Outrage as school is let down by plan (From Stroud News and Journal)

Outrage as school is let down by plan

DISAPPOINTED parents and teachers have accused education chiefs of letting them down by breaking a promise to give a town centre school a decent play area.

Stroud Valley Community School was delighted earlier this year when it clinched more than £800,000 to unite the infant and junior schools.

But anger has now erupted over new proposals to move troubled teenagers to where the main playground was planned.

Whitminster Pupil Referral Centre will close this term and Gloucestershire County Council plans to retain neighbouring Roxburgh House for 15 and 16-year-olds for their last chance in education.

The school said it was led to believe Roxburgh House would be demolished creating a large play area for the school when it was united.

"It's a massive let down," said school governor Cherry Knott. "Even at best we are losing play area and what we have at the moment is just no good."

Stroud Valley is the only split site school in the county, with juniors at Ryeleaze Road and infants at Castle Street.

Staff and children have had to walk the quarter mile between the two sites for 20 years but the Government cash will pay for an extension at Castle Street so all the pupils can be taught under one roof.

When school officials worked with GCC to secure funding they understood that Roxburgh House, which is home to many youth groups, would make way for a flat play space. The site is on a steep slope and flat land is at a premium. GCC may still level the main field for a hard play area but it would be half the size of where Roxburgh House now stands.

Angry governors and parents have enlisted Stroud Town Council's support to demand GCC stands by what they believe was originally agreed.

"Not having the Roxburgh House land will clearly make the whole project completely untenable," said Stroud mayor John Marjoram.

Schools inspector Dr Michael Littledyke lives opposite the Castle Street school. "Ofsted has said in the past that outside play provision is inadequate," he said. "I'm surprised that the LEA consider it will be adequate."

Headteacher Rowland South said: "Our argument has always been for the quality of education for children in Stroud. It's the one chance to get it right in 100 years." If the proposals for the referral centre get the green light the school will also struggle to find enough staff car parking spaces. Youth activities would still take place in the evenings at Roxburgh - the pupil referral centre would be during the daytime only.

Cllr Charmian Sheppard, GCC education cabinet member, explained that Roxburgh House is being considered as a temporary home for the pupil referral centre. Stonehouse residents objected strongly against siting it there last year and their objections were upheld.

"We are in difficulty with it," she said. "What we are looking at is the possibility of a short term usage of the youth centre.

"We have not taken a decision to flatten Roxburgh. The original plans showed it and after that later planning drawings appeared to show it was to be demolished - but it was never promised."

Cabinet members are expected to make a decision on the future of Roxburgh House and the Ryeleaze Road site in the next two weeks.

BF