Dunmurry parentsand pupils ‘devastated’ by closure plan,Board are told

THE staff and Governors at Dunmurry High School have told the South Eastern and Education Board parents and pupils have been ‘devastated’ by proposals to close the school.

The Board recently decided to take more time to consider all the material that has been submitted opposing the school’s closure and Dunmurry High will learn what the Board proposes when the commissioners meet next Monday, November 28.

But the Governors and staff have raised issues around the publication of the Draft Proposal on the proposed closure and have unanimously rejected such a course of action.

They said they are alarmed at the haste which this process has been dealt with and are urging the Commissioners to consider alternative courses of action to prevent closure.

In a letter to the Board the staff at the school pointed out the impact the proposal is having on pupils, the local and broader community and the staff.

They said: “As you can well imagine, parents and pupils alike have been devastated by recent events and are very unhappy about what has been proposed.”

They continued: “As parents have been quick to point out, they chose to send their sons and daughters to Dunmurry High School having looked at other possible schools in the area as they felt that it would cater best for their children’s needs. Now, they are likely to be asked to take them away from this school and send them to one they had initially rejected. So much for parental choice”.

The staff and Governors argue that Dunmurry High excels in many areas despite being labelled as failing by some people. They said: “For example, given the educational attainment of the pupils entering this school it is highly unrealistic to expect many of them to attain 5 or more A–C grades in their GCSE exams. It is not unrealistic, however, to expect them to make progress which they do. Indeed, the vast majority of pupils meet their targets at KS3 based on their KS2 results and a host of other predictive tools and meet or surpass their KS4 targets based on their KS3 results and progress in Years 11 and 12.”

They added: “Above all else, pupils receive a comprehensive education based on developing the whole child, the much talked about and widely praised holistic approach.”

Supporters of the school say what troubles staff most is the effect the proposal is having and will continue to have on pupils with Special Educational Needs. This includes pupils who have been diagnosed with Autism or Aspergers Syndrome. They said: “These pupils need a stable, predictable environment with set routines. For them, change is extremely traumatic. We are also concerned about pupils, who in a small school get to play on various sports’ teams, join the choir or act in school productions, yet will be denied these opportunities and experiences in larger schools due to increased competition for places.”

The effect closure would have on the local and broader community was also raised. “This school is not only at the heart of the community; it is the heart of the community. Remove it and the community will die,” said the supporters of the school.

The staff and Governors concluded: “Although we feel that this consultation process is only a smokescreen, a pretence that democracy is at work, and that the closure of Dunmurry High School is a fait accompli, we would ask you (the Board) to seriously consider the points which we have made as whatever decision is reached will have a huge impact on everyone.

“Whatever decision is made must be the right decision for all concerned, members of staff, the local community and above all else the pupils; our raison d’être.”

Related topics: