A concerned parent writes...

Tina  Bucklow, a concerned parent at The Russell School, has written the following letters and asked for them to be published on the campaign website. We will publish letters from any parent opposed to these plans - we are anxious for everyone to have their say. Please send any material for publication to rnmorrisuk@gmail.com

To the London Borough of Richmond

Robert Henderson

Assistant Director of  Protective and Preventative Services

Review of SEN Provision

Dear Mr Henderson

I would like to raise my objection to the current proposals for the provision of SEN in primary schools primarily for the following reason. I strongly object to the selling off of school land particularly in a site that is surrounded by sites of special scientific interest, land of historical importance and nature reserves. I chose the school specifically for these benefits and I am loathe to see most of my daughter’s primary school educational career spent on or near to a building site. There are no benefits to the children’s education in such an environment. I do not see any benefits to the local area of selling off more land for further development that ultimately puts further strain on our drained resources of health, education, children and adult social care services.

With regard to the publicly available resources regarding the consultation, there is no available information regarding any pre-consultation meetings, any cost analyses, or feasibility assessments, any impact assessments or health and safety assessments. The only resource I can locate is in relation to the SEN Taskforce set up which in no way discussed the proposal to sell off school land. It only spoke about the need to rebuild the Strathmore and Clarendon site in the context of all SEN provision and resources. It is unclear to me at what point the rebuilding of Strathmore and Clarendon was not the preferred option. In which case where is the option appraisal that determines what are the best options and where are the needs analyses to support this.

Nevertheless we were asked, in the informal consultation to respond to the proposal without sufficient information available to us. In particular, although reference was made to the selling off of school land, we were not asked to specifically respond to a question about this. In my opinion I feel this will later lend itself to judicial review.  To further confuse matters the council continues to insist upon calling the Strathmore and Clarendon sites the same names as if nothing is going to change. The informal consultation process was very badly advertised and took place in one of the busiest moments of the school calendar as any parent would know. It also took place through the school holidays. No wonder your response was poor.  These matters appear to me to be deliberately misleading the parents and the public.

In relation to the Russell School’s handling of this matter.  I have been told on a number of occasions by varying members of the governing body that they cannot divulge information about the council’s proposals regarding the review of the SEN provision.  I find this situation a disgrace as a parent of the Russell School, that our governing body could not, in their role have asked for our opinion on the proposals at the pre-consultation stage.  I find it abhorrent that the Council would deem that this is not a matter to consult interested parents about, not just parents of SEN children their views thereby making the process and the proposal more divisive than it need be.  I have been shocked at the ineptitude of our chair of the governing body, Kathy Barkway who appears to have wholeheartedly supported the Council’s plan without recourse to parents of the Russell school or indeed to members of her governing body it appears. She is ominous by her absence and most parents don’t know what she looks like. I accept she gives up her own time to the school but it is nonsense to have a chair who cannot spare her time. I will be calling for her resignation forthwith

I would further like to add that parents of the Russell welcome children with SEN just as many of our parents have children with SEN; however without our involvement in proposals at an earlier opportunity we cannot begin to develop a service that supports all children. 

Yours sincerely

Mrs Tina Bucklow

To Kathy Barkway, Chair of Governors

Dear Mrs Barkway,

I attach the letter I have sent to Mr Robert Henderson and copied to councillors and interested parties about the Council’s proposals regarding SEN provision which I have copied to you. I am calling for your resignation on the basis of your apparent dogged support for this proposal without any recourse to the parents of the Russell School. I have continually heard that the governing body are unable to talk about this subject openly, which I have informed Mr Henderson I find abhorrent.

I am very concerned that, at the point when I was making decisions about my child’s primary education I was completely unaware of these proposals. To my knowledge there were no pre-consultation meetings to include parents of the Russell in the design of these proposals or indeed any meetings held whatsoever, regarding the proposals for parents of the Russell school, including those parents of reception age children who knew nothing about these plans.

It appears from the outset that you have no regard to the effect upon either primary or SEN children being educated on or near a building site. I am unclear how this can be conducive to anyone’s education or wellbeing let alone primary school age and SEN children.

 I reiterate that this is not a matter of primary school age integration with SEN children this already occurs and is one of the special things about the school. A school which has many parents with SEN children, indeed I am one who has benefitted from SEN support.

These proposals have given parents a great deal of concern and distress owing to our lack of inclusion in the design of the proposals. This must be addressed at once. However your dogged determination to continue to support the proposals leads me to the conclusion that you are not the best placed chair to proceed in this post and I request your resignation.

Mrs Tina Bucklow