Hope for Bristol primary schools facing closure

THREE Bristol primary schools facing closure have been given a ray of hope by the council's Conservatives.

The smallest of the three major political groups on the city council has "called in" Thursday's decision by the Labour cabinet to shut St Pius X Catholic Primary in Withywood, St George's C of E Primary on Brandon Hill and Stockwood Green Primary.

Tory group leader Richard Eddy has challenged the three closures and also the principles underlying the council's city-wide primary schools review.

The Conservatives are critical of the consultation process, the failure – as they see it – to take professional advice and the lack of information provided to explain the plans.

City clerk Stephen McNamara has agreed that the call-in is valid and has referred it to the call-in panel of the overview and scrutiny management commission.

After considering the matter, the panel, which comprises Lib Dem leader Barbara Janke, Tory Ashley Fox and Labour's Ron Stone – plus two nominated councillors, one Lib Dem and one Tory – has three options.

These are to reject the call-in, to refer it to the cabinet with recommendations or to refer it to the full council for further debate.

In his call-in papers, Mr Eddy said: "The consultation process has been flawed from the outset.

"The executive has failed to adequately take into account the views of professionals concerned over the detrimental effects of such 'mega schools' on the future education of the city's children.

"The rationale behind the arguments presented in favour of amalgamations, mergers and closures has not been explained."

He claimed petitions and other responses to the review had been lost and he said not enough financial information had been given to enable councillors to judge whether the savings made would justify "the consequential loss in quality of education".

Labour leader Councillor Helen Holland said the call-in was simply "extending the agony" for the schools facing the axe.

Councillor Peter Hammond, the cabinet member in charge of schools, said the Tories had offered no practical alternative proposals for primary schooling in the city.

"They are playing party political games on a very important issue for young people and their schools here in Bristol.

"Their opposition to our proposals is hysterical, hypocritical and downright wrong."

The Liberal Democrats, the largest party on the city council, has called on the cabinet to make sure parents, carers and staff are fully informed of all developments in the closure programme.

Spokeswoman Councillor Clare Campion-Smith told the cabinet meeting: "For the sake of the children, the cabinet must insist that the process they have set in train is funded and managed to the highest standard."

The schools in Bristol are scheduled to shut some time between 2010 and 2013, once improvements have been made to other primaries to which the pupils would move.