Thanks to Wendy for sending in this opinion piece in to VentnorBlog. If have an opinion you’d like to express, please get in contact with us.
Should I be objecting to the expansion of Christ the King College in Newport? That’s the question I’ve been asking myself since the school published a notice in the County Press a few weeks ago announcing its intention to A) change its age range from 9-14 to 11-16 from 1 September 2010; B) add a sixth form from 1 September 2012; and C) enlarge the capacity of the College from 1 September 2010.
Today is the final day for comments or objections about Parts B and C; 2 January is the final day for comments or objections about Part A.
On the face of it, it seems to me unreasonable to deny people a faith secondary school if that’s what they want, and it already has permission to retain Year 9 for the first time next September. But what I do object to is the prospect of the school becoming a selective academic school by default.
In the schools reorganisation paper approved by the Isle of Wight Council’s cabinet on 24 November, there was a table (in Appendix L) showing how the school specialisms will be divvied up.
Are excellent Maths & Computing only for the religious?
Christ the King is down to be the only secondary school on the Island to have Maths and Computing as its specialisms, and it is due to be the lead provider of the new diplomas in Science and Humanities when they are introduced. A very academic mix.
But why should a school that selects 90% of its pupils on the basis of their faith have specialisms (other than maybe RE!) that the others secondaries don’t? Christians don’t, as far as I know, have a monopoly on being good at sums.
Isn’t this going to lead to the perception of the school as being the “academic” school? If my seven-year old son turns out to be keen on those specialisms, am I expected to pretend to be religious to access the best facilities when he’s 11? And where will that leave the other secondaries?
Carisbrooke High School, just up the road from Christ the King, achieved its best ever GCSE results this year, and is now above the England average for pupils achieving five or more good GCSEs (69%); and just half a per cent behind the England average for pupils achieving five A*-C grades including English and Maths. Its science scores are above average and its average point score per pupil is way above the England figure.
All other Island school to face competitive process
Carisbrooke just had a good Ofsted report, with its leadership and management rated outstanding. But this popular and successful community school – along with the other Island high schools – will have to be open to a competition as to who will run it, in order to extend its age range downwards to become a full secondary school, if two-tier proposals are implemented.
This process starts mid-January 2009. The head and deputy will have to reapply for their jobs, and bidders will be invited to oversee the running of the school, with no guarantee that any local bid would win out over bids from the mainland. So Carisbrooke and the other Island secondaries could – although they become “new” schools, not academies – end up being run by academy-style bidders.
Christ the King exempt from the competition
Because of the way the government has structured it, Christ the King, as a faith school, can retain its management and extend its age range without having to enter the competitive process, even though it does not have a track record at GCSE.
All it has had to do is put a notice in the local paper.
So what I’m wondering is: is that fair?
If you have any comments or objections to the expansion of Christ the King College you can address them to Chris Mathews, Head of Democratic Services, Floor 5, County Hall, High Street, Newport PO30 1UD, or email them to Chris.mathews[at]iow.gov.uk.
