‘DON’T FORCE ST LUKE’S PRIMARY AND MORELAND SCHOOLS TO JOIN FORCES’

Published: 18th March, 2011
by PETER GRUNER

GOVERNORS at a primary school are attempting to block a controversial merger with another school.

Parents and staff at St Luke’s Primary School in Radmore Street, Finsbury, are opposed to joining nearby Moreland School, which is in need of rebuilding work and was described as only “satisfactory” during its last Ofsted inspection.

St Luke’s governors are against bringing both schools together on a single site – Islington Council’s favoured option – but this week voted in favour of creating a “federation” in which St Luke’s would give support and share resources with Moreland in a bid improve its standards. Such a move would allow St Luke’s to retain its buildings and identity without the full-scale merger..

A consultation on the proposals ends next week but opposition has been building among parents at the school gates.

The Town Hall’s proposal is for the two schools to share a new £6million complex on the site of the old Moreland School site off Goswell Road. While building work takes place, pupils from Moreland would be taught in temporary classes at St Luke’s. Once construction was complete, they would all move in together. The name St Luke’s would be retained.

The council says the merger would make sense as Moreland is in desperate need of rebuilding. 

It regularly attracts only half the pupils it has space for while St Luke’s is rated “outstanding” by Ofsted and is three times oversubscribed.

Under the “federation” option preferred by St Luke’s, both schools would keep their own buildings and St Luke’s would offer support in helping Moreland to improve its status.

The council’s consultation offered four options: 

• Retain the schools as they are. The council says this would represent poor value for money. 
• Close Moreland and send children to other schools with vacancies. This would separate groups of friends and increase travelling for children to different schools. 
• Create a federation of Moreland and St Luke’s schools. This would not resolve building problems at Moreland and offers poor value, say the council.  
• Close Moreland and invite St Luke’s to expand to a two-form entry school on the ­previous Moreland site – the scheme preferred by the council. 

Chairman of St Luke’s governors, David Forsdick, said: “Our current position is that rather than expanding and becoming a two-form entry school we are offering to become a federation. 

It would mean that we could help out ­Moreland without ­taking it over.” 

Ken Muller, assistant secretary of Islington NUT, said: “Providing Moreland can keep its identity, staff and ­parents there might be willing to discuss a ­federation if the terms are acceptable. 

“We see the decision by St Luke’s governors as a victory for parents and staff at Moreland who have been fighting the single school option. I understand that St Luke’s ­governors are in their decision representing many parents at the school who are against this merger.” 

St Luke’s parents Tia Adday and Lisa Bassett told the Tribune they thought the redevelopment scheme would be quite disruptive. 

Ms Bassett said: “We want to keep our school as it is. It’s a lovely community school and it would be a shame to ruin all that by making it bigger.” 

Council consultation literature argues that establishing a federation would provide a period of uncertainty for both schools about the composition of the new governing body. It says: “It could possibly dilute the proven ­effectiveness of the governing body at St Luke’s, working in ­partnership with its leadership team. 

“The long-term ­success of this option would also depend on the willingness of both schools to remain ­federated as there could be a difference of views on how long the federation is required. 

“The council’s preferred option at this stage is the closure of Moreland School and the expansion of St Luke’s School.”

Islington’s schools chief, Councillor Richard Watts, said: “The council is determined to improve education in the Finsbury area and to give decent housing to families currently living in overcrowded conditions. 

“The consultation about how to achieve this is still going on and no decisions will be made before all the feedback has been ­carefully considered.”

The consultation ends on March 25.