C.A.M. parents Teachers Residents
Keep Kings

Monday, 13 June 2011

The Staff of Tomlinscote tell the governors

... in no uncertain terms that this is NOT a good idea.

Tomlinscote teachers had stormy meeting with Surrey County Council representative PJ Wilkinson this week and expressed their opposition to the merger in no uncertain terms. Afterwards staff members railed against the bluntness, insensitivity and lack of ability to listen of the Acting Head of Schools - a standard performance that Kings and Tomlinscote parents are all too familiar with. They have now produced a letter to the Governing body saying that the merger proposals as set out by Surrey County Council meet with their "complete disapproval" and describe this decision as unanimous across teaching and support staff. The letter describes that "the current proposal is not viable". 170 teachers and support staff whom the parents of Tomlinscote entrust the education of their children on a daily basis have said unequivocally that they feel this will affect educational outcomes. Parents have said unequivocally that they do not want this to happen and local politicians from all parties are united in opposition to Surrey County Councils proposals. It is rather difficult to see on what grounds this merger could proceed.
Kings teachers also had a meeting with PJ Wilkinson this time masquerading as the grim reaper, so brutal and harsh was the delivery of the (premature and ill informed) news of Kings demise that many staff walked out. It is difficult at this stage not to see Surrey County Council as deliberately engineering the destruction of Kings in order to prove their case. Parents and Staff at Tomlinscote pledged to aid Kings in pursuing an academy or other viable solutions.


June 13 2011

Dear Governors of Tomlinscote School and Sixth Form College
Re:  Proposed merger of Tomlinscote School and King
After listening to the reasons and arguments for merging Tomlinscote School and Kings College over the past few months, the staff at Tomlinscote School has expressed its complete disapproval in absolute unanimity.
You will be hearing / have already heard directly from individual members of Tomlinscote’s staff their personal reasons for being against SCC’s proposal. These views were also clearly expressed in a consultation meeting with SCC on June 16th.  
Below is a summary of staff concerns regarding SCC’s proposal with regard to the split site scenario:
  • the loss of teaching staff should the proposals be ratified
  • impact upon the educational progress of students  
  • falling standards in relation to teaching and learning
  • increase in workload and levels of stress for staff
  • logistical problems relating to timetabling and travel
  • career opportunities limited to Key Stages of education, impacting on professional development, pedagogy and curriculum knowledge
  • impact on career opportunities outside of Tomlinscote due to a narrowed experience and perceived lack of expertise across the whole secondary curriculum
  • financial implications for staff regarding fuel, car maintenance , car insurance premiums etc
  • possible damage to the excellent ethos which runs through the school from Year 7 to the Sixth Form
  • create a KS3 “holding area” site and in danger of a KS4 “exam factory”
  • could lead to job cuts in proposed savings in administrative re-structuring
  • damage the excellence in SEN provision in terms of difficulties in coordinating two sites
  • loss of cross year interaction, such as: RAG Week,  Charity Fair, Mentor Programmes, environmental campaigns, whole school council initiatives, SEN reading scheme programme, Athletics Day, Sports Prefects, Active Break, Young Chamber, Drama and music productions
  • damage continuity of relationships – knowledge, understanding, reputations - between staff and students
  • increase disruption in students’ educational career and increase levels of anxiety through further transference
  • reduced student loyalty and sense of identity to being associated with Tomlinscote
  • problems of communication between parents and staff, which have already been noted by Ofsted, will only be exacerbated by the proposed merger and a split site campus
  • reduce the amount of goodwill, passion and enthusiasm amongst staff to deliver “outstanding” provision
  • requirement to renegotiate contracts which will become a concern for professional associations

We trust that you will consider seriously the opinions of Tomlinscote’s teaching and support staff and arrive at the same conclusion: in order to maintain the outstanding status recently awarded by Ofsted the current proposal is not viable.

Yours sincerely
Tomlinscote Staff Association & Professional Association Member

28 comments:

  1. :) thanks Teachers...so glad to get some feedback!

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  2. Thank you to the Tomlinscote Staff for telling the Governors NO.

    The parents have said NO.

    The children have said NO.

    So far it's a unanimous NO.

    If, in the face of this opposition, the Governors dare to say YES, then they deserve to be removed from office.

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  3. If the people who educate my children believe it is not a good idea then......

    ..... IT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA.

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  4. Thanks to the staff for speaking out. Michael Gove said it was all about education - lets hope he was right.

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  5. HOW can the governors say yes to the merger. NO one wants this.

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  6. Mr Ryles was so wrong. The Tomlinscote teachers have well and truly "pinned their colours to the mast" as he put it when he said they wouldn't. Thank you. I hope the Kings teachers feel they can hold their heads high and do the same somehow although they risk losing even more and have been harshly treated by SCC.

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  7. We will see what we can do for the Kings teachers next - they have been horribly abused.

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  8. I think everyone at Kings has, whatever the outcome of this madness, they must not be forgotten. (Tomlinscote parent)

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  9. Kings staff need to know they have support and we will do all we can to give it to them.

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  10. Totally agree with all of the comments above! A huge big thank you to the Tomlinscote Teachers for rejecting the proposal in no uncertain terms! Let's hope this is the final nail in the coffin for the whole sorry saga and that King's can be saved too!

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  11. I am hopeing that the tide is turning. Thankyou teachers for your support at this difficult time.
    Lets hope this is the final nail in the coffin for the merger plan. The only thing that SCC needs to change is THAT PRATT OF A MAN PJ. Leave our schools alone.

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  12. I am so pleased that the teachers have sent this letter to the governors. If the governors ignore this then they really haven't got our childrens education at heart! Well done to you all in continuing to teach superbly in difficult situation. Keep strong kings staff.

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  13. This sends perhaps the strongest message so far - thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU.

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  14. Good to see the teachers oppose this rediculous idea...we can only hope that Tomlinscote Govenours also see sense...my concern is that too many of them see this an an opportunity to get their 'gongs' from an ever greatful Surrey CC.

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  15. It's interesting that the teaching staff all vate NO, parenets vote NO...all those who will be effected vote NO...except Ryles (retiring) and PJ Wilkinson (retiring).

    Why is this idea being pushed through by those with no vested interest?

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  16. I think we need to remember that the vast majority of the Governors are working for nothing and are doing what they feel to be right. Some of the Governors have been very brave to avoid this being voted through WITHOUT CONSULTATION which it is my understanding was the request of SurreyCC. Without some brave souls on the Governing body we wouldn't be having this debate because it would have been a fait accompli ! CAM have worked very hard but in some ways we have had it easier in that we are not tied up in red tape an politics and can thus move much faster. Don't be too harsh on the governors. ;-)

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  17. I think that initially the Governors may not have realised that they were being fronted at public meetings by two people who appeared to be pro-merger. The delay in Governors confirming officially that they were doing something "behind the scenes" caused much worry to many people.

    However, I think once they saw for themselves (I believe thanks to a Teacher Governor attending a meeting) that parents were getting what may have been a distorted view of Governors' opinions they acted promptly to arrange meetings with parents. The meetings enabled Governors to listen to parents' views and also to reassure parents that a particular process was under way. It did depend which Governors parents met with how reassured they felt, but they were finally interacting with the parents.

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  18. Does anybody know what the Kings parents and staff need us to do to persuade whoever makes their decisions now.

    How can we help ?

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  19. Well done staff - and let the governors know in your meetings too!

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  20. Us parents are so happy you spoke out - thank you.

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  21. There is a rumour circulating about expanding the present Tomlinscote site to accomodate all students from both schools. We do not want the biggest school in England on our doorstep. We want choice. Please understand this. No merger. No expansion.

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  22. Can someone please clarify. It may just be me....

    The letter is dated June 13th yet it states.....These views were also clearly expressed in a consultation meeting with SCC on June 16th.

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  23. Mmm a little typo - although if they have the ability to time travel.....

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  24. Thank you teachers for standing up for what you beleive in and showing that there is more to education than money !!

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  25. We have wanted to stand up for a long time but assure you we have been working hard behind the scenes! Thanks to you all, and to all the staff,and students, at Tomlinscote and Kings. Let's hope the voice of reason is heard..If this ridiculous suggestion is stopped and we maintain the 'status quo' ie keep the 'soft federation',with a great new Head and VP installed in Kings, it will not be wasted time, but a brilliant opportunity to show just how committed and united we can be in the face of adversity!!!!!!!!

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  26. It's great when a plan comes together!!!

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  27. Steve Lapthorn16 June 2011 at 19:00

    Soft federation is certainly a possible outcome. But that won't build Kings as a successful school after the wrecking it has received by this SCC proposal this year. It will just enable SCC to continue it's policy to close Kings and create mega-schools here - destroying school choice even more.

    Kings needs its own identity that is confident, distinctive and ambitious for success. How will that happen in a soft federation? Do you think that the brochures for recruiting new students at Kings are ready for next September as they should be?

    Kings needs new, independent (of SCC) leadership with a proven record of success to deliver the profile, ethos and results that we want for our children in Surrey Heath.

    Parents have been telling me this week that they would send their children to an independent, state-funded (ie an academy) Kings next year. Lets make that happen!

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  28. It is great to see the teachers of both schools united against the ridiculous and damaging behaviour of SCC. My view is that any councillors that support this lunacy and wish to override overwhelming public opinion need to be removed from office ASAP. Their job is to serve us not the other way around. I think Kings can be rebuilt by their fantastic staff with the support of parents and maybe with current negative bias of SCC an Academy is a potential solution. Alternatively the SCC need to replace the negative staff, accept that Kings will remain and engage in a supportive and positive manner. I also recall the SCC muttering something about numbers of children and subsequent viability, did they forget about the 1000+ houses planned for Deepcut barracks?Are they intending to build another school?

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