School will justify a trip

Published: 26 November, 2010

• FRANCIS Wilkinson writes in objection to the new site for Ashmount School on the grounds that it is “remote” and “inconvenient”, saying that “two-thirds of the catchment area will be in Haringey and it will involve long journeys for many Islington children” (Generations of pupils will regret this school decision, November 19).

It is worth pointing out that the current school site in Hornsey Lane lies on the borough boundary. Therefore, half of the catchment circle for the school lies within Haringey. 

The agreed new site within Crouch Hill Community Park lies further within Islington from the borough boundary, and therefore the catchment area will encompass less of Haringey borough than at present.

A large majority of Ashmount’s current families either live the same distance from the two sites or closer to the new site. Some parents will have a longer journey, I being one of them, but feel that the benefits of the new site more than compensate for a little extra distance.

IAN JOHNSON
Address supplied 

• FRANCIS Wilkinson makes two more false assertions on the part of Ashmount Site Action Group. The first is “There is absolutely no reason why a new school could not be built on the current site.”

Well, the reason is this. We would not be allowed to demolish the current building. 

It is regarded as an important example of the work of Jim Cadbury Brown. This point has been argued with commendable clarity by James Dunnett in the Tribune on a number of occasions; and he has the support of the Islington Society, the 20th Century Society, and English Heritage, all of whom have said they would oppose demolition.

The second is that the project “wasn’t for educational benefit at all. Which is not surprising as there is none.”

Educational benefit has been central to the project from the start. Detailed arguments for educational benefit were put forward at the Islington planning committee meeting that gave permission for the project and are on the school website. 

They were also put forward by Labour councillor Richard Watts, the Islington executive member for young people, at the executive meeting which agreed the project should go ahead. And he can be seen doing it on video on the council’s website.

DAVID BARRY
Chair of governors,  Ashmount School