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Camden News - by RICHARD OSLEY and TOM FOOT
Published: 24 July 2008

Pupils and parents protesting against the merger marched again to the the Town Hall last night

It’s a done deal: Town Hall gives go-ahead for schools masterplan

Coalition is ‘proud’ of decision, but campaigners remain angry at co-location

THE Liberal Democrat and Conservative coalition placed itself squarely in the firing line last night (Wednesday) by agreeing an education plan which has upset hundreds of families in Somers Town.
Senior councillors agreed to force through a plan to join Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children onto the current site of Edith Neville primary school in Ossulston Street – a move which has been bitterly contested by parents and governors.
In a second blow to campaigners in the area, the cabinet passed plans to expand South Camden Community Secondary School into a massive eight form comprehensive – making it easily the biggest secondary in the borough, and too big in the eyes of objectors.
As the decisions were passed, the Town Hall was accused of ignoring the views of parents and governors’ wishes.
The “co-location” at Edith Neville has been opposed because parents are worried there will be a squeeze on space that will be detrimental to both sets of pupils’ education.
Frank Barnes is being moved from its current home in Swiss Cottage to make way for an academy school.
Around 100 made their second march on the Town Hall last night, handing in a petition of 2,000 signatures to councillors.
Cavendish Elithorne, vice-chairman of governors at Edith Neville, said: “Ninety per cent of our children arrive at the school with English as a second language – often speaking no English at all.
“They need to focus on learning English. Being co-located with children for whom English is not their first language is not in the interest of the children at Frank Barnes.”
But Town Hall leader Councillor Keith Moffitt said he was “proud to recommend we approve the decision.”
He added: “This has been an extremely difficult decision to make but we have a great to deal to be proud of. We are forgoing other council priorities by investing in schools.”
Conservative education chief Councillor Andrew Mennear added: “I am surprised at the outcry. The plan advances the timescale for rebuilding by five years. I recognise there are different opinions on that.”
In the case of South Camden School, the expansion is meant to be a compromise for parents in the south of the borough who have complained that there is no secondary school in their neighbourhood.
The school’s headteacher, Rosemary Leeke, has spoken in favour of the “exciting” change – but residents in the area are not so sure.
But Holborn and St Pancras MP Frank Dobson, who sent his own children to South Camden, said in a letter to Camden’s chief executive Moira Gibb: “Cramming an extra 400 pupils on to the site seems unlikely to help maintain, let alone improve, outcomes for pupils.”
He added: “I have not met anybody in Somers Town, apart from people being paid to promote it, who is in favour of the idea.”

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