Oasis Academy Lord's Hill to shed jobs after drop in pupil numbers (From Daily Echo)
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Oasis Academy Lord's Hill to shed jobs after drop in pupil numbers
12:13pm Friday 12th June 2009 in
JOBS are being slashed at one of Southampton’s new Oasis Academy schools, the Daily Echo can reveal.
Senior teachers and support staff are facing redundancy at Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill following a drop in pupil numbers during its first year.
Two redundancies will come from the academy’s leadership team of senior teaching staff and the rest will be support staff.
The Daily Echo understands pupil numbers have fallen from 1,000 to 800 since Christian charity Oasis took over running the merged former Oaklands and Millbrook secondary schools in September last year.
In a statement, the academy said it could not confirm how many redundancies there would be, as it depended on the outcome of a 30-day staff consultation and whether any staff applied for voluntary redundancy.
It also refused to state how much money it needs to save.
Schools are allocated a set amount of money per pupil by the Government, meaning a reduction in pupil numbers leads to less cash. Pete Sopowski, a Hampshire representative of the National Union of Teachers, said: “This has all come about because the academy has not been as popular as expected.
It’s as simple as that.
“I am very sad that staff are going to be made redundant because the academy messed up their sums. The business plan for the academy was wrong. It relied on having x number of pupils and hasn’t got them.”
Academy principal Ian Golding said: “We are very disappointed that we are having to make people redundant, particularly with the economic climate we are in.
“However, as an academy family, we are not only seeking to keep these numbers to a minimum, but also looking to assist those who have been made redundant find new employment, either in different roles within the academy or elsewhere.”
New Southampton City Council Cabinet education chief, 20-yearold Councillor Paul Holmes, said: “This is a very unfortunate situation.
The council is committed to supporting Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill in its decisions, and will continue to support staff and students to ensure that all our children receive the best standard of education we can provide.”
Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill is one of two academies that taken over by Oasis. The other is Oasis Academy Mayfield – an amalgamation of the former Woolston and Grove Park schools – which has been dogged by problems including pupils going on the rampage in protest at the way the school was being run.
The crisis culminated in the shock resignation in November of principal Ruth Johnson – who was criticised by unions for running the academy like a failing school – and the news that scores of teachers had handed in their notice to quit.
Eleven pupils have been expelled from Oasis Academy Mayfield since it opened in September – almost three times as many as any other school.
Comments(31)
banhammer
says...
12:16pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Probably cos they are scum
Tobeblunt
says...
12:16pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Lone Ranger
says...
12:19pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Unlimited* Service
says...
12:22pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Whoever wrote that comment could be lost - schools do not need these kinds of PR people - they need teachers.
Emm_Roids
says...
12:24pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Tobeblunt wrote:As appalling as your spelling?
Thats no suprise, the acadamy in Mayfield is still appauling.
Tobeblunt
says...
12:25pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Emm_Roids wrote:no, worse.
Tobeblunt wrote: Thats no suprise, the acadamy in Mayfield is still appauling.As appalling as your spelling?
Emm_Roids
says...
12:27pm Fri 12 Jun 09
cherrypi
says...
12:35pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Tobeblunt
says...
12:40pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Saints Mike
says...
1:07pm Fri 12 Jun 09
A Southampton resident
says...
1:31pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Forecasting the following years finances was never easy but it was always possible to determine if we were likely to end up in the red or in the black - and we could take steps early on, to deal with the problems in good time.
When the council shed responsibility for educating hundreds of children from the north of the City by inviting in Oasis, we were told that finance problems were going to be a thing of the past.
Considering Oasis is run by professionals, we are entitled to ask Steve Chalke and his pals, Just what is it you think you are doing? Don't you understand how a school should be run? Could you not work out that your expenditure was far exceeding your income?
I say to Southamoton City Council - Take Oaklands/Millbrook back into local control now and let Oasis go and play schools somewhere else instead.
cherrypi
says...
1:51pm Fri 12 Jun 09
A Southampton resident wrote:I totally agree! Funny how Peter Baillie went the other week - did he know this was coming? and how does Clive Webster feel now - all those figures he quoted at the parents' meetings were completely inaccurate. I think he should be the next to resign!
For the old Oaklands School governors, ensuring that finances were in good order was always a continuing struggle. And all credit to former headteachers Peter Hollis and Sarah Howells for the sterling efforts they put in year after year. Forecasting the following years finances was never easy but it was always possible to determine if we were likely to end up in the red or in the black - and we could take steps early on, to deal with the problems in good time. When the council shed responsibility for educating hundreds of children from the north of the City by inviting in Oasis, we were told that finance problems were going to be a thing of the past. Considering Oasis is run by professionals, we are entitled to ask Steve Chalke and his pals, Just what is it you think you are doing? Don't you understand how a school should be run? Could you not work out that your expenditure was far exceeding your income? I say to Southamoton City Council - Take Oaklands/Millbrook back into local control now and let Oasis go and play schools somewhere else instead.
D.a.v.e
says...
1:52pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Tobeblunt
says...
1:55pm Fri 12 Jun 09
cherrypi wrote:not just oaklands/millbrook but they can take back woolston/grove also.
A Southampton resident wrote: For the old Oaklands School governors, ensuring that finances were in good order was always a continuing struggle. And all credit to former headteachers Peter Hollis and Sarah Howells for the sterling efforts they put in year after year. Forecasting the following years finances was never easy but it was always possible to determine if we were likely to end up in the red or in the black - and we could take steps early on, to deal with the problems in good time. When the council shed responsibility for educating hundreds of children from the north of the City by inviting in Oasis, we were told that finance problems were going to be a thing of the past. Considering Oasis is run by professionals, we are entitled to ask Steve Chalke and his pals, Just what is it you think you are doing? Don't you understand how a school should be run? Could you not work out that your expenditure was far exceeding your income? I say to Southamoton City Council - Take Oaklands/Millbrook back into local control now and let Oasis go and play schools somewhere else instead.I totally agree! Funny how Peter Baillie went the other week - did he know this was coming? and how does Clive Webster feel now - all those figures he quoted at the parents' meetings were completely inaccurate. I think he should be the next to resign!
A Southampton resident
says...
2:02pm Fri 12 Jun 09
This is what happens when you let politicians play around with our childrens future.
At the parents meetings, I said at the time to Clive Webster that he had one chance and one chance only to get this right. Looks like he didn't despite far cleverer people than he, telling him to really think about this.
Cherrypi, please don't hold your breath waiting for him to go.
cherrypi
says...
2:06pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Tobeblunt wrote:Good point tobeblunt - Perhaps there should be a PUBLIC meeting between Oasis, the Council and parents from BOTH academies to call them into account.
cherrypi wrote:not just oaklands/millbrook but they can take back woolston/grove also.A Southampton resident wrote: For the old Oaklands School governors, ensuring that finances were in good order was always a continuing struggle. And all credit to former headteachers Peter Hollis and Sarah Howells for the sterling efforts they put in year after year. Forecasting the following years finances was never easy but it was always possible to determine if we were likely to end up in the red or in the black - and we could take steps early on, to deal with the problems in good time. When the council shed responsibility for educating hundreds of children from the north of the City by inviting in Oasis, we were told that finance problems were going to be a thing of the past. Considering Oasis is run by professionals, we are entitled to ask Steve Chalke and his pals, Just what is it you think you are doing? Don't you understand how a school should be run? Could you not work out that your expenditure was far exceeding your income? I say to Southamoton City Council - Take Oaklands/Millbrook back into local control now and let Oasis go and play schools somewhere else instead.I totally agree! Funny how Peter Baillie went the other week - did he know this was coming? and how does Clive Webster feel now - all those figures he quoted at the parents' meetings were completely inaccurate. I think he should be the next to resign!
binman1234
says...
2:15pm Fri 12 Jun 09
fawlty towers
says...
2:24pm Fri 12 Jun 09
A Southampton resident
says...
2:25pm Fri 12 Jun 09
A PUBLIB meeting between the city council, OASIS and the parents, where the views and interests of all sides, not least the kids who are at the sharp end of any council-sponsored political dogma, are listened to?
Count me in! But I think our City bosses are busy that day ;-)
Tobeblunt
says...
2:38pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Due to Clive Websters approach 'it's working so let's break it' our students have suffered and fallen behind. Mr webster is 100% accountable for all failings of both schools and he must pay.
sfc70
says...
2:57pm Fri 12 Jun 09
cherrypi
says...
3:03pm Fri 12 Jun 09
sfc70 wrote:Well they've gone from Genesis to Revelation in the space of one school year - I'm sure the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse will be parked in the car park Monday!
Surely I can't be the only one thinking how can you possibly entrust education to a group of people that think our whole existence and development is down to a single divine being! The world being created in six days, immaculate conception et al!
COOPER PIKEY
says...
3:49pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Condor Man
says...
4:11pm Fri 12 Jun 09
housewife
says...
4:26pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Seeing children walking unsupervised between Oaklands and Millbrook at all times of day was the last straw.
If they would just scrap the redevelopment plans and put some effort into the buildings they have and stop making staff dash between the two sites they might be in with a chance.
I have nothing against god. It's his fan club I can't stand.
maybush saint
says...
5:25pm Fri 12 Jun 09
I have to disagree with some of the comments on this website but on the other hand i agree with others. Dr Peter Hollis was an exceptional Head teacher and so were the main of his staff.I left Oaklands in 1988 with 7 g.c.s.e's and i am now an area manager for a leading finance company in which i earned well in excess of 50K last year. Time to put the school back in local hands and move it forward.
Tobeblunt
says...
5:35pm Fri 12 Jun 09
calmdown
says...
6:11pm Fri 12 Jun 09
minney
says...
9:56pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Doctor Drutta
says...
10:44pm Fri 12 Jun 09
Security word; Champagne Socialists
Doctor Drutta
says...
11:00pm Fri 12 Jun 09
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Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill head teacher Ian Golding with some pupils
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