the Birstall post Y O U R
C O M M U N I T Y
NOVEMBER 2014
N E W S P A P E R
www.birstallpost.co.uk
No. 376
Birstall’s new academy school 2015 WILL see the merger of Stonehill and Longslade schools into a single academy and the start of an ambitious £12million project to improve the school with a mixture of new build and modernisation. Speaking at the school’s open evening in October, Stonehill’s head teacher Alan Monks said: “We are talking about big, big change. Students have made clear what their aspirations are and we have the responsibility to put in place a school that can deliver. “Really good teaching has to be our priority, the teaching will come first.” The 11-19 school will open in August 2015 and be called the Cedars Academy, with Birstall’s Cedar of Lebanon tree in the school’s logo. Longslade has now been given the go ahead to join all the other Birstall Schools in the Lionheart Academies Trust, a partnership of all the schools in the village with Beauchamp College in Oadby, a school rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. Speaking at the open evening to a
A MAN from Birstall has received an award recognising the dedication he has shown to Belgrave Rugby Club. John Goddard (71) has been involved with the club for more than fifty years, first as a player and then as a committee member and fundraiser. He Pic: John Goddard lives on Birstall Road. On October 15 he was presented with
Pic: the planned new reception area
hall packed with parents and students, the Executive Principal of the Lionheart Academies Trust Hugh Howe outlined the programme of changes at the school and said that funds had been secured to begin a programme of new build and modernisation starting in January 2015. He said: “In choosing this school you are not taking risks. The ultimate achievement of these school improvements will be a transformation in the culture of the school.” The five-six year programme of works at the school will start next January with
Rugby stalwart honoured
the creation of a new reception, main entrance and administration area, and a new science centre. Some parents have expressed their concern about the future of the school. Rebecca Shipman attended the open evening. She said: “It all sounds very positive but I still have reservations about the reputation of the school [Longslade] and its exam performance over recent years. It makes it very hard to put Longslade as my first choice.” Another, who asked not to be named, said: “I don’t want my child to be a guinea pig on a building site, will it be an environment where they are learning, Continued on page 2
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