Fear over jobs as school merger set to be given the green light

Senior councillors in the city will be asked to back a controversial proposal to axe Waterton Junior and Infant School and merge it with Snapethorpe Primary School when they meet this week.

The decision, if approved, could see the school closed at the end of December with students transferring to their new school from the beginning of January.

Plans to amalgamate the two Lupset schools have sparked a heated debate but are now back on the agenda.

Wakefield Council earlier launched a review of 5,000 spare school places caused by a fall in the birth rate and Waterton J & I School was one of 15 listed for closure or merger in the first phase of the school reorganisation programme revealed in 2009.

Council chiefs said it was chosen because of falling pupil numbers, declining standards and ageing buildings.

But parents, who had nothing but praise for the school, launched a lengthy battle to save the school.

However, a report to be considered by members of Wakefield Council’s cabinet committee tomorrow says: “Following a period of considerable turbulence, and despite significant support, there are serious concerns in relation to the standard of education currently being provided by Waterton J & I School.

“Educational standards are too low and there are concerns about the behaviour of some pupils. In addition the building is old and does not provide an environment conducive to learning. Pupil numbers have dropped significantly raising questions over the sustainability of the school.

“The school is subject to Department for Education monitoring due to low standards and should it be inspected in the near future there is a significant risk that it would go into an OfSTED category.”

Waterton J & I School is a small school and as at May 2011, the level of surplus places across all year groups in the school was 49.64 per cent.

A report to committee members says that trade unions have been informed and that if the merger is agreed it may result in “redundancy dismissals and/or terminations of employment through early retirement.”

It says if the closure goes ahead pupils at Waterton are, in the main, within close walking distance of Snapethorpe.

If the closure is backed the schools and its assets would return to the local authority following the closure of the school. Further work would then be undertaken about what to do with the site in future, which would then be the subject of a separate report to the council’s cabinet committee.

In conclusion council officers are recommending that the proposals go-ahead with the report to be debated by members concluding: “The reasons outlined for the proposal in this and previous Cabinet reports still stand, in that the standards of education at Waterton J&I School are too low and there are concerns about pupil behaviour.

In addition the school building is old and does not provide an environment conducive to learning. Pupil numbers have dropped significantly raising the question over sustainability of the school. The school is subject to Department for Education monitoring due to low standards and should it be inspected it is at significant risk that it would go into an OfSTED category.

However, the enlarged Snapethorpe Junior School would be able to accommodate the displaced pupils and the accommodation is of good quality. In addition, Snapethorpe Primary School is satisfactory and improving and has demonstrated the capacity to manage change. Pupil outcomes are generally higher than those at Waterton J&I School,” the report adds.