Parents' anger as academy bid gets go-ahead

ANGRY parents and pupils will demand answers tonight (Thursday) after Walsall Council controversially agreed to make their school the first engineering academy in the country.

Sneyd Community School is set to be closed as an 11-to-18 community school, in favour of being reopened as a 14-to-19 engineering academy.

But parents and pupils who protested against the proposed closure of the school in October last year have attacked the plans, and are meeting tonight at the Vernon Way to air their concerns.

They are backed by Walsall North MP David Winnick, who said: "I do not think this is the right decision for the school.

"I am very concerned for its future if this is the path that is going to be taken.

"I support the efforts of parents and staff to keep the school open as it was."

A six-week consultation period has begun, which could conclude with Sneyd becoming the first school in the country to have an engineering academy.

Council chiefs hope this will attract investment to the borough and create opportunities for young people.

The school's head teacher for the past 18 months, Sean Sweeney, is hoping to thrash out plans to keep children aged 11-to-13 at the school.

He said: "It is not ideal, we wanted an 11-to-19 academy.

"But we are putting plans together now which we hope will be approved and we can retain the younger section of children.

"The most critical thing is providing the best education for children coming into the school."

Blakenall Councillor Peter Smith was also not in favour of the move to an engineering academy.

He said: "Whether it is the Government or council's fault, the fact remains that the politicians are just not listening or responding to intense and united public opinion on this matter.

"There is now going to be a six-week so-called 'consultation' period that usually means that council goes through the motions of consultation and then does exactly what it intended to do in the first place.

"I hope that parents, students, teachers and the local communities, especially in Bloxwich and Willenhall areas organise to oppose this and do not give up at this stage."

A series of options for Sneyd Community School were debated by Cabinet last week and members agreed to pursue the option of an 11-14 engineering academy as the most viable outcome for the site.

Councillor Zahid Ali, Walsall Council cabinet member for children's services, said: "Extensive meetings with Government officials resulted in an 14-to-19 engineering academy as the option that is the most likely to continue education provision on the Sneyd site and keep the widely-used community facilities.

"All other options posed a significant risk to both of these key elements that everybody wants."

Councillor Ali added: "We have had a very strong manufacturing base in Walsall. The recession has had some effects but that base is still here and this would create some exciting opportunities for pupils not just from Sneyd but from across Walsall."