Job cuts to save £400,000 at cash-strapped school (From Daily Echo)

Oasis is only 'in it' to make money - they wont be getting rid of their own Governors or committee, like the Government, NHS Managers, Councillors quangos, I think it is their turn to be investigated.

goard

The problem is that situations like this become a self-fulfilling prophecy, insofar as the negative publicity puts off any parents, no matter how good or bad the school. And then less and less parents apply for places so that funding gets cut further.

I have no knowledge of how either the Mayfield or Lordshill schools perform, but both have recieved very negative publicity. I do not envy either management teams the task of attempting to recover as it is always extremely difficult to shake off bad reputations. In the end the only thing that can save either school is to clearly demonstrate improving results, but this will take time.

But whether they have time is open to question.

It's a bit misleading to blame the government. All schools (whether local authority or academy)receive a set amount per pupil. Clearly, if children are not attracted to Oasis they must be going to a different school and this is where the money is going. To try to portray this as some sort of vindictive government cut is just mischievous.

my daughter left Oasis Lordshill, as we were not happy with the situation, but they keep sending us letters, perhaps if they stopped sending letters to
ex-pupil's home this would save them lots of money, and being as they have lost at least 200 pupils if my sums are right this would save at least £72.00 everytime they send letters!!

jdmatthews wrote:
my daughter left Oasis Lordshill, as we were not happy with the situation, but they keep sending us letters, perhaps if they stopped sending letters to ex-pupil's home this would save them lots of money, and being as they have lost at least 200 pupils if my sums are right this would save at least £72.00 everytime they send letters!!

Crikey, how expensive are your stamps??!!

Most parents living close to the old Oaklands School move heaven and earth (pardon the pun) to send their kids to Mountbatten. The LEA should have addressed the issue of parents sending kids out of Southampton for secondary education years ago.

I'm a former pupil of the school, and my brother is a current pupil. Us lot were always against it, and this is one of the reasons why. It should have been left as a council run school, at least then it'd still have the teachers that knew the school so well, and would have local council funding that was managed wisely. Well done Southampton City Council once again.

Tom Bargate wrote:
It's a bit misleading to blame the government. All schools (whether local authority or academy)receive a set amount per pupil. Clearly, if children are not attracted to Oasis they must be going to a different school and this is where the money is going. To try to portray this as some sort of vindictive government cut is just mischievous.

very true tom,
one off the big reason why there is less kids going to that school is that oasis is a religious christian charity, and people just dont want to send there kids religulous schools apart from RC and muslims. most parents look at it this way if i want my child to have a religulous back ground then they will send them to the local temple on what ever giving day, lets face it england is not a very religulous country.

Condor Man wrote:
Most parents living close to the old Oaklands School move heaven and earth (pardon the pun) to send their kids to Mountbatten. The LEA should have addressed the issue of parents sending kids out of Southampton for secondary education years ago.

One of the reasons Academies were set up within the Southampton LEA was to try and raise standards to prevent parents from doing just that! Joke or what?

yummy_mummy wrote:

jdmatthews wrote: my daughter left Oasis Lordshill, as we were not happy with the situation, but they keep sending us letters, perhaps if they stopped sending letters to ex-pupil's home this would save them lots of money, and being as they have lost at least 200 pupils if my sums are right this would save at least £72.00 everytime they send letters!!

Crikey, how expensive are your stamps??!!

probably a little out of date at 200 times 36p (old first class) would now be either £60 second class or £78 first - probably a little less as they would use a franking pre payment method

teh wrote:
I'm a former pupil of the school, and my brother is a current pupil. Us lot were always against it, and this is one of the reasons why. It should have been left as a council run school, at least then it'd still have the teachers that knew the school so well, and would have local council funding that was managed wisely. Well done Southampton City Council once again.

It's worth learning at an early age that Southampton city council does nothing productive for it's residents and thanks to councillors like clive webster, who could give a toss how residents both current and future are treated, this city is turning into dump with no support for it's future.

Webster has destoryed the future for thousands of children

postie69 wrote:

yummy_mummy wrote:

jdmatthews wrote: my daughter left Oasis Lordshill, as we were not happy with the situation, but they keep sending us letters, perhaps if they stopped sending letters to ex-pupil's home this would save them lots of money, and being as they have lost at least 200 pupils if my sums are right this would save at least £72.00 everytime they send letters!!

Crikey, how expensive are your stamps??!!

probably a little out of date at 200 times 36p (old first class) would now be either £60 second class or £78 first - probably a little less as they would use a franking pre payment method

you haven't taken into account the cost of the headed paper, envelope and of course the time spent drafting and typing the letters...

I read a Sunday newspaper article recently in which it was stated that Academy headteachers are paid significantly more than state headteachers who themselves can earn in excess of £100,000. If this is the case, wouldn't it be the Christian thing to do for this headteacher to take a pay cut to protect staff and the education of his pupils?

fruit and nuts wrote:
I read a Sunday newspaper article recently in which it was stated that Academy headteachers are paid significantly more than state headteachers who themselves can earn in excess of £100,000. If this is the case, wouldn't it be the Christian thing to do for this headteacher to take a pay cut to protect staff and the education of his pupils?

£160,000 plus car is more like it!! and all the holy water you can drink!

birdistheword wrote:

fruit and nuts wrote: I read a Sunday newspaper article recently in which it was stated that Academy headteachers are paid significantly more than state headteachers who themselves can earn in excess of £100,000. If this is the case, wouldn't it be the Christian thing to do for this headteacher to take a pay cut to protect staff and the education of his pupils?

£160,000 plus car is more like it!! and all the holy water you can drink!

The Christian thing to do would be to seek what is best for the people the head is serving. This also means that the parents and pupils at the school must also seek what is best for the school.

For too long Southampton schools have been blighted by poor contributions from parents who consistantly fail to back schools on things like behaviour and poor pupil attainment.

Agreed, Clive Webster and his £100k pa+ salary is a disgrace but parents simply don't support the schools as they do in the successful Hampshire schools.

I think you're a bit confused condorman - Clive Webster isn't the head of the school he is the council official who landed everyone in this mess! Although he is probably on a big salary too. Amazing how charities can always find the money to protect their own!

goard wrote:
Oasis is only 'in it' to make money - they wont be getting rid of their own Governors or committee, like the Government, NHS Managers, Councillors quangos, I think it is their turn to be investigated.

goard

Are you legally obliged to use the word "quango" in 50% of your posts?

I have a child at this school and he comes home daily complaining that a large number of teachers show noi interest in the children.All of th epupils now wear blazers and a very smart school uniform, no open sandals for girls no trainers for boys. Some of the teachers don't follow the same rules and look scruffy. A good role model always starts at the top, this headmaster needs to look at himself and all that he does.

fruit and nuts wrote:
I read a Sunday newspaper article recently in which it was stated that Academy headteachers are paid significantly more than state headteachers who themselves can earn in excess of £100,000. If this is the case, wouldn't it be the Christian thing to do for this headteacher to take a pay cut to protect staff and the education of his pupils?

I am a parent of a child of 14 who goes to an oasis academy in Grimsby,(I am only on here because I am also a saints fan) when the decision was first made to convert my child’s school in to an academy let alone an Christian academy I held alot of reservations. However shortly after taking control we have seen the school flourish exam results have seen a dramatic increase and the learning environments are incomparable to before. The biggest issue that was found to be at the academy when it first opened was staff attitude, everyone seems to be afraid of change, but I have seen a huge change and believe me it has been for the better. Remember strictly speaking by the govs own admission these are failing schools that need outside help to bring a bit of innovation in to the learning environment and these are changes are not ones you can see overnight. As for the costs of staff well that’s the ridiculous thing called TUPE! Finally the Christianity thing has never been an issue i have always been an atheist as are my children but i would like to confirm that they are not Christian schools they just appear to be run by people with good ethics if i am honest never has my child come home from school complaining about being forced to go to a prayer session or anything of the sort.

Trigger 16, what an amazing email. The best way forward is for everyone to pull together, be they Atheist, Muslim, Christian, Sikh or whatever religion. This 'Christian Charity' that the Echo keep referring to is merely looking to provide high standards of education for the local community. If everyone actually DID CARE about their childs education, they would rally to support, encouraging good behaviour, good discipline and a high standard of workrate. It starts with the parents working together with whichever school to make it work for the benefit of their own children.

SouthamptonMan wrote:
Trigger 16, what an amazing email. The best way forward is for everyone to pull together, be they Atheist, Muslim, Christian, Sikh or whatever religion. This 'Christian Charity' that the Echo keep referring to is merely looking to provide high standards of education for the local community. If everyone actually DID CARE about their childs education, they would rally to support, encouraging good behaviour, good discipline and a high standard of workrate. It starts with the parents working together with whichever school to make it work for the benefit of their own children.

Unfortunately a lot of parents feel that it the sole responsibility of the school to provide their kids with an education, manners, respect, good behaviour.

Its time those people faced up to the fact that they have to provide the same standards at home.

My son isn't allowed out until his homework is finished and we have spent some time together talking about his day.

Incidentally, I live in Millbrook, my son is at school in Rownhams and has recently been accepted into Mountbatten.

I may appear to be a snob, but I just want to give him the best start I can.

Trigger16, Kent, ask them to drop R.E. or the prayers at the morning assembly.

southy wrote:
Trigger16, Kent, ask them to drop R.E. or the prayers at the morning assembly.

I used to go to a non church school yet we still had to learn RE to try to gain an understanding of all religions, its not a case of having to believe them. With regards to the prayers in assembly im fairly sure no one is forced to pray, if a child has to sit there through 30 seconds of someone saying a few posiive words is such a bad thing weather they are from the bible the koran or even the beano i really dont care aslong as for me my child grows up with a good education.

It's a legal requirement for all children to study RE AND to have an act of collective worship at least once a week. That's a government thing (from a leader whose father was a vicar).

I find it sad that people are singling out abuse for the Christian aspect of the school. From the comments it seems that few have any understanding of Christianity yet we live in a culture which takes much from it- from our working week, public holidays, what we eat (eg lack of restrictions on diet and alcohol) and how we dress.

Condor Man wrote:
It's a legal requirement for all children to study RE AND to have an act of collective worship at least once a week. That's a government thing (from a leader whose father was a vicar).

I find it sad that people are singling out abuse for the Christian aspect of the school. From the comments it seems that few have any understanding of Christianity yet we live in a culture which takes much from it- from our working week, public holidays, what we eat (eg lack of restrictions on diet and alcohol) and how we dress.

yes your right it is a legal requirement, some thing that was pass just after the WW1.
its the other way round condor its was christianity that took from none mono belivers,( working week, holidays, and what you eat and when).

Trigger16, Kent, kids are there to learn, not to have religious fairy tales brain washed into them, because thats what your doing the moment you make a person say prayers or to take RE. you have a local temple for that. ie:- sunday school. keep religion out off schools it just waste valiable time, when they could be taught maths, english or science.

southy wrote:

Condor Man wrote: It's a legal requirement for all children to study RE AND to have an act of collective worship at least once a week. That's a government thing (from a leader whose father was a vicar). I find it sad that people are singling out abuse for the Christian aspect of the school. From the comments it seems that few have any understanding of Christianity yet we live in a culture which takes much from it- from our working week, public holidays, what we eat (eg lack of restrictions on diet and alcohol) and how we dress.

yes your right it is a legal requirement, some thing that was pass just after the WW1. its the other way round condor its was christianity that took from none mono belivers,( working week, holidays, and what you eat and when). Trigger16, Kent, kids are there to learn, not to have religious fairy tales brain washed into them, because thats what your doing the moment you make a person say prayers or to take RE. you have a local temple for that. ie:- sunday school. keep religion out off schools it just waste valiable time, when they could be taught maths, english or science.

I think social skills are just as important as as Englisn and Maths, Religion is a key social skill which many in this time do not understand which is why we have such issues in the middle east!

Trigger16, Kent, social skills should be taught at home before they even old enough to start school, its some thing you should off learned when you mix with other kids and people before you are 4 years old.
all mono religion are hipokrits, they preach utopia socialium but are unwilling to practice what they preach.
the issues in the middle east is just plain old rich men greed

southy wrote:
Trigger16, Kent, social skills should be taught at home before they even old enough to start school, its some thing you should off learned when you mix with other kids and people before you are 4 years old. all mono religion are hipokrits, they preach utopia socialium but are unwilling to practice what they preach. the issues in the middle east is just plain old rich men greed

you'll find that food issues go back to the book of Acts, check it out.

You seem happy to live in a Marxist utopia, bad luck come the next election.

condor ??? you'll find that >food< issues go back to the book of Acts, check it out.
learn the difference between marxist and utopia. utopia is what the world will have in the end, there will not be choice on that matter, might take a few more 100's or 1000's of years to get there, but it will get there. has for the next election thats going to be very interesting.