12:20pm Thursday 22nd October 2009
By Emily Roberts
THE head teacher of a school facing closure has hit back at claims that she is to blame for its failings.
Speaking at a crisis meeting to discuss how Chineham Park Primary school in Shakespeare Road, Popley can move forward, Gwen Clifford told parents: “I’m not prepared to be made a scapegoat for this school.”
Mrs Clifford (right), who has been in charge since 2002, added: “Chineham Park Primary School now is a much better school than it has ever been. When I came here, the windows were falling out of the building and, internally, it was atrocious.
“In the seven years I have been head, I have stuck with this school through think and thin. What you see outside for your community, I have worked my socks off to achieve for your children and for Popley.”
About 40 parents gathered in the school hall on Monday evening, joining teachers and Popley councillors to come up with ways to save the school.
Standards began to fall in 2002, and in January this year, Ofsted inspectors graded it as “inadequate”, putting it into special measures.
The Ofsted report stated: “The overall effectiveness of the school is inadequate because leadership and management do not have the capacity to make the necessary improvements quickly enough.” The inspectors also noted: “Overall, leadership and management of the school are having too little effect, with the result that standards are too low and pupils are making insufficient progress in their work.”
Although standards improved in the months following the damning Ofsted report, Hampshire County Council decided it was not enough to keep the school open and, last week, education chief Councillor David Kirk set in motion a consultation process over the possible closure of the school.
But at Monday’s public meeting, Mrs Clifford was adamant the blame for the crisis does not lie with her.
She told the meeting: “We were put into special measures in January because, at the time, I had few staff on the ground to support me. I can’t run a school by myself.
“Everything I have done in this school I have done for the community and to benefit your children.”
Some parents have criticised Mrs Clifford over her leadership, but she asked them to put aside their feelings to work together. She said: “I don’t care if you hate me or love me but we need to work to save this school. Don’t take your children away. Give us a chance and support us.
“We have been slowly raising standards. Is Chineham Park Primary School the worst performing school in Basingstoke? The answer is no.”
Just like head teacher Gwen Clifford, the parents of Chineham Park Primary School pupils have come out fighting as they try to save it from closure.
Leading the campaign, mother Sharon Lunnon made an emotional plea to parents to keep their children in the school and help fight the process that could see it close down next August.
Speaking to parents at Monday night’s public meeting, she said: “I’m asking you to support the school and fight with us. I know as a parent it might be tempting to take your child out now and find another school, but the more people who do that, the less chance the school has of being saved.”
For more on this story see Thursday's Gazette.
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