Subject: PROPOSED CLOSURE OF HAYWOOD HIGH SCHOOL

Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2007 09:07:11 +0100 (BST)

To: ged.rowney@stoke.gov.uk,

CC: walleyj@parliament.uk

As a parent of a current Year 6 child, I am writing to you both to urge you to look much further than a map of Stoke-on-Trent and the school buildings on it.
 
My name is (name supplied) and my daughter currently attends Moorpark Junior School and should be moving to Haywood High School next September. I myself attended Haywood High some years ago, and was therefore very pleasantly surprised at the facilities the school now has to offer when we visited the school on their open day/evening on October 10th.
 
As I am sure you are aware, starting High school is an extremely anxious time for both parents and children alike, and so when we entered Haywood High for our visit, we were relieved at how solid, secure, motivational and positive the whole environment felt. Every single person we came into contact with that night, including the pupils, could not wait to show us and tell us what they are about, how every child has the right to reach their potential and how they are determined that each child will be supported and encouraged. My daughter is quite shy, but even she was happy to go wandering off with some of the pupil guides and take part in science experiments and talk to the teachers. This I feel is the valuable point that always seems to be missed by the decision makers: no matter how well equipped a building is for the future, how big the building is or how many laptops it has, you simply cannot buy or put a price on peace of mind and a feeling of stability and security. Even if every single teacher from Haywood moved to a new building with the pupils, can you begin to imagine the utter disruption and chaos that this would cause slap bang in the middle of a child's education?? For months staff will feel unvalued and uncertain, with the knowledge that they may or may not have a place in the new school set up. Would you be able to perform at your best with that hanging over your head??? This city has a reputation for being a city of underachievers already; just because you are planning to throw sparkly new buildings and facilities at it, will not improve the situation one jot. What you do need to value and invest in is the staff you already have, at schools like Haywood High. With more support and investment in them you will have outstanding schools in this city without the massive expense and disruption bought on by building new schools!!  Leave them alone to do the job they obviously do so well, they care about the children and I left with the feeling that they will want my child to do well and they will help her in whatever way they can to be they best that she can be.
 
This is already a very popular school with excellent facilities. In his job my husband does have to visit lots of schools all over the country, including private schools. During our visit to Haywood he commented on how well the building and its classrooms are looked after and that the pupils obviously care about the school because, he says, it was one of the best kept that he has seen in a long while and that includes the private schools!
 
I am not a blinkered parent at all and I do understand the need to invest in the future if we want our children to achieve. However, as I stated earlier, I do feel that by considering Haywood for closure you are missing a very vital point. PLEASE do not just look at this school in terms of its buildings, look at its personality!! If, just from one visit, I have been urged to write to you, just consider how strongly the pupils and staff must feel about their school. Its facilities are already of an excellent standard, the City Learning Centre on site is another valuable part of the community. I myself left Haywood and went on to complete 'A' levels and then on to University, I am proud to have attended Haywood! My husband did not have the same supportive experience, he left school with nothing to show for his time and has since had to hold down a full time job and attend night school, for 2 nights a week, for 4 years, in order for him to make something of his life! Again proof that it isn't a building that makes a school.
 
You have some very important decisions to make and I  urge you to not lose sight of the people who matter at the other end of your process, the children. Please do not patronise us by telling us that new buildings and facilities are for the best and that our children will not achieve at this school in its current state, you cannot begin to put a price on committed and supportive staff and peace of mind for parents. We already have a good school set up in this area of the city where children are in walking distance of a school, be it Haywood, James Brindley, Holden Lane or Brownhills. Our daughter is the most important part of our lives, we cannot afford for her to be privately educated. Please note that I do not say "unfortunately" as I will be pleased for her to be able to attend Haywood High. I am able to drive her to any school in the city if I needed to, but this is not neccessary as I know that I have an excellent school on our doorstep, please commit to ensuring that it stays that way!
 
Kind regards
  
(Name supplied)