2015-(Item2) Taking the Year In Review…Education & Schools in Wednesfield North.
In this second article about the year ( 2015) in review, I take a look at the issues surrounding education and schools and what made the biggest talking points in the Wednesfield North Community……
Education & Schools – All three of your Councillors play a role in local schools, Cllr Phil Bateman has in the last 12 months been a Governor of Woodend School but has now resigned from that Governing body. But he still retains the Chair of Ashmore Park Nursery School.
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Taking a close look at the Woodend School as it begins to be demolished.
Woodend Primary School – The old Woodend school is in the process of being demolished, and in its place is a brand spanking new school! The children and staff moved in just before Christmas. I am sure that the new Woodend Primary school will make a marvellous teaching environment for our children.
- Coppice High School – Councillor Rita Potter is a School Governor at the School she is very active within the school community there. There has been some issues this year over the use of school uniforms. And the financial issues that the school has with the Local Authority has yet to be fully agreed. But the school still impresses, and the silhouettes on the Sports Hall have been included in the Local Arts Trail that has been recently pulled together.
- Oakmeadow School– Back in January there was controversy at Oakmeadow when the car Park in Peacock Ave was subject to a metal post restriction, which caused much upset for parents picking up and setting down their children. After a week or so of confusion I managed to get the situation sorted and it appears resolved. As we had no problems lodged with me for the remainder of this year at this site.
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Ashmore Park Nursery Receives an Ofsted rating of ‘Outstanding for the third year on the trot!
Ashmore Park Nursery School. Both Councillor Mary Bateman and I am a Governor at Ashmore Park Nursery. On the 09/03/2015 OFSTED the Government body for raising standards in schools reported on an Inspection they undertook of Ashmore Park Nursery School, on the 11-12 February 2015. The Inspector announced that Ashmore Park Nursery School was an Outstanding School. This school has attained this level of education for the third OFSTED inspection on the trot! More importantly has done so under different inspection regimes and the last one was toughest of the lot! In September the European Union Erasmus Project awarded a grant of approximately £90,000 to schools in Coventry, Telford, Sweden and Ashmore Park Nursery. This finance has been awarded to facilitate an international research project where Early Years Teachers are developing learning environments in which digital media can be used alongside other materials and resources within a flexible and inter-disciplinary approach. Sion Simon MEP is visiting the School in January 2016 to see and hear the plans for the project. 2015 seen Ashmore Park Nursery School celebrating its 45th Anniversaty ( Sapphire) with a visit from Wolverhampton Mayor Councillor Ian Brookfield & Mayoress Paula Brookfield.
- St Albans School-
Executive Head Teacher Helen Morris St Albans School worked hard with parents & the Community to get the school up and running following the arson attack on the school in February.
2015 also was a big year for St Albans School, It celebrated its 50 years of opening with Wolverhampton Mayor Councillor Brookfield in attendance. In July the school also received a congratulatory letter from the Head of Ofsted on their level of improvement.
- Cllr Rita Potter is a Governor at St Albans as is Cllr Mary Bateman. St Albans School had a tragic fire at the beginning of the New Year it was a severe set back for the school and its pupils. The Community quickly gathered round to assist the school in its hour of need. St Albans Primary School following the fire decamped the children to three temporary school sites at Berrybrook, Coppice High School and the Hub at Ashmore Park. Sadly the fire was determined as Arson and almost a full year on no person or persons have been charged for the ruinous activity of that night. The one good thing is that the school has had its Main Hall and classrooms damaged by the fire reinstated, and the foul activity on that evening once again demonstrated how active the community is in emergency situations such as this.
All the Wednesfield North Councillors have played their role, in assisting the school to recover and we are always available to battle to improve both facilities and education if asked.
- Corpus Christi Roman Catholic School – There is very little contact between the school and the elected members- Though the Corpus Christi School has objected to the Ashmore Park Nursery School extending their number of places from 3-4 year olds from 80 part time places to 90 part time places.
