Academy plan sparks anger from parents; EDUCATION: Opposition rising to closure of improving school.

Byline: Mike Malyon

PARENTS are angry over the proposed closure of Manor Park School in Nuneaton to make way for a new academy.

They made their feelings known at a public consultation meeting, when Warwickshire County Council education chief Mark Gore outlined the plans.

He said: "This is an opportunity to improve standards in the western part of Nuneaton and follows a review of secondary education in the town.

"It found that two schools, Manor Park and Alderman Smith, had low levels of attainment, surplus places and poor quality of buildings.

The proposal is to close both schools and replace them with an academy on the Alderman Smith site, with capital funding from central government."

The academy, which is earmarked to open in September next year, would be sponsored by North Warwickshire and Hinckley College and principal Marion Plant also offered her support, as part of a 45-minute presentation.

She said: "Children of all ages are entitled to an outstanding education, giving them opportunities to achieve their potential.

"The proposed academy will do this. It will be based in new buildings and will offer a broad curriculum with close links with industries and universities." Mr Gore said that although Manor Park had shown marked improvements in exam results in the last four years, standards were still not at the benchmark level, while Alderman Smith had been put in special measures.

He said that four schools in Nuneaton - Higham Lane, Etone, Thomas More and Hartshill - were over-subscribed with pupils while Manor Park and Alderman Smith had surplus places.

But his remarks met criticism from the floor, with many parents insisting that Manor Park, in particular, deserved to avoid the axe.

"It would make more sense, geographically, to close Etone and merge it with Manor Park as the base for an academy," said one parent, while another said: "This is a short-term solution to a short-term problem. Manor Park is an up-andcoming school and should be given the chance to continue improving." Another parent said: "There is a surplus of places because parents are worried about sending their children to a school which may close in the near future. We should be given the chance to vote on whether these proposals should go ahead."

Stockingford councillor Barry Longden called the academy plan "totally unacceptable".

He added: "The pounds 30 million government funding mentioned is a dangling carrot. All this proposal does is disenfranchise the people of Nuneaton once again."

Nuneaton MP Bill Olner also spoke out against the closure of Manor Park. He said: "The die was cast when the county council, in collusion with civil servants, squashed the opportunity to merge with Etone."

Another public meeting takes place at Alderman Smith tonight (7.30pm) and the proposal is due to be decided by the county council cabinet members on November 26.

CAPTION(S):

IMPROVING STANDARDS... County Council education officer Mark Gore tells campaigners of the plans for a new academy (above) and (inset) Coun Barry Longden (left) and MP Bill Olner, who both expressed concerns over the proposals.