Residents for Uttlesford (R4U) has urged Essex County Council to adopt the private Walden School (formerly the Friends’ School) as a state institution when it closes in July. Last week the independent school announced that it would close its doors after 300 years due to falling numbers of fee-paying students. The closure is against a backdrop of a chronic shortfall in local state-school places.
Worrying time for staff and parents
Paul Gadd (R4U)Chronic shortage of school places
R4U’s Paul Gadd continued “Parental choice disappeared long ago in Uttlesford. Even many pupils that actually live in Saffron Walden can no longer get into to the Saffron Walden County High. And poor long-range planning for new homes by both UDC and ECC means that it will only get much worse, with a school places deficit forecast of 30% over the next 10 years.”
The Saffron Walden County High School is full, and even has a banner on its website front page which says “Admissions: Please note we are currently full in all year groups.”
Plugging the gap – R4U urges ECC to take urgent action
R4U has asked Essex County Council to take immediate action. R4U’s Paul Gadd said “Residents for Uttlesford was elected to make a difference for local people. So last week we seized the initiative and wrote to ECC to urge them to turn the school over to state sector operation. We are awaiting their response.”
“We’ve also asked them to consider asking the Saffron Academy Trust, who run the SWCHS, to run the school. This would immediately fill the primary and secondary school places deficit in Saffron Walden and the surrounding villages, restore parental choice, and offer an outstanding ‘SWCHS education’ to many more pupils.”
“A new secondary school is needed in Uttlesford and buying an existing school site is more efficient to local tax-payers than funding the £40m cost of a brand-new school. But time is of the essence. If ECC fails to act quickly this unique site would likely be lost to new housing, and many staff-members will have lost their jobs.”