Travel fears for ‘forgotten school’
EDUCATION chiefs say progress on a school’s rebuild continues, after the first cohort of pupils began to return to classrooms following months of lockdown.
Rhyddings Business & Enterprise School has introduced a “phased reopening” for its Year 10 pupils this week.
It comes after Lancashire’s director of public health finally cleared the county’s schools to reopen for selected age cohorts from Monday, June 22, provided they are safe.
But one mum, whose daughter attends Rhyddings, has called for clarity over a number of issues, including the closure of its normal Oswaldtwistle site for rebuilding work throughout this academic year - and has labelled it “the forgotten school”.
Joanne Culshaw says her daughter had been catching a bus to the school’s temporary home of Hameldon Community College, Burnley, but says this ‘twohour round-trip’ is unacceptable now. Joanne, of Trinity Street, Oswaldtwistle, said: “The most important thing to me is to get the children back to the normal site where they were before going to Hameldon, and to do that safely. I wouldn’t be happy if my daughter was travelling to Hameldon on buses.”
She says Covid-19 has brought the travel problem “to the fore” and fears the enforcement of face coverings on public transport is unworkable.
“They’re not going to wear them, these teenagers,” she said. “I’d be surprised if they even wash their hands. It’s a major concern; to get there it takes about an hour because there’s a lot of traffic. I would keep her off if it meant I had to send her on that bus.”
Joanne is also concerned that the last communication she received from the school, on May 22, made no reference to progress of repairs to the old building.
She added: “Why is this taking so long? I do feel that Rhyddings is a forgotten school. There’s a lot of pressure on teenagers. They’ve had to do without the school and now they’ve had COVID and they’re not really being connected to school.”
County Coun Phillippa Williamson, cabinet member for schools, said: “The work is progressing well.
“Plans to rebuild the specialist science accommodation, some general teaching areas, dining and kitchen facilities are underway.
“Rebuilding part of a school to improve the facilities is a complex task. We are liaising with contractors to keep the work on track.
“In their best interest and safety, pupils will continue to be taught in Burnley until the building work is completed. Our aim has always been to minimise the disruption of changing campus partway through a school year so that the education of pupils is not compromised.
“We have had vulnerable children and those of key workers in school every day since lockdown began, and this will also continue during the current epidemic. The school has also worked hard to maintain learning and relationships with those pupils and their families who have been at home during lockdown.
“We hope to welcome more pupils to school as soon as possible, when it is safe to do so.
“Educating pupils at the former Hameldon Community College is a really practical solution as it gives them extra stability and allows them to also focus entirely on their education.
“I would also like to reassure parents that much consideration and planning is being given to the transport of pupils to and from school, to ensure that appropriate safety measures are in place.”
Andrew Williams, headteacher at Rhyddings, said: “It is in the best interest of our pupils to continue their education at the Burnley campus of Hameldon Community College until the building work has been completed.
“Everyone has settled in really well and have the stability to concentrate on their learning without any unnecessary distraction or disruption.
“Vulnerable children and those of key workers have been in school every day since lockdown began. We have also maintained study and relationships with our pupils and their families who have been at home during lockdown.
“I would like to reassure parents and carers that plans will continue to be developed and implemented to allow us to welcome more pupils back to school safely, as soon as we can. We will ensure that appropriate safety measures are in place on school transport for our pupils.
“Pupils and carers are being kept informed about the situation.”