognises and aims to build on their individual strengths and good practices to deliver increased opportunities for children in all key stages.
No decisions have been made, and all responses will be carefully considered before deciding whether to proceed to a formal consultation on a statutory proposal. Following this, a final decision would be made by the council’s Cabinet.
What is Hillingdon council’s response to parents’ fear regarding the merger?
Parents fear that staff quality and educational standards may suffer as a result of the merger. Additionally, they are concerned about the possibility of teacher and support staff layoffs, which could have an impact on the classroom atmosphere.
According to Hillingdon Council, the merger won’t lower the standard of education. They contend that by doing away with the necessity of children moving between schools at different levels, it will give them a more seamless educational experience.
Due to the Hillingdon council’s financial difficulties, some parents think the merger is essentially a cost-cutting strategy.
The council, however, says that any money saved from the merger will be used into cutting administrative expenses and increasing student investment, and it has no plans to sell school property or profit from the deal.