Furthermore, there will be still further additional options for young people as to the kind of education and/or training to best meet their needs if the proposal for the new 14-19 centre is accepted.
I have lived in the area for 40 years, and have been a governor of both Wisewood and Myers Grove schools. I have done supply teaching at both schools and represent people in Walkley whose children, like mine some years ago, walk every day across Rivelin Valley to Myers Grove. Like other councillors, I have seen the projected numbers of pupils in the area and know that doing nothing is not an option if the quality of their education is not to suffer.
I also taught at Frecheville school 20 years ago when it was merged with Thornbridge to form Birley Community College, which has flourished to become one of the most popular schools in Sheffield as have Meadowhead and Handsworth Grange, also merged in the 80s when pupil numbers plummeted. They are proof that such mergers can be extremely successful, even without brand new state-of-the-art buildings to move into - as is proposed in north west Sheffield.
If the proposals for this completely new school (Loxley Valley school?) are rejected, what alternative plans are the Lib-Dems putting forward to make the best possible use of the fewer resources likely to be available for the smaller number of children in the future? Why are they pretending that the proposal is only about closing Wisewood and not about closing Myers Grove also? Are they not concerned about the future of children in Stannington and Walkley?
If the Lib-Dems can come up with a realistic alternative plan for the area's schools, please can they let parents in the area, council officers and their colleagues in other parties know. The whole point of the 20 consultative meetings is to discuss the issues and possibilities and listen to local people before a final decision is made.
It is certainly not in the interests of the Labour Party in Hillsborough or anywhere else to do anything other than to provide the best possible educational opportunities for local youngsters.
Veronica Hardstaff, Labour Councillor for Walkley, Vice-Chair, Rivelin Primary School