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Formal notice for Beardwood closure plan
3:20pm Wednesday 28th November 2007
By Tom Moseley »
A FORMAL closure notice for Beardwood High School has been published - but campaigners say the fight to save it "goes on".
Statutory notices published yesterday announce the changes proposed under the £150m Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme in Blackburn with Darwen.
JOIN THE DEBATE
Do you back the campaign to save the school? Add your comments below.
In September, the borough council announced its final plans for the Government-funded project to overhaul secondary education in the borough.
The most controversial proposal is to close Beardwood in Preston New Road, due to a predicted fall in pupil numbers in west Blackburn, and the site's "limited potential" for BSF development.
Under the plans, students and staff will be moved to other state secondaries, including three new "superschools" to be built on the sites of Witton Park and Pleckgate High Schools, and a new East Blackburn Community School in Haslingden Road, which will replace Blakewater College.
Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School would move to the vacated Beardwood site and more than double in pupil numbers.
The council's plans, which are currently awaiting Government approval, have prompted passionate campaigns from both parents and pupils at Beardwood, who have hung "Save Our School" banners at the school's entrance.
The official notices detailing the proposals will be advertised in schools and the press.
But David Smith, spokesman for parents' campaign group Beardwood Family Action, said campaigners would not give in.
Mr Smith, whose four children are former and present Beardwood pupils, said: "The fight goes on.
"This proposal is bad for Beardwood and bad for Blackburn.
"The BSF program is flawed as the quality of education in a school is not a determining factor."
As well as Beardwood, education chiefs plan to shut Fernhurst Special School and reduce the number of pupils at Crosshill Special School, which would be co-located on the East Blackburn Community School.
There is now a six-week period for people to respond to these proposals, and a four-week response period for people to comment on the planned changes in pupil numbers at the new East Blackburn Community School, and at Tauheedul.
The council's executive board will make a final decision on the proposals in January.
Your Say YourTelegraph
adam, beardwood says...
3:52pm Tue 15 Apr 08
mehboob daud, blackburn says...
3:34pm Mon 3 Dec 07
sally t, blackburn says...
9:40am Thu 29 Nov 07
A parent wrote:shut up, your not supposed to tell them, your supposed to be on our side.
There are loads of Christian state schools (Church of England and Roman Catholic) in Blackburn and Darwen. If that is the case, it's hard to argue against one state Muslim school in the area. The obvious answer is to have no state religious schools of any faith.
A parent, Darwen says...
8:44am Thu 29 Nov 07
The obvious answer is to have no state religious schools of any faith.
barry, mill hill says...
11:31pm Wed 28 Nov 07
john asian smith wrote:Well normally i'd argue with you lot, but yes this is absolutely correct, although i disagree with the 'do what you want bit'.
Fact: White families dont like sending their kids to schools that have asians/muslims in them, they prefer white only schools. Fact: Whites dont like the idea of schools that have majority asains/muslims either. Fact: Damned if you do, damned if you dont. ANSWER: DO WHAT YOU WANT.
Mariah, says...
10:01pm Wed 28 Nov 07
john asian smith wrote:True say mate.
Fact: White families dont like sending their kids to schools that have asians/muslims in them, they prefer white only schools. Fact: Whites dont like the idea of schools that have majority asains/muslims either. Fact: Damned if you do, damned if you dont. ANSWER: DO WHAT YOU WANT.
john asian smith, UK says...
9:33pm Wed 28 Nov 07
Fact: Whites dont like the idea of schools that have majority asains/muslims either.
Fact: Damned if you do, damned if you dont.
ANSWER: DO WHAT YOU WANT.
Afro diziak, Zanzibar says...
7:43pm Wed 28 Nov 07
Adam, Blackburn says...
7:34pm Wed 28 Nov 07
adam, blackburn says...
7:16pm Wed 28 Nov 07
Wade, says...
6:29pm Wed 28 Nov 07
Mary, Your Loo says...
6:11pm Wed 28 Nov 07
wade wrote:What and they ban all muslims?
Mary wrote:yup. its called westholmeTauheedul Islam Girls\' High SchoolWould it be ok for there to be an all English Girls School. I think not.
Well thats put me in my place.
wade, says...
5:52pm Wed 28 Nov 07
Mary wrote:yup. its called westholme
Tauheedul Islam Girls\' High SchoolWould it be ok for there to be an all English Girls School. I think not.
Mary, Your Loo says...
5:47pm Wed 28 Nov 07
Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School
Would it be ok for there to be an all English Girls School. I think not.
jeepers, says...
5:47pm Wed 28 Nov 07
robbo wrote:Westholme and QEGS.
In these days of being told we must integreat with all creeds and nations why do we need a seperate islamic girls school. How many other seperate girls and boys schools are there in Blackburn
buttercup, blackburn says...
4:40pm Wed 28 Nov 07
Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School would move to the vacated Beardwood site and more than double in pupil numbers.
Doesn't sound like it's closing down, sounds like it's been taken over and changed. Unless it's the way the report is worded but to me it looks like the Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School will be relocated to the school instead of it being Beardwood
julie, blackburn says...
4:33pm Wed 28 Nov 07
robbo wrote:robbo its being closed down.
In these days of being told we must integreat with all creeds and nations why do we need a seperate islamic girls school. How many other seperate girls and boys schools are there in Blackburn
robbo, Blackburn says...
4:25pm Wed 28 Nov 07
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CLOSURE NOTICE: But supporters of Beardwood High School, Blackburn have vowed to fight on
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S Y, (Ex Blackburner) says...
11:10pm Wed 14 May 08
Whites thrashing the asains and vice versa, the whites and asains have never really mixed and understood each other in this down sliding town and its real sad state of affairs.
The reason why I have moved to Manchester, better cultural mix and non of the crap I had to put up with in Blackburn.. if this not white flight, its abuse
Now I am not taking sides either way as there is a real problem in Blackburn and other local towns which no one cares to address, this attitude will get you nowhere.