Special measures school set to close

6:00pm Friday 8th June 2012 in News

A JUNIOR school which is in special measures has been earmarked for closure.

Education bosses at Blackburn with Darwen Council have announced plans to shut Hawthorns Junior School to create a 542 pupil school at the neighbouring infants school.

Council bosses said headteacher Gary Gornall’s resignation had forced them to review the school and a decision was taken to create a single school for nursery children aged 11.

The council has reviewed both schools every time a head left but has never put forward merger proposals until now.

Unions say the move will help prevent the school becoming an academy.

If approved by the council’s executive board and the Department for Education, the new school would be for 542 pupil in the infant and junior school buildings, with Steve Bladon as headteacher.

But the council has warned that it cannot guarantee that the jobs at Hawthorns Junior School would be transferred to the new site.

Plans to close the St James’ Road, Blackburn, school come as the Department for Education warned that schools in special measures would be forced to become academies.

By closing the school and expanding an existing one, the new school would remain in the council’s control.

Hawthorns Junior School was placed in special measures by Ofsted in 2010. The special measures rating would not be transferred to Cedar’s Infant School which has a good rating.

Coun Maureen Bateson, executive member for children’s services at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “Obviously there will be restructuring of staff and management at the two schools but I cannot say if there will be redundancy. There will be no reduction in classroom teaching as a result of this change.

“This is about improving the educational opportunities for children in the area."

The council would not comment on the government’s plan to turn all schools in special measures into academies.

Comments (6)

10:07am Sat 9 Jun 12

woodyads says...

What a diabolical decision. Closing this school, just like that, when given the correct leadership it can prosper? Look at St Aidens - it was in Special Measures not so long ago, yet found an excellent head teacher who turned the school around and they are now rated as good. What's even more mind numbing about this decision is that Hawthorns was only built 20 years ago - what a waste.
What a diabolical decision. Closing this school, just like that, when given the correct leadership it can prosper? Look at St Aidens - it was in Special Measures not so long ago, yet found an excellent head teacher who turned the school around and they are now rated as good. What's even more mind numbing about this decision is that Hawthorns was only built 20 years ago - what a waste. woodyads

2:04pm Sat 9 Jun 12

ladysal says...

It's in special measures. Fact. Govt will turn all schools in special measures into academies. Fact. What other choice did the council have if they wanted to keep the provision under their control? Not ideal, but inevitable unfortunately.
It's in special measures. Fact. Govt will turn all schools in special measures into academies. Fact. What other choice did the council have if they wanted to keep the provision under their control? Not ideal, but inevitable unfortunately. ladysal

4:57pm Sat 9 Jun 12

lwg76 says...

It's in special measures because it is in Council Control. So they will close it rather than let someone else run it better.
The right of the Council to Control is obviously more important than the Education of these Youngsters.
It's in special measures because it is in Council Control. So they will close it rather than let someone else run it better. The right of the Council to Control is obviously more important than the Education of these Youngsters. lwg76

5:07pm Tue 12 Jun 12

laila1 says...

As a parent with children at this school, I was absolutely appalled that parents found out vis this article on Friday. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO CONSIDERATION into how parents might have felt hearing this news second hand. It is a disgrace and the school and the edcuation department should be ashamed of the way this was dealt with and furthermore, this has left me with no faith from the local authourity in dealing with sensitive educational issues
As a parent with children at this school, I was absolutely appalled that parents found out vis this article on Friday. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO CONSIDERATION into how parents might have felt hearing this news second hand. It is a disgrace and the school and the edcuation department should be ashamed of the way this was dealt with and furthermore, this has left me with no faith from the local authourity in dealing with sensitive educational issues laila1

5:08pm Tue 12 Jun 12

laila1 says...

As a parent with children at this school, I was absolutely appalled that parents found out vis this article on Friday. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO CONSIDERATION into how parents might have felt hearing this news second hand. It is a disgrace and the school and the edcuation department should be ashamed of the way this was dealt with and furthermore, this has left me with no faith from the local authourity in dealing with sensitive educational issues
As a parent with children at this school, I was absolutely appalled that parents found out vis this article on Friday. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO CONSIDERATION into how parents might have felt hearing this news second hand. It is a disgrace and the school and the edcuation department should be ashamed of the way this was dealt with and furthermore, this has left me with no faith from the local authourity in dealing with sensitive educational issues laila1

5:15pm Fri 22 Jun 12

zainabzee says...

In response to the above comment. The Hawthorns staff did not know that Hawthorns was to close. They too were devastated and disgusted when they found out through the telegraph during their holidays on the 8th June, the same time as the parents.
In response to the above comment. The Hawthorns staff did not know that Hawthorns was to close. They too were devastated and disgusted when they found out through the telegraph during their holidays on the 8th June, the same time as the parents. zainabzee

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