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SELSTED GOVERNOR AND TEACHER'S CASE DELIVERED TO KCC MEETING

I am Linda Willcox, a teacher and governor of the school; I have been asked by the Parents Action Group to speak o­n behalf of all the staff to give our views and vision for Selsted School.
 
We are all aware that rolls are falling across the country. Many counties however, seem to have found a fairer, and more innovative way of dealing with this issue. As a teacher I accept the budget challenge facing the KCC. However ‘we’ - all the professional staff and parents that I represent here this evening -  are collectively convinced that closure of this fine school would be wrong. Wrong, o­n educational, financial and community grounds.

The Government in circular 110/98 outlawed the proposal of wholesale closure. The “presumption against closure� was introduced by the Blair Government in 1998 and this is still this government’s view. The economic arguments do not stand the test of serious economic analysis.

We have listened to the views of Kent, as voiced through David Adams. The views are unbalanced because they favour the view that small schools are  detrimental to the children’s best interests. This view has now been accepted as wrong. Small schools – particularly in a rural area such as ours - are essential to a modern education.

I wish to illustrate this ….. big is not beautiful – little is best. As Her Majesty’s Inspector  Deanna  Holdaway said if you don’t value small schools, then you’ve never been in bed with a mosquito!!

The National Association of Small Schools has listed 10 things that have traditionally – but incorrectly - been said about small schools

Several of these statements will be referred to by others here this evening but I wish to draw your attention to a few of them now. Alongside these statements the National Association of Small Schools have listed what the reality is …. I hope the decision makers can accept their findings.

I will tell you what the reality is in Selsted:
 
NOT ENOUGH CHILDREN OF ANY AGE? NOT SO!

As OFSTED says education is first a social process, and there is no evidence of correlation between class size and educational outcomes.

NOT ENOUGH CHILDREN OF THE SAME AGE?

Being within larger peer groups is better? WRONG! We agree that 50% of education reflects home life, and 50% of education reflects the quality of the school. This is why we have such a strong HOME – SCHOOL  link at Selsted.

MIXED ABILITY GROUPS ARE A DISADVANTAGE? MIXED AGED GROUPS ARE A DISADVANTAGE?

NOT PROVEN!

The model of learning and teaching that mixed age groups and mixed ability groups offers – are two of the greater strengths that Selsted offers. We believe that it has significant long-term worth for society too. In their real world children learn very effectively by a wide range of methods, discovery, chance, instruction, repetition, curiosity, alone or in small groups, rarely with the same age exclusively. Selsted is rather closer to this multi-faceted version of effective learning than larger schools. The way the House System works through all areas of our school life is a very good example of this.

NOT ENOUGH CHILDREN OF ANY AGE?

NOT PROVEN!

Co-operation with other schools broadens personal experience.
KCC seems to think that Selsted School is isolated – not part of the community – are they implying that we are inward looking  …. Not providing a wider curriculum …. Then they can’t have seen “THE SCHOOL BUZZâ€?  – or appreciated the contribution given by our artist in residence, or our friends from Japan for example: They might not realise the impact we are making o­n the locality through our link school in Normandy and the Swingfield Twinning Association …. 16 pupils from Aviron will be with us for 4 days from 4th July -  building o­n the successful visit that our children made to Normandy last summer. We have always tried to join in enterprises that our Hawkinge Partnership organises, and now with this new hall we host events, not just take up the challenges!

NOT ENOUGH SPECIALIST TEACHERS?

NOT PROVEN!

Research done by such esteemed people as Professor Maurice Galton (University of Cambs) shows that staff of small schools o­n average attend more INSET courses, are more flexible and positive when new initiatives are introduced, and that curriculum innovation takes effect faster in small schools.  Selsted staff would nod their heads in agreement with those statements. It’s what happens here – and the children, parents and staff are proud of that.

At the meeting of the National Association of Small Schools  in Westminster Professor Maurice Galton – the esteemed educational researcher - urged LEAs to redefine the “surplus placesâ€? issues in a political – but creative – way. “Surplus to what?â€? he wondered …. The models given by LEAs were urban, yet invariably they looked to close the rural school to solve the problem. According to Professor Maurice Galton there are NO formal studies to support this type of closure.

On a similar note Matthew Taylor MP – member for Truro and St Austell said that LEAs who seek to close small schools to solve surplus place problems are taking a far too simplistic view – they are creating a short term solution for a long term problem. Norfolk Education Authority have developed an interesting “Partnership� Scheme over the past 8 years; perhaps our decision makers might look at the progress made in Norfolk, instead of proposing to close our small, rural school, with all its educational achievements.

I would urge David Adams and all the members of SOAB to look at the National Small Schools Forum website at the end of July as part of their deliberations; The reports and summaries following the Small Schools Conference – which has just taken place this week - will be available by then … it will give food for thought – Selsted School is important to the whole education system.

I would like to see Kent reflecting the National Association of Small Schools’  idea of being a “visionary local authority …. Who rejoices in their small schools and work very hard to support and enrich the provision being made whose value they well recogniseâ€? and look for a more creative way of solving the surplus place problem rather than propose to close us.

Finally I would appeal to the decision makers – our own county councillors, Councillor Susan Carey and the cabinet – to think again ……

Please look at the evidence and allow our school to continue to flourish.
Thank you for listening so patiently to me, and remember …. I speak for all staff and parents.

Linda Willcox