From: handsoffhoveparksch [handsoffhoveparksch@gmail.com]
Sent: 11 April 2014 19:19
To: Governors
Subject: Fwd: Parent-led public meeting invitation
Dear Chair of Governors, Mike Nicholls and Parent Governors, Shahena Bashir, Rob Beasley, Peter Colmer, Jeff White and Isidora Valenzuela,
RE: Proposal to convert Hove Park to academy status
As the school is not offering the opportunity for an open meeting as part of the consultation process, HPS Parents’ Campaign is organising its own. We are inviting a range of speakers so parents and other concerned members of the community have a chance to hear all sides of the proposal for our community school to be changed into an academy.
As Chair and Parent Governors of Hove Park School, we are inviting you to speak to parents at this open, neutral meeting about what academy status means in terms the following:
• the benefits of converting to an Academy specifically for our children
• the disadvantages of converting specifically for our children
• the extra money, if any, the school would get, and on what basis
• the extra responsibilities and costs the school would take on
• a risk assessment of conversion
• the ‘freedoms’ that come with Academy status and whether the things you envisage doing with those freedoms are things that cannot be done already
• the impact on pupils, local children and children across the City
• the impact on teachers
• the impact on other staff
• the impact on the community
• the impact on other schools including feeder schools
This public meeting will be held locally in Hove on Tuesday 29 April from 6.30pm. Full details will be distributed as soon as possible. Please confirm if you are willing to attend and speak with parents on this occasion.
Many thanks
On behalf of HPS Parents’ campaign
From: Michael Nicholls <MNicholls@hovepark.org.uk>
Date: Thu, Apr 24, 2014 at 1:10 PM
Subject: RE: Parent-led public meeting invitation
To: handsoffhoveparksch <handsoffhoveparksch@gmail.com>
Dear HP parents Group
Apologies for the delay in responding to your invitation due to the Easter holiday break.
The governors welcome and value your views and opinions so far received via email and other media, they are currently being collated and will be included within our consultation process.
Unfortunately I am unable to attend your public meeting due to another prior commitment. One or two of our governors maybe able to attend the meeting on the 29th primarily to listen to the views and opinions expressed and then feedback as part of our consultation.
Hove Park has rapidly improved in recent years, moving from a school at risk to now being nationally recognised within the top 100 most improved schools in the country. This rapid change has been brought about by our current school leadership, firstly they identified the weaknesses and then implemented strategies with the support of our hard working staff to achieve this outcome. The Governors have a duty to consider how the school will be best placed in 2 to 5 years time, to ensure Hove Park builds upon its now established strengths within our leadership group and across the school, thereby securing the best possible outcomes for our current and future students.
Consultation meetings with Hove Park parents and carers, including those joining the school in September 2014 are currently being scheduled to commence in early May, hopefully meeting dates will be posted on the web site this week.
As Hove Park parents and carers we look forward to your further contribution to our consultation at our upcoming meetings.
Regards
Mike Nicholls
Chair of Governors
Hove Park School
