PR 2783
The merger of Thomas Sumpter and South Leys schools has today (Monday 4 December) been given the go-ahead. The approval means that North Lincolnshire Council can now move ahead with exciting plans to rebuild or refurbish every secondary school in Scunthorpe.
South Leys and Thomas Sumpter will be replaced by one new £15m school.
Falling pupil numbers means that this part of Scunthorpe can only support one viable school. Government guidelines on pupil numbers mean that they would not support a bid for funding that includes the two schools. Without the merger the whole £80m Building Schools for the Future (BSF) project would have been scrapped.
A decision on the merger was made by a School Organisation Committee (SOC) today. It is made up of five groups - councillors, school representatives, Roman Catholic diocese, Church of England diocese and the Learning and Skills Council. The groups unanimously voted for the merger.
Cllr Margaret Sidell, cabinet member for education, said:
"The decision on the merger of the two schools is a massive one for North
Lincolnshire - the whole £80m investment into secondary schools rested on
the decision of the School Organisation Committee.
"I pleased the committee considered all the facts. I strongly believe the
merger is in the interests of pupils across Scunthorpe.
In a joint statement Kevin Moloney, Head of South Leys, and Angela Briggs, Head of Thomas Sumpter, said:
"We have both been genuinely pleased with the community’s support for the
schools while uncertainty surrounded their future. What has been clear throughout
this process is that local people value the role the schools play in the community
and the education they provide.
"We feel sure that now a decision has been made we can build on this support
to make the new merged school more than the sum of its two parts. It’s time
for the community as a whole to come together to make the new school the best
if can be.
"We will both be working our hardest to ensure that the transition is as
seamless as possible for pupils and staff. Our staff are our greatest assets
and now we can move quickly to remove uncertainty about the future.
"A new £15m school is a real opportunity. We know our staff will make the
very best use of the new facilities – such as over £1m in new technology.
Thanks to this investment pupils can say goodbye to traditional teaching methods
and say hello to new interactive whiteboards, laptops and wireless Internet
connections in every classroom.
"It is now time to look forward and see how new, state of the art facilities
can add to the hard working, supportive ethos already in place at both schools.
With the right facilities, alongside our dedicated staff, pupils, parents
and the community, we can all make the new school something to be proud of.
"There is much work to be done – but we relish the challenge of making sure
the new school provides the communities we serve with a continued high standard
of education. We feel confident that over time the new school will become
the centre of the community and all plans for the building will involve the
community as well as students and staff."
For further information please contact: Dave Watson on 01724 296345. Email: dave.watson@northlincs.gov.uk.