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Sheffield primary ditches 'negative' school title
A YORKSHIRE school's decision to remove the word "school" from its title because it has "negative connotations" has been branded as laughable by campaigners for both education and plain speaking.
Sheffield's Watercliffe Meadow is to be called a "place of learning" instead of a primary school.
The school's headteacher Linda Kingdom said the word school had been removed from the title as part of a new approach to learning.
But the move has been questioned by campaign groups and a Sheffield MP.
Campaign for Plain English spokeswoman Marie Clair said: "It's laughable. Do they think by changing the name they are going to change the environment?
"We all know what the building is. There is this whole political correctness agenda. Using unfamiliar words instead of a simple one, like 'school', will get in the way of children's ability to learn."
The Yorkshire-based Campaign for Real Education also hit out at the decision.
"It makes a mockery of the English language," chairman Nick Seaton said. "These people are distorting the language and maybe distorting reality as well.
"They should be proud to call themselves a school if they are a genuine school. It is bizarre to want to hide the word from the title."
Sheffield Central MP Richard Caborn said: "I'm always open to new ideas but the reality is education is about preparing young people to live in the real world.'
"I just don't think the case has been made to drop the word school to a place of learning. I don't know why they have done it."
The decision was defended by the school's head teacher Linda Kingdon.
She said: "We decided from an early stage we didn't want to use the word 'school'.
"This is Watercliffe Meadow, a place for learning. One reason was many of the parents of the children here had very negative connotations of school.
"Instead we want this to a be a place for family learning, where anyone can come.
"We were able to start from scratch and create a new type of learning experience. There are no whistles or bells or locked doors. We wanted to de-institutionalise the place and bring the school closer to real life.'
Watercliffe Meadow opened in September last year replacing Shirecliffe Juniors, Watermead Nursery Infants and Busk Meadow Nursery and Infants.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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