"It's not too late to save our school," says head (From York Press)
Get in touch: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting YORK to 80360 or send an email»
Head’s appeal to save Burnholme Community College
5:56pm Tuesday 22nd May 2012 in News
Burnholme head Simon Gumn
THE head teacher of a York secondary school facing closure has told the council that there is still time to reconsider their decision.
City of York Council’s cabinet met last week to decide the fate of Burnholme Community College and opted for a phased closure of the school, which with a roll of only 270, is the city’s smallest state secondary.
City of York Council said running costs would be at least £580,000 a year, with every other York secondary school subsidising it by between £60,000 and £70,000.
Public notices proposing the closure of Burnholme have now been published and there is a six-week period to allow representations before full council makes a final decision.
If Burnholme closes, current Year 9 to 11 students would complete their studies there while Year 7 and 8 students would move to new schools in 2013 and 2014.
Burnholme head Simon Gumn said: “Last Tuesday, students and parents witnessed passion and well-presented reasons why the question about our school demanded further debate and then witnessed no debate and the motion being passed without further ado.
“I am confident that the Parents Action Group will now no doubt write a document detailing their oppositions and I would urge anyone who wishes to see secondary education provision remain in this community to write in detailing their objections.”
Meanwhile, Burnholme pupils, staff and parents will hold an evening of music to protest against the decision to close their school.
Dawn Leatt, chairman of the parent action group against the closure, said: “We have been working with music teacher Sue Williamson to host an event which will be an entertaining and rousing evening of song and also a chance to show solidarity.
“Pupils, staff and parents will be able to express their feelings through song. Although many people are angry and sad, we are also still hopeful as we have an excellent case for appeal against the Council’s decision.”
Mrs Williamson said: “We have hosted lots of performances over the past few years, but this is the most important in my opinion as it is a chance to show the council just how much people love this school.”
Thursday’s event will be held at the school from 6.30pm. Tickets are on sale at the school and cost £1 for pupils and £2 for adults.
Comments(16)
big boy york
says...
9:02pm Tue 22 May 12
Silver
says...
9:33pm Tue 22 May 12
big boy york wrote:Alexander also said sell Union Terrace he lost that one. They just need to get enough public anger over it, thats democracy the leader doesn't get his way all the time. Good luck with the campaign guys!
alexander says shut it & guess what they shut it enough said
Stevie D
says...
8:45am Wed 23 May 12
Silver wrote...
thats democracy the leader doesn't get his way all the time
Democracy also doesn't mean that a tiny minority gets to hold everyone else to ransom. We've heard a lot from the small number of students and parents at Burnholme, but what about the rest of the city? How do the parents of the 9500 students at other secondary schools feel about each and every school subsidising Burnholme to the tune of tens of thousands of pounds every year – tens of thousands of pounds that then aren't being spent on their own kids?
YorkToff
says...
9:06am Wed 23 May 12
keeks
says...
10:48am Wed 23 May 12
Stevie D wrote:There are plenty the councill could do to increase numbers at burnholme! They are forcing people to send their kids to primary school they dont want and bussing secondary kids into schools from the outer villages why couldnt these buses go via burnholme???
Silver wrote...
thats democracy the leader doesn't get his way all the time
Democracy also doesn't mean that a tiny minority gets to hold everyone else to ransom. We've heard a lot from the small number of students and parents at Burnholme, but what about the rest of the city? How do the parents of the 9500 students at other secondary schools feel about each and every school subsidising Burnholme to the tune of tens of thousands of pounds every year – tens of thousands of pounds that then aren't being spent on their own kids?
Also as for the 9500 other pupils being held to ransom what going to happen to the class sizes in these other schools when birth rates peak in a couple of years time!
I have contacted the council about burnholme and what plans they have to deal with these excess kids in the future and not one of the replies i have had mention any of these points! I fear my child when he is secondary school age is going to have to travel stupid distances to go to a school the other side of york when his local school is closed and his next available school is unavailable!
Mind you will this be labours problem???
Burnholme lad
says...
11:57am Wed 23 May 12
Burnholme lad
says...
11:58am Wed 23 May 12
roskoboskovic
says...
1:37pm Wed 23 May 12
Burnholme Parent
says...
1:58pm Wed 23 May 12
Its more than just a school its also a community centre, so what happens to it affects other people who don't necessarily have children attending the school. The cabinet are repeatedly throwing these large figures around to try and shock people into agreeing with them, when the real scare is whats going to happen in a couple of years time when the number of children increases and they then have to look at expanding or even building a new school!
lowbeam
says...
3:21pm Wed 23 May 12
yes the school SHOULD stay open,but it will not..it is not on the agenda..it does not conform to "our" standards..
you,like me voted for these idiots..deal with it!
York1900
says...
4:25pm Wed 23 May 12
the money saved will not go to the other schools in York it will lost in the budgets of the council and the government as any thing the council and government do in this country
Look at right to buy were did all that money go
PKH
says...
5:11pm Wed 23 May 12
Burnholme Parent wrote:I am sorry that the school is earmarked for closure, however it is the freedom that parents who live in the Burholme catchment area, deciding to send their children to other schools further away that has brought this about, as I have said before it is the local community (parents) who have caused the demise of the school.
Democracy also implies equality and freedom. We have exercised our freedom of choice to send our children to our LOCAL school. Burnholme is a school they can walk to, not a half hour bus journey across York, or even worse multiple car journeys. If Burnholme Community College closes there will be a huge gap on the eastern side of York with regard to secondary schools. I can't see this being accomodated for in the next "nearest" secondary schools such as Arches and Huntington, especially when they take children from outside of the York area.
Its more than just a school its also a community centre, so what happens to it affects other people who don't necessarily have children attending the school. The cabinet are repeatedly throwing these large figures around to try and shock people into agreeing with them, when the real scare is whats going to happen in a couple of years time when the number of children increases and they then have to look at expanding or even building a new school!
rachlily12
says...
12:21pm Thu 24 May 12
rachlily12
says...
12:22pm Thu 24 May 12
rachlily12
says...
12:29pm Thu 24 May 12
colette says...
7:56pm Tue 22 May 12