Parents at Hatherton Primary School in the West Midlands are opposing the school’s plans to turn into an academy. Some parents at the school have doubts about the proposed plans for the school to merge with Frank F Harrison College and become Beechdale Partnership Academy.
The plans are due to be confirmed January 2012, so a meeting was held at the Beechdale Lifelong Learning Centre so that parents could discuss their objections. Governors have said that they believe that the plan will ‘improve educational attainment.’
Tanya Bolstridge, whose son is at Hatherton Primary said: “School trips will not be subsidised. We will have to pay for the cost of everything. So with people like myself on a low income, we will have to pay out more.”
Chair of the governors Beechdale Partnership Governing Body, Deb Rajania, said that the local council are supporting the proposed academy.
“The fundamental reason for moving to academy status is to improve educational attainment and achievement of the children across the two schools, by creating an all-through academy. The new academy would be branded differently and as such, it is intended that new uniforms will be provided free of charge for all of pupils.”
Governors also said that academy was still subject to public consultation and financial backing from the government.