SAVE GREENMOUNT

NEW VIDEO - Newport protest Saturday 15th March

2008-03-17T16:50:00.001-07:00

Click on this picture of mighty warriors to watch the video :o)

Sorry .....

2008-03-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

to anyone who has been looking - it has been far too quiet on the website over the past couple of weeks .....

In the meantime it has been far from quiet in terms of developments.

1) The action group and governors have submitted a very strong business case to the council for retention of Greenmount under a revised Option 3.

From our reading the council have made it very clear that final decisions remain to be made on individual schools and that these will be made on a case by case basis. Having studied the evidence we are more sure than ever that there is an overwhelming case to be made for Greenmount .... (a full summary of this case will appear here in the next couple of days)

2) Results are also in from the questionnaire
..... click here
Again we feel that Greenmount can play a full role in the implementation of Option 3 which is looking like the obvious choice in light of the results.

and

3) There's been the wall of protest march in Newport
..... See Jade's video above.

We will be arranging another meeting of the action group to discuss the next steps sometime shortly after Easter.... watch this space....

Do come back and check from time to time - promising a better service on the blog over the next few weeks !

:o)

WATCH OUT !..... (NOW CLOSED !! )

2008-02-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

THE QUESTIONNAIRE DEADLINE IS APPROACHING FAST ....
all responses must be in by 22nd February - THIS FRIDAY

THE QUESTIONNAIRE IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL IF YOU ARE TO HAVE YOUR VIEWS HEARD

Remember responses can be from individuals - not just households and that anyone who cares about the issue of education on the island is encouraged to respond.
Remember too you can fill in the form online - and encourage others to do the same.

We believe there is a strong case for retaining Greenmount under either Option 1 or Option 3.

PLEASE RESPOND and mention Greenmount as a priority.

Click here for Online questionnaire

Mention too the main points of Greenmount's case.

1. Greenmount is a fully subscribed school in the heart of the community. Local parents want the choice of a one form entry school for their children.

2. The new building and the negotiated use of Ryde School field provide adequate teaching and playing facilities.

3. 74% of pupils walk to school – the highest on the island.

4. Greenmount has an innovative, dedicated and stable staff who are driving up standards.

5. Greenmount provides a safe and secure site, with 21st century facilities in a historic setting.

A Great Local School - Please Save it

2008-02-14T14:23:00.000-08:00

Mapping school closures

2008-02-10T15:56:00.000-08:00

Maps of the different options ..... More evidence of how closure of Greenmount would increase travel for children in the middle of Ryde

Mapping school closures

Scroll down and click on links to see the different options

Thanks to www.saveiowschools.co.uk for this link and Tony Hirst for the work.

Photos from the Samba Protest

2008-02-10T08:22:00.000-08:00

Some great pictures - Thanks to Nigel Foskett for these.
Samba photos

Samba Protest - Video now available

2008-02-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

Hot off the press ....
another great video by Jade ......
Samba Protest 9th February

SAMBA PROTEST - WOW !!

2008-02-09T05:59:00.000-08:00

Today's protest was a enormous success - surprising everyone with the size of the turnout and strength of feeling expressed. Another clear sign of how parents, children and the residents of Ryde as a whole, feel about Greenmount and how much it brings to the town.

A huge thank you to the Greenmount Samba and dancers - another truly brilliant performance and celebration of what is so great about the Greenmount community. Thanks to all who carried banners and distributed leaflets- and above all thanks to the people of Ryde for all your words of support.

Thanks also to those from St Mary's, St Helen's, Wroxall and Gurnard who joined us - the very best wishes for their campaigns for their local schools.

Today's turn-out was even more evidence that if we lose Greenmount the carnival and the town will be much the worse for it.

SAVE GREENMOUNT - OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOL

How was that for you ? ... feel free to add comments below...
Please also get in touch if you have any good pictures - we'd love to publish them here.

If want to help us convince the Council to keep a school in the middle of Ryde PLEASE take the few minutes it will take to - email the Council at the addresses below - or best of all to fill in the online questionnaire via the Council website ... (link at the left). Greenmount is completely viable under either Option 1 or Option 3 of the proposals - please mention retention of Greenmount under 'Other' on question 3 and rank this highly on Question 4. Also support Greenmount in the comments section.

You don't need to be a parent or child to fill in the form - you just need to care about your local community.

PLEASE HELP SAVE OUR SCHOOL.

Have Your Say

2008-02-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

You can now add your views as comments - just click on the "comments" under each story

:o)

SAMBA MARCH - Saturday 8th Feb 11am

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NOTE CHANGE OF TIME (to avoid clashing with Shanklin march):
Save Greenmount March - Saturday 9th Feb 11am at the School
Please bring children in carnival costumes or school uniform, any instruments, carnival banners, lights of love lanterns you may have at home.
Please bring any banners you have made for previous protests.
Following consultation with the police, and roads will not be closed. The route will be on pavements from Greenmount to High Street, High Street to Town Square -High Street to end of precinct,on pavements to the square outside the Crown. It will not last longer than an hour, so please come!!
Please bring anyone you know who is concerned about Greenmount's proposed closure. This is our one big chance to make the whole of Ryde aware of the big part Greenmount plays in the community

Follow on to Shanklin March if you can - note that in strong contrast to the Ryde March the First half of the Shanklin March will be in silence to mourne the proposed death of local and village Schools.

See SAVE IOW Schools site (link to left) for details.

SAVE GREENMOUNT PRIMARY SCHOOL

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

2008-02-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

If you care about Greenmount please do something about it ...

FILL IN THE QUESTIONNAIRE ! - it is absolutely critical that everyone responds to the questionnaire and points out the viability of Greenmount under either Option 1 or Option 3

Don't forget to get your relatives, neighbours and friends to complete forms.

DISPLAY A POSTER (or 8)

Put a Greenmount poster in your window and in your car windows
- ask your neighbours and relatives to display them too

Try and get posters in local shops - we are doing well but there's still areas without any - try and fill these. Posters elsewhere on the Island will be really effective too

Get posters from Mandy at the school.

WRITE TO COUNCILLORS (a list of key lobby targets are included below)

Include in your letter the Five Key Points that the Greenmount Action Team have outlined (below)

If you haven’t got time to write, print off and sign the letter that the Action Team have drafted (see below)

Post your letters in the mailbox in Greenmount reception.

COME AND HELP US FIGHT at the Action Group Meeting Tuesday night 7pm at the School

Viva Greenmount! - James

The CASE for saving Greenmount

2008-02-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

"Greenmount is an effective school where pupils achieve well. They enter the school with low levels of attainment and leave at the end of year 4 with standards in English that are above the average and standards in mathematics and science that are well above average.
OFSTED 2005

Parents and children have a real commitment to the school - Parents choose the school precisely because of its community focus and small size. Greenmount is the only primary school on the Isle of Wight to be over-subscribed in Sept 2007.

Greenmount is a true community school - its contribution to the the community life of Ryde over recent years is obvious - hence the shock that is currently being felt by parents.

Closing Greenmount and enlarging other sites in Ryde will result in more congestion, fewer kids walking and added pressure elsewhere. Greenmount is a great community school, providing good value and bringing some real assets to Ryde and the Island. With just a little imagination it should be easy to accommodate Greenmount in any implementation of option 1 or 3 - or into any adjusted options.

The Action Group are currently developing a business plan which outlines how the school will fit easily into these options and this will be shared with parents as soon as it is available

In the meantime we suggest that you include the following points, in your own words if possible in any letters or responses -

1. Greenmount is a fully/over subscribed school in the heart of the community. Local parents prefer a one form entry school for their children. 97.9% of pupils live within 2 miles.

2. Greenmount is viable under options 1 and 3, our new building and the negotiated use of Ryde School field provide adequate teaching and playing facilities.

3. As Greenmount is at the heart of our community, it enables most of our pupils and parents to contribute to the Eco Island ethos by arriving at school on foot (74% of pupils walk to school – the highest on the island).

4. Greenmount has an innovating, dedicated and stable staff who are driving up standards.

5. Greenmount provides a nuturing environment to children on a safe and secure site, with 21st century facilities in a historic setting.

If you prefer you can copy parts, or all of this letter. Rememember to include your address and the date and to sign it.

Dear Cllr Wells/Pugh -
(list of other councillors are available from this site and will be displayed in PTA notice board).

Proposed closure of Greenmount Community Primary School
I write to object about the proposal currently under consultation to close Greenmount Community Primary School.
The school is very popular and is always fully subscribed. It is at the heart of the community and engages with and enhances the lives of the local community. I prefer my child/ren to go to a one form entry primary school.
Greenmount fully fits the criteria to remain open in both option 1 and option 3 of the current proposals, through its new building and negotiated use of Ryde Schools field.
74% of Greenmount’s pupils walk to school – the highest on the island, this means we contribute to the the Eco Island vision, it also means that we do not need a car park.
The dedicated and stable staff team are constantly striving to improve standards of education.

Greenmount provides a nuturing environment through its caring ethos. In addition the enclosed site is safe and secure. Finally, the school has recently invested in 21st century facilities within its historic setting.

Please reverse the proposal to close Greenmount School.

Yours sincerely,

.. and don’t forget to sign your name!!

Watch the YouTube VIDEOS:

2008-02-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

SOS - Greenmount

Save our Schools Protest - Newport 22 Jan '08
Samba Protest 9th February

(These have been sent to councillors)

POSTERS

2008-02-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

Posters available from any of the contacts included here - including Mandy at the school.

Download of file will re-appear here the minute I have worked out what's going wrong !

WHO TO WRITE TO

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Write to:

DAVID PUGH - Leader of the Council
David Pugh, County Hall, Newport
18 Spring Gardens, Shanklin, Isle of Wight, PO37 7AQ
david.pugh@iow.gov.uk

ALAN WELLS - Cabinet Member for Children and Young People
Alan Wells, County Hall, Newport
101 Park Road, Cowes
alan.wells@iow.gov.uk

ANDREW TURNER - MP
24 The Mall,
Carisbrooke Road,
Newport, IOW,
PO301BW

CONTACT the Action Group

2008-02-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

Join the Action Group:

CONTACT

Mandy Stanley 07971 653400

Sara Ellis 07854 674054

alistair.calder@virgin.net (for website stuff)

Come on. If you care about the school - do something about it

NEWS: COUNCIL Consultation Meeting - Swanmore

2008-02-01T00:30:00.000-08:00

The first Ryde area consultation meeting was held at Swanmore Middle School on Tuesday 5th February. Approximately 250 people attended and the council panel presented the 3 proposal options and then fielded audience questions for an hour. Questioning was fierce and passionate but without damaging hostility hindering the proceedings.

The good news is that questions about Greenmount dominated proceedings and the council genuinely appear to be listening They seem to acknowledge that Greenmount may have a case to submit a proposal for inclusion in either Option 1 or 3. They are making no promises and have to be rigorously fair with all schools affected by the proposals – however the strength of Greenmount’s argument for survival is emerging. It is up to us to make the case overwhelming.

James