Weather
Union plans crisis talks at Oasis Academy Lord's Hill (From Andover Advertiser)
When news happens, text AND and your photos or videos to 80360. Or contact us by email and phone.
Union plans crisis talks at Oasis Academy Lord's Hill
3:31pm Wednesday 24th June 2009
UNION chiefs are to hold crisis talks about job cuts at a troubled Southampton school.
Support staff have been told up to 16 workers are at risk of redundancy because the number of pupils at Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill is drastically lower than predicted.
The shortfall means the new school is not entitled to so much Government cash, and it has been ordered to cut £400,000 from its budget.
Officials from Unison are worried about the way academy bosses are to decide who loses their jobs.
Support staff including teaching assistants, mentors, technicians and the IT team are currently in a 30-day consultation period.
Two senior teaching posts are also to be axed.
Unison representatives met with its 60 members at the academy yesterday, and are now to hold talks with principal Ian Golding on Monday.
They have been encouraged by news redundancy payments will not be capped, but are worried those volunteering to go may not be allowed to, while others are forced to leave.
Unison regional organiser Andy Straker said: “Support staff have worked very hard to make the academy a success, and there’s a lot of concern and anger about the poor communication from Oasis about what’s happening.
“Oasis is saying it wants to apply a completely new selection procedure, and we don’t believe the criteria is fair because they are assessing people behind closed doors, without the chance for them to have an interview.”
Oasis Community Learning – the charity which runs the academy – declined to comment but Mr Golding has previously pledged that the job losses would not affect the education of students.
Mr Golding said: “Teaching staff will be full to capacity, and children’s education will not be affected. Indeed, there is an excitement about the future here and we are looking forward to seeing the students reach their full potential.
“We are committed to making year-on-year improvements, and we passionately believe we have laid a strong foundation for an even more successful future.”
One of the two flagship schools to open just last September, Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill is struggling because it attracted more than 200 fewer pupils than expected, according to figures leaked to the Daily Echo.
The 878 pupils the academy has this year is well short of the 1,097 Southampton City Council estimated would be attracted to the academy when it was looking for groups to run it.
More Education stories
- Give us a green school!
- The Daily Echo £6,000 School Build Challenge
- Brook’s a model student
- College students become lunchtime supervisors
- Promises auction to help school
- Win thousands of pounds of building work for your school
- Uni wants 100 new professors
- Hats on for Haiti at Winchester's Kings' School
- Winchester students turn on the style
- Government admits blunder over school ratings
Your Say YourAndover
teh, Southampton says...
5:07pm Wed 24 Jun 09
Nod, Southampton says...
5:39pm Wed 24 Jun 09
how low do the pupil numbers have to go before it goes back into council control?
Tobeblunt, Southampton says...
6:09pm Wed 24 Jun 09
Nod wrote:Well all our comments have fallen on the deaf ears of councillors so I expect they will deny all responsibility for the loss in pupil numbers and blame Oasis. Again I say to Webster "these children have had their education runined by your stupidity, you shall pay for this"
Will the council finally accept that people do not want these iffy religious organisations running our schools... how low do the pupil numbers have to go before it goes back into council control?
A Southampton resident, Southampton says...
7:18pm Wed 24 Jun 09
If OASIS are so good at running schools, and lets face it, they convinced Clive Webster and Southampton City Council that they knew what they were doing (those of us at the sharp end weren't so sure), then why have they screwed up the finances for the new school?
Take Oaklands/Millbrook back into council control NOW!
Condor Man, Southampton says...
7:41pm Wed 24 Jun 09
Looking at the catchment areas pupils are coming from because parents don't take an active part in their kids learning they are destined to fail. I've just spent £30 on books for my child- that's 6 packets of fags in Millbrook.
A Southampton resident, Southampton says...
7:48pm Wed 24 Jun 09
In fact, the Governments own figures showed that Oaklands was in the country's top 10% for improvement.
Failing school? I don't think so.
A Southampton resident, Southampton says...
7:48pm Wed 24 Jun 09
In fact, the Governments own figures showed that Oaklands was in the country's top 10% for improvement.
Failing school? I don't think so.
Tobeblunt, Southampton says...
7:51pm Wed 24 Jun 09
Condor Man wrote:Woolston school was performing well before the merger. Unfortunately when my daughter started secondary education, Woolston Language College was the best in the area, within a mile radius from my house. Now the school has merged with Grove the only school I feel able to provide a suitable education is Hamble Comp, and they are over subscribed. So unfortunately my daughter will be taking her GCSE's at Oasis
this makes me laugh because Oaklands and Millbrook were appalling schools when they were under SCC control. So were Weston Park and Bellemoor. Now that Oasis are suffering from cash flow problems it's THEIR fault. Face facts, they were failing schools. Kids going there were getting a substandard education. Less that 50% of the pupils were at the national average. These are the facts. Looking at the catchment areas pupils are coming from because parents don't take an active part in their kids learning they are destined to fail. I've just spent £30 on books for my child- that's 6 packets of fags in Millbrook.
Condor Man, Southampton says...
10:40pm Wed 24 Jun 09
A Southampton resident wrote:improvement from the state it was in does not mean it was a good school. Few schools in Southampton are.
Oaklands most certainly was not, by any definition, a failing school. The last OFSTED report showed it was very good to excellent - a true reflection of the efforts the dedicated and professional staff put in. In fact, the Governments own figures showed that Oaklands was in the country's top 10% for improvement. Failing school? I don't think so.
Vconfused, Romsey says...
9:02pm Tue 7 Jul 09
Union plans crisis talks at academy
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Vonnie, Southampton says...
3:43pm Wed 24 Jun 09