Kingsway Villagers

23 Responses to “Kingsway School Delay”

1. co374 Says:
   April 2nd, 2008 at 7:40 pm

   My li’l girl is due to start school in September too, but I’ve chosen to send her to Hardwicke as I’m nervous about sending her to a school where there have been no Ofsted Reports or anything.
   It doesn’t help that I know a lot of the children who will be attending the school and the language out of their mouths is appalling! I was also concerned to hear that there is a board of govenors for the school already, and yet I’ve not heard anything about local ppl being asked to be on the board.

2. Clive Says:
   April 2nd, 2008 at 10:57 pm

   Hi c0374,

   Thanks for contributing

   You raise a few very interesting points there.

   I can’t say I consider the lack of “Ofsted history” a disadvantage. With all new facilities and with the Ofsted regulations and requirements already in place, I would expect nothing less than a very favourable performance in that respect.

   As for the “other children”, the saddest thing for me about all of my children starting at school was the way in which their characters changed after interaction with others (although of course this is also a factor in play as in school). There’s no doubt that the advent of school represents their first major step on the road to individualism, and it seems that kids are always most easily influenced by the worst behaved / loudest of their peers. (Makes the job of parenting a lot more difficult too)!
   I do feel however that they need to learn to be discerning in their choice of friends and influences. Thankfully my older boys do seem to have acquired that skill… eventually – lol!

   My (4) boys all went to Fieldcourt School(s) and I’ve nothing but good things to say about both schools (Infants and Juniors), so it was quite a difficult decision to send Phoenix to Kingsway.
   I guess our main reasons for doing it are that we really want Phoenix to go to the local school so that she will grow up with the local children. We also want to “buy into” the Kingsway community in as full a way as possible, and we thought about her safety, and – if I’m honest – our convenience!
   But the prospect of a new start also seems very exciting, and we believe this will be reflected in the enthusiasm of the staff and – along with the brand new facilities – be a real advantage.

   I do totally respect your views though, where your children are concerned you absolutely have to go with your gut and your heart

3. Julian Powell Says:
   April 3rd, 2008 at 12:59 am

   It’s really disappointing that we are opening in temporary classrooms on another site. We are really grateful to Beech Green for helping us out of a fix.

   We are under no illusions, this situation is far from ideal, and we apologise in advance for the difficulties and inconvenience that parents will be put to.

   Up until four weeks ago the Governors were being told that opening in September 2008 in the new building was on target, and the construction program is ahead of schedule. When we were told that QUVL might not hand the building over until November we had to make contingency arrangements, and these are now being implemented.

   Of course, it is still possible that QUVL could pull out all the stops and get us into the new school by 3rd September, but when the experts at the County Council told us it’s very unlikely, decisions had to be made.

   Crunch time came on the 26th March. We made parents aware that we would be opening in temporary classrooms as soon as we could. Then we informed the press.

   The Headteacher, Mrs Needham, has been working with the Council to work out ways of avoiding as many of the potential problems as possible.

   Our central aim was to ensure that the children will be safe, happy, and the ‘excitements’ of starting school will be as close to normal as possible. We have now started to look for where we can turn these difficulties to the advantage of the pupils. Learning at a very young age to catch a bus is an obvious example. There will always be some advantages, we have just got to find them.

   Reference the Governing Body: all the Governors live in Quedgeley (except one who teaches in Quedgeley); adverts asking people to volunteer were published in the papers, and put up on notice boards, even in Tesco’s. We still have one vacancy for a Parent Governor, if you have school age children, live in Quedgeley, (Kingsway or Copeland Park preferably), and would like to volunteer please let me know.

4. redrobin Says:
   April 4th, 2008 at 12:34 pm

   I’m not happy at all about the school not opening in time for the start of the term. Although I understand the situation and that a solution had to be found.
   Would you like your child to start school in an old temporary building, in the playground of another school, with limited facilities, limited size classrooms and at a disadvantage to other reception children in other schools?
   I hope it is sorted out in time. My child deserves better!

5. TracyT Says:
   April 4th, 2008 at 4:09 pm

   I’m moving to the village from Eastbourne. We’re hoping it will be around Christmas?

   I have 2 children. 1 starting school Sept’, the other will be moving up into year 2. They will both be registered as attending school in Eastbourne until we move.

   Has anyone got a contact number for confirming admissions into the new Kingsway school part way through the school year? The council have just said contact the school itself which as I’ve just read, isn’t likely to have a phone yet!?

   Also, is there an official name for the new school? I keep hearing everyone refer to it just as that ‘The New Kingsway School’?

   Any help appreciated for this very confused mum!

6. Clive Says:
   April 5th, 2008 at 5:32 pm

   Hi Tracy,

   Thanks for joining us

   The letter we received was from:
   School Admissions Team.
   Shire Hall,
   Westgate Street,
   Gloucester,
   GL1 2TP
   Fax: 01452 425713
   Tel: 01452 425407/8
   email schadmit@gloucester.gov.uk

   With regard to the school name, there’s a competition currently running to help choose the name… (details here).

7. redrobin Says:
   April 12th, 2008 at 11:30 am

   So….they’ve started building the pub!!!….what about finishing the school first!! Arghhhh…I’m so annoyed about the school, yet there don’t seem to be any other comments about the way it was handled – no-one even responded to my comment about the school. It’s just not good enough..sort it out Kingsway developers!

8. Clive Says:
   April 12th, 2008 at 1:15 pm

   Hi redrobin,

   I’m disappointed about the school too… as is Julian Powell (Chair of Governors – See his post above).

   I didn’t respond to your previous comment because I had nothing to add, (so far as I can see we’re “on the same page”)!

   According to the newspaper article in The Citizen (link in post above) you’ll see that Andrew Hill (QUVL chairman) said that the consortium was contracted to have the school ready by the end of November (2 months after the school’s opening date)!
   He also said: “We have a contract with the council to deliver the school by the end of November but we will work our socks off to provide it earlier.
   It is not only the school building we are concerned with but also providing a safe environment for children to walk to school.
   It is a massive building site so at the moment we cannot guarantee that and for that reason we cannot guarantee the school will open on September 1.”

   So it seems to me that the original contracted date was 30th November and that they still expect to achieve that. They were trying to better it by delivering in time for September (as requested), but have now said they don’t expect to make it.

   Reading the statement from Andrew Hill, it sounds like the problem is more to do with a safe environment in the vicinity of the school (“It is not only the school building we are concerned with but also providing a safe environment for children to walk to school”) than the building itself.

   I imagine that speeding up delivery (in advance of the original contracted date) of the school itself is less of a problem than ensuring that all access routes are free from construction traffic and are safe for children and pedestrian access, since that might also mean that all other construction activities in the area would also need to be accelerated!

   Under those circumstances I don’t really see that the consortium can be held solely responsible; part of the blame must lie with the Council / QUVL for accepting the delivery date in the first place!

9. redrobin Says:
   April 12th, 2008 at 2:12 pm

   Thanks Clive…. I appreciate your feedback.

   So why did the Kingsway site say, and still say that the school is on schedule and will be opening in September? This is what I took to be true when choosing the options for my child’s school place. There is a whole article, which I’ve copied, that says it WILL be opening. That’s what I’m annoyed about, the way that we’ve been betrayed into signing up for a school that may not open until next year (assuming weather is the next reason).

   I’ve been told there will be a meeting in June – do you know when it is? Beech Green reception childrens’ parents have been given their meeting date and agenda already. Surely the Kingsway Governors etc should be doing what they can to assure us that things will be ok. I almost expected a Q and A document by now. Surely I’m not the only one with views on this.

   However, appreciate the Head is not taking up her post until a week or so. Rest assured, I’ll be expecting a lot of communication and look forward to the meeting to get some answers (in a constructive way of course). I normally have a positive outlook – it’s just the way they did it has really disappointed me.

   Re the safety around the school area……MMmmm there’s a whole lot of houses being built around there….if they are waiting until all that is done (some construction is not even started), then someone has seriously got to make a decision about whether the school is actually going to open this year or next, or even the one after……

10. Clive Says:
    April 12th, 2008 at 3:01 pm

    Hi redrobin,

    Good question about the Kingsway website and I don’t know the answer! But I am meeting with Trevor Cribb (he runs the site) next week, so I’ll ask him about it.

    I haven’t heard anything about a June meeting, I’ll keep my ears open about that. Maybe Julian Powell can shed some light on it.

    I don’t know for sure about the surrounding construction, it’s just that – reading Andrew Hill’s statement, – it seems that could be the reason for the delay!

    It is disappointing (at least it will be if they are unable to complete in time), you most certainly aren’t alone in thinking that

11. redrobin Says:
    April 13th, 2008 at 3:18 am

    Hi Clive – here’s hoping then that things get sorted in time. I know it must be so frustating for all involved.

    If not, I’ve been told the pre-fabs will be furnished with new kit, but for 8-10 weeks (ish), I can’t see them spending the money…we’ll see.

    I’d just like to say that I think there would be a lot more input into Kingsway life and issues if people were aware of the website and blog. You have to be a bit proactive otherwise to find it. Can we advertise it in some way…perhaps in the Quedgeley news or something??

    Many thanks for your time and feedback.

12. Clive Says:
    April 13th, 2008 at 9:26 am

    Hi redrobin,

    Clare is delivering leaflets all over the village this weekend (bless her).
    I’m waiting for the meeting with Trevor to discuss other methods of publicising the site (welcome packs, developers websites, signs etc).
    I asked Quedgeley News about an ad’ on their site but they weren’t able to help
    As for advertising in their magazine, it kind’ve depends on the response to the leaflet campaign.

13. Clare Says:
    April 14th, 2008 at 6:45 pm

    Just an update on the leaflet situation, I will be delivering in the next few days and over the weekend with a view to having completed the village by Sunday. Unfortunately last weekend was a total wash out due to illness in the family…
    Watch your letterboxes people!

14. Clive Says:
    April 15th, 2008 at 7:00 am

    Hi Clare,
    I’m sorry to hear about the illness, I do hope it’s strictly short-term and non-serious.

    Thank you for the update and thanks again for helping with this, it’s very much appreciated

    Regards,
    Clive.

15. Amanda Says:
    April 15th, 2008 at 11:47 pm

    What do people think about trying to organise some way of getting the little ones who are going to start at the Kingsway School in September together, so that they can get to know a few familiar faces before they start at the new school, even if it’s just monthly or something?
    It’s hard with no specific feeder pre-school / playgroup.
    And is it still confirmed that there are only 15 starting this year? My little girl is, so I have a personal interest.
    If we could get the parents together to support the school at such an early stage, to help shape it into the school / education / community we want for our children, it would be fantastic!
    Everyone is new to the area, so we are all in the same boat!

16. Clive Says:
    April 17th, 2008 at 8:26 am

    Hi Amanda,

    Great idea, Phoenix would certainly enjoy meeting the other children, she loves making new friends

    As for numbers, in his first post on the subject of Kingsway School (here), Julian Powell said “At present 34 children have applied for places, we will be able to take 105.”
    Angelina says she thought she read somewhere that the latest figure was 28, but can’t remember where! Of course, news of the delay might have had an effect.

17. mac Says:
    April 19th, 2008 at 11:36 am

    Hi,

    I have two boys with the first one starting school in September 2009. I’d like them to go to Kingsway School and to make sure that the school is of the high standards all of us want.
    What can we do to support the school?

18. JoJo Says:
    April 21st, 2008 at 1:56 pm

    Hi
    Can anyone help?
    My little boy’s 26 months old and he will be due to go to pre school early next year.
    How do I register him at Kingsway?
    I haven’t done this before and don’t know anyone in Gloucester so I’m very confused.
    Thanks,
    Jo

19. Clive Says:
    April 21st, 2008 at 2:06 pm

    Hi mac,

    I’m not sure what can be done right now about supporting the school, perhaps Julian Powell might give us some feedback on it.

    Hi Jo,

    You could start by contacting the School Admissions Team (see details in my comment from April 5th above).

    I don’t know much about pre-school registration, our daughter goes to Little Owls at Fieldcourt (Tel’ is here), but there’s some information (and contact details for our local “Childcare Development Officer”) on this page of the Glos County Council website.

    Meanwhile, you are both welcome to the site and thanks for posting

20. Angelina Says:
    April 24th, 2008 at 9:26 am

    Hi Everyone,

    It is disappointing of course that the new school won’t be ready in time but I see it this way: It’s better that they get the school right and safe before our children start than not, and I’m going to tackle it in a fun way (making the trip to school a game) with my little one, so hopefully it won’t be a traumatic experience for her.
    I have already showed her where the Kingsway School is and explained that she won’t start there straight away, and I’ve made a point of explaining to her – every time we drive past the Beeches Green construction – that is where she will go first; then I explain that she will then move to the new building in Kingsway.

    JoJo,
    I asked about pre-school at Kingsway previously (for a neighbour of ours) and I had feedback from Julian Powell (on a previous post here); he advised that there isn’t any plans for a pre-school at Kingsway in the foreseeable future

    Our Daughter Phoenix goes to Little Owls – Fieldcourt Infants/Juniors Pre-School (Tel is here) and I have to say that Little Owls are absolutely great even with children potty training etc.
    You need to look into registering/ putting your little ones name on the list quickly as they are very popular and places are quickly filled.

    Amanda,
    I think it would be great to get all the little ones starting reception class in September together so that they can all get to know eachother before starting.
    If you are collating a list please put me and Phoenix on it, my tel’ number is here, so please do give me a call to arrange meeting up

21. Julian Powell Says:
    April 25th, 2008 at 2:32 am

    Hello, an update to answer most of the posts here,

    Opening the New Building: QUVL has re-stated that the school building will be handed over by 30th November. We hope that they can hand over the school earlier, but we can’t count on it. Although the building may be completed by September there could still be problems off site.

    Opening in Temporary Classrooms: not all the children we hoped to offer places to could be accommodated, we had to restrict offers to just reception children at this time. That makes life really difficult, especially for parents who wanted children of different ages in the same school.

    We have been assured by the schools commissioning team at the County Council that the temporary classrooms will be fully redecorated, and kitted out with new equipment, and will be a nice learning environment.

    New Pupils: From next week, the Head teacher, Mrs Needham, will have an office in Shire Hall and she will be contacting parents with details of the induction process, as soon as possible.

    Applications for Places: The schools admissions team is continuing to co-ordinate the waiting list for places at the school address as advised by Clive. When Mrs Needham has an address to work from, parents will be able to contact her direct.

    Pre school and Extended Hours: we will be making arrangements to provide this service, it is high on our priority list, but at present we are busy recruiting staff.

    There are several nursery school providers in the area, some linked to schools, others independent, as well as toddler groups. Quedgeley News carries adverts for some of them. As I understand it, parents make enquiries direct with the nursery. Perhaps somebody with more recent experience than mine could give some advice?

    Teachers: The core of the staff will be employed from the start of the school year, so pupil teacher ratio will be small, (it could be as low as 1 teacher for 12 children for the first year – but that might change as pupil numbers change), and that is bound to be of benefit to the children.

    Parents Association: An excellent idea from mac for parents to support the school. Frankly we had not anticipated interest coming so soon, so that bodes well. Until the school has an office such enquiries can be sent to me at j.r.powell@blueyonder.co.uk

    Naming Event: There will be a naming ceremony at the school at 11:00 next Saturday.

22. redrobin Says:
    April 25th, 2008 at 6:21 pm

    Thanks Julian – I’m still unsettled, but it was great to hear some positive and concrete information.

    Don’t know if anyone knows, are they planning to relocate the prefab away from the very large building/construction going on literally just over the path in Woolstrop house? Just thinking of noise, dust, health and safety even…thanks

23. Amanda Says:
    May 1st, 2008 at 8:51 pm

    Those looking for childcare are best looking at http://www.childrensinformationservice.org.uk/ which gives info choosing and searching for childcare, including local nurseries, playgroups, toddler groups, nannies etc.

    Angelina – am happy to collect names of those interested in getting together. I’ll create a separate post on here, and utilise the facebook massive to see if I can get any more names. Can you forward anyone you know with children starting at the school to contact me please.

    Looking forward to the naming ceremony!

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.