Groves School to Art Centre?
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On the subject of Grove Park School/Bromfield:
In 1970 when Wrexham was a much smaller town, there were several schools in the Town itself offering a form of secondary education.
(i). There were 3 Grammar Schools complete with 6th Forms:-Yale Grammar Tech
Grove Park Grammar School for Girls
Grove Park Grammar School for Boys(ii). There were 2 Secondary Modern Schools
St David’s
Bryn Offa(iii). There was a Welsh School (ML), a faith based school (St J) and others.
(iv). There was a Tech as constituted by the 1944 Butler Act catering for those youngsters who wanted to go on to a technical education but who did not pass the 11 +
The key element here is that the 5 schools which were reduced to 4 when the 6th forms became Yale College have now been reduced to 2. Significantly, despite the fact that these schools should be full to the rafters, at least 1 of the 2 is under acute numbers pressure (Clywedog).
These are the facts and the facts spawn theories. Has anyone got a good theory because I have.
Education is about learning NOT politics.
Parents want their children to do their very best in school so that they can enjoy lives that are better than their own. That is the cross that parents bear!!!
Picking a school for your child is one of the most difficult tasks in life. You want your child to attend a school where they will be safe and secure and where they will fulfil their potential.
Children learn in stimulating well ordered environments where children are taught in classes that are well ordered, interesting and geared to the needs, aptitudes and aspirations of the individual child.
This is not Wrexham in 2013
Since the demise of the 1970 system (based around the Butler Act of 1944), the primary emphasis in this town has been in promoting the Comprehensive principle, underpinned where appropriate by Mixed Ability classes. The 4 Comprehensives established in 1972 were exactly the same in their texture. Once aspirational parents and aspirational pupils realised that their Johnny and Susan was being taught in classes that were child centred and mixed ability a subtle game of educational musical chairs ensued.
Suddenly, there was a proliferation of phantom Catholics and Welsh learners; Morgan Llywyd and St Josephs became quasi Grammar schools. Result. School No 1 collapsed and the old Grove Park site (now Yale) disappeared and the Groves was amalgamated.
Stage 2; Rhosddu, Borras and Garden Village suddenly developed an affinity for the country air and Darlan became the next quasi Grammar School. So too did the Maelor school in Penley. Oddly, Bishop Heber (in Malpas) suddenly found itself with a large Welsh contingent. The Groves collapsed under the pressure of Numbers
Stage 3; 2 Superschools were launched with massive investments. Appeals were made to the Welsh office to allow differenciation within the schools so that they might follow the English Academy approach. Rejection.
Stage 4; ‘Anglicans’ are now added to the Catholic faith school. More buses carry Wrexham youth to Penley, Ruabon, Castell Alun, Darlan, Bishop Heber, Kings School, anywhere.
And you wonder why we don’t reopen the Grove Park site as a school!!
Answer: we DON’T want to educate our youngsters. If we do that some of them will have higher grades than others and that just wouldn’t be fair (would it?????)
Stage
Education in Wrexham is pretty appalling I have to admit. I don’t know what the answer is. Should we not have had a choice in the schools that our children attend? We do want the best for our children. Government Ministers in London have proved that they are the same as parents in Wrexham. I was always of the opinion that if a child worked hard & was reasonably intelligent that they would get along in whichever school they attended. Not true now I’m afraid.
You have a pretty sound theory there Alunh; I agree; we need to do something with it. I’m sure most people who have direct experience from the last few decades will agree.
I believe Wrexham Council have found out there is a discrepancy over who actually owns the site- the demolition of the newer parts of the building have been postponed as a result.
@Alunh 4704 wrote:
Education is about learning NOT politics…
Stage 3; 2 Superschools were launched with massive investments. Appeals were made to the Welsh office to allow differenciation within the schools so that they might follow the English Academy approach. Rejection.
Stage
Daily Post today . . .amazing!
How odd
Here was I having a rant yesterday afternoon (with friends) about a subject that has been close to my heart for all my working life. I go on and make a few obvious remarks on here yesterday and then the Daily Post and Leader happen to be running a story.
The sad sad truth is that a succession of individuals are parachuted in to do a job in a system that doesn’t work. This is not JUST about the people who run the ship; the ship is not fit for purpose.
Wrexham needs to break ranks with the Welsh Assembly (not that they can in practice) and actually Educate its youngsters. A generation is being held back in this town by dogma
Piece on the Welsh news tonight saying problems across Wales with education, and a number of schools & authorities going into “special measures”. Education Minister says authorities are to small to have specialist capabilities and we need fewer education authorities that are better concentrated. Clwyd & Gwynedd back? Or one for North Wales? But coming back to standards, if tomorrows generation are going to have a chance in Wrexham, we need to deal with standards in Wrexham now. The piece on the TV interviewing a Council Leader in south Wales, he said that they were going out to seek good practice, and bring in specialists. Seeking out good practice is becoming the mantra of decades gone by …it has become failings copying failings …hard work and people with a strong track record in specialisms and leadership are needed to turn this around …we as a community need to understand what is being done now …
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