Use this page to provide your own comments on Birmingham City Council’s proposal to expand Kings Heath Primary School to four-form entry.
It is optional to leave name, email, etc. .Also feel free to include postcode, and the number (if any) of children you send to KHPS. The more we can show the unhappiness of local parents and residents about this proposal the better.
I have 3 children currenty attending KHPS and I am absolutely appalled that the council are seriously considering plans which will neither solve the nationwide problem of insufficient school places nor serve to benefit the existing students. The school is already overcrowded with students having to travel to the nearby secondary school (Queensbridge) for sports day!!
Rather than building more schools, the council is simple cutting corners by extending already overcrowded schools. Only a handful of schools are currently 3 form, wouldn’t it be better to expand 1 or 2 form entry schools rather than introduce ludicrous plans to 3 form schools. Im disgusted that this school was even considered in the first place.
I am a mum of a prospective pupil at KHPS and feel really angry that KHPS has been chosen to build on as opposed to other schools in the area. Why not build 8 classrooms on the land at the back of Moseley C of E? Or a whole new school elsewhere? It saddens me greatly that children’s lives and educations are ridden roughshod over. We must fill the hall at Queensbridge School on 22/6 at 8.15pm. The council must be made aware of the level of feeling over these plans.
I saw the white marks on the playground yesterday, which shows the location of the planned 2-story building, and I was so shocked how this annex will reduce the size of the playgound if this expansion happens. The playground will be almost divided into various small sections and I cannot see how it would be possible to accomodate 820 children in such a small site. The council’s plan is not well thought through at all- they should come and see how this will create more congestions and health and safety problems.
I am a parent of two children at Kings Heath School and am vehemently opposed to the proposed expansion for all of the reasons outlined within this blog and in the open letter to the City Council.
Increasing the number of children at the school can only have a negative effect upon the pupils, teaching staff and local residents.
Although the problem of a shortage of school spaces for primary aged children is a very real concern, I would urge the City to re-examine their proposal in this instance and search for a viable alternative.
I strongly believe that this is short-sighted cost-cutting by Birmingham City Council that is to the benefit of none of us who live here. Children need and deserve the opportunity to have sufficient space to play, learn, exercise, and develop whilst they are at school. Without these opportunities our children will grow up to be unsociable, unskilled, and unfit – all of the things local and central government claim to want to avoid!
This short-sighted proposal – which is indicative of Birmingham City Council’s general approach to dealing with the increased demand for school places – needs to be replaced with a sustainable plan to provide adequate educational facilities for Birmingham’s children.
If the Council can get our children’s education right, they’ll reap the benefits in the future (rather than waiting, as we are now, to rue the effects of its current short-sighted ‘solution’).
I am disgusted that KHPS has been earmarked for expansion without any regard to the welfare of the existing children. Having worked at our school, I have witnessed how overcrowded the site is and in particular the space our children have for eating and playing. The proposed plan to decrease areas and no doubt the time when children can interact socially, I feel will have a detrimental effect on any child who attends the school if the expansion goes ahead.
Our school playground is an incredibly important area for our children, particularly as we now know how vital exercise is in promoting health and preventing obesity. Areas that allow child-led play, lead to natural friendships, independence and increased social inclusion – our school playground is integral in creating opportunities to develop these emotional, social and life skills which are important outcomes for all our children. The proposed plans for expansion will greatly reduce the opportunity for play and will have an adverse impact upon these outcomes.
As KHPS is an inclusive school – what consideration has been given for our children with impairments? Our school playgrounds are inclusive which helps all of our children challenge the social barriers that lead to exclusion, isolation and stigmatisation but with increased overcrowding the playground will have limited accessibility and for our disabled children this means limited access to play alongside their friends, leading to increased isolation and exclusion.
Also, does the expansion mean that both KS1 & KS2 children will be in one playground? Are there any plans for new play equipment to ensure that all children will have age-appropriate equipment? Research shows that when older children are not adequately challenged, they will try to create their own challenges, which can risk the safety of themselves and others. Also, when older children are forced to play on equipment that’s intended for younger children, they will monopolise the equipment, displacing the younger ones. Children who are bored and overcrowded tend to engage in more aggressive play, which can also lead to bullying. Having reviewed some of the study data in this area it is very worrying.
Maybe Birmingham City Council should adhere to Government advice……The important role of the school playground is now recognised as a ‘vital ingredient of a happy and healthy childhood supporting physical, emotional, social and educational development…play spaces [should be] engaging and accessible for all [children] including disabled children’ (The Play Strategy 2008, p5).
I felt incredibly lucky to gain a place for my son at KHPS. It is a fantastic school which is reflected in the personal and academic achievements of its pupils and the strength of supporting and involvement from its parents. I can only hope that Birmingham City Council see that it is important to protect all that’s good about our school and reconsider its plans that will negatively impact upon the welfare of the children who attend it.
According to council’s own 2010 figures, 95% of Birmingham’s community or voluntary-controlled schools are less cramped in terms of class space than Kings Heath Primary School.
According to the council’s feasibility document for proposed four-form entry at KHPS, ‘the proposed site is tightly planned and the extension reduces the play area significantly’ and ‘No additional hall provision has been included within the proposal and a shortfall in hall provision of 110sqm has been identified’.
The school was built for 420 children; these proposals would double that number on the same size site. And for four days a week, there are also 52 children from Nursery eating their dinners in the small hall…
Choosing KHPS for expansion on the current, already cramped, site with no additional hall provision and a significantly reduced play area just doesn’t add up. Especially when there are others schools locally with considerably more room, including one-form entry schools. We can estimate the size site-to-pupil ratio (and potential pupil ratio) for all primary schools using the council’s own figures and Google earth (we have. It doesn’t look good). But I’d like to see the council’s own figures for this when they try and justify the current proposals.
Ideally, I think that three-form entry schools are a good size for primary-aged children. If there was adequate primary school provision for all children in Birmingham, I would certainly not wish for KHPS to increase its intake. However, there is clearly not adequate provision (and I think serious questions need to be asked as to why the increased future need for primary places wasn’t acted upon much, much earlier, when there would have been time to build new, appropriately-sized schools). The current shortfall in primary school places is very serious and *IF* the KHPS site were large enough, with good hall provision etc., then personally, I would accept increasing pupil intake –given the serious situation Birmingham is currently in- letting more children benefit from being in an excellent school. Because it’s a very well managed school, I think IF THE SITE WERE LARGE ENOUGH, we would cope with the increased numbers. It would not be the ideal solution, but I think we could cope. HOWEVER, at the moment, there doesn’t appear to be scope to increase the site size –unless we are able to take over some of the surrounding land and/ or buildings…
The current proposals are TERRIBLE. And they would be as unacceptable for the extra 210 pupils under four-form entry as they would for the 630 children under three-form entry. This is not simply about protecting the school for our own children. This is about providing the right environment for the children of Birmingham in the future, too.
Finally, I’d like to know from the council if they have done any research into how much KHPS’s popularity with prospective parents would be affected by adding a two-storey block on the playground etc… What would they do if parents stop choosing KHPS for their children because it is no longer a school people want to send their children to? It seems likely that popularity will decrease.
I urge the council to come up with more sustainable and creative solutions to this serious shortfall in primary school places. There are far, far more appropriate solutions to the problem of shortfall in school places than to cram children into small sites. Improve the schools that are less popular –for their current pupils’ sake as well as for any increased intake, and use space appropriately.
As the parent of a child who is about to start at KHS in September I really hope that the council reconsider the expansion.
I cannot believe that the Council has seriously considered KHPS for expansion. Though the school is currently overcrowded we chose to send our children there because of its focus on the child, its record on inclusion and its ethnic diversity – being of mixed heritage ourselves. These things outweighed the fact that it already has three form entry and has a small playground with no playing fields – unlike many in the local area.
I am so concerned that if four form entry is forced upon the school that this will:
* have a detrimental impact on my children’s learning both educationally and socially
* increase congestion and traffic outside the school which is aready dangerous for pedestrians
* create a cramped playground space for over 800 children
* increase the potential for bullying
* create a poor learning environment with cramped classrooms and corridors
* impact on the school’s excellent achievements around inclusion. I question what priority / ability a bigger school will have in working and meeting the needs pupils with disabilities and special needs
I fully understand the need to find more school places for children in the City. This is an issue that the Council should have been preparing for for some time. There are much smaller schools in our area with significantly larger playground space in the local area. Kings Health is not the last resort for the Council – it is an easy option. The Council needs to be more creative in responding to their challenge to find more places. Can they promise me and all the parents of the 800 children at this new school that our children’s education experience will be positive, healthy and safe. Can they reassure local residents about their real concerns about increased congestion and pedestrian safety. Have they really thought through this ridiculous proposal. It is obvious to me and everyone that I have spoken to that the equation of smaller playground / cramped accommodation + a third more pupils = poor learning experience!
The Google Maps links in my above post have been removed by snipurl for some reason. Try these instead:
Kings Heath -> http://bit.ly/d5c8Ar
Moseley C of E -> http://bit.ly/aGl0qq
Moor Green -> http://bit.ly/9bOJF3
I can only echo the sentiments in the open letter and the comments above; the school is already crowded, yet through good teaching, management and support staff, KHPS is a positive and vibrant environment in which children receive a great education. KHPS playground space was designed for a two-form entry school and the school is already three-form entry. Adding 210 pupils whilst reducing space is a ridiculous idea, and unfortunately both the children already at the school and those who might potentially join will definitely suffer as a consequence.
It seems to me that the process by which the Council addresses school place shortages is fundamentally flawed. If the reward for good teaching and management of a successful school with space constraints is a further worsening of conditions through introduction of an additional intake equivalent to one third of the existing pupil number, then something is wrong.
This is especially difficult to justify when the school already has less physical space per pupil than most. It is difficult not to become cynical about such a process; has the council selected KHPS as an “easy target” for expansion? Why not expand Moseley C of E, where there are only 210 pupils to start with, or Moor Green Primary School which has only 234, and both of which clearly have better potential for physical expansion. Google maps is a very useful tool:
KHPS ->http://snipurl.com/x9q4h
Moseley C of E -> http://snipurl.com/x9q4s
Moor Green -> http://snipurl.com/x9q4z
The above links are not revealing the sites at exactly the same scale, but imagining 890 children at Kings Heath versus 210 at Moseley C of E and 234 at Moor Green as proposed, and the proposed expansion quickly makes no sense at all.
I am also concerned about the implications on the wider community. If the quality of schooling in the area is compromised through this absurd plan, then the long-term effect on the area in terms of social demographic could also be negative.
Finally, and as a matter of general principle, I instinctively feel that a larger primary school is a less valuable proposition than a smaller one. There is no relevant study data correlating primary school size to effectiveness that I am aware of, and most purely review from an academic results perspective and do not examine social, emotional or behavioural issues. However, a child moving from home to nursery to reception is going to find the transition more daunting in a larger and more crowded environment; observation and management of larger numbers of children is more difficult, and children will not get to know teaching staff or other pupils as well in a bigger school. All of these will, in my mind, lead to an inferior experience for all pupils at the school, and this is on top of the overcrowding problems which will only exacerbate such issues.
Therefore please, please, find a way to accommodate the extra 210 children without penalising the pupils, carers, parents and community in and around a school that is successful and loved. Build a new school, or find another way, but don’t just cram more kids into an already “tightly planned” school. The proposed plans are deeply flawed, and KHPS should be protected from any additional intake spoiling a great Primary School.
KHPS is already a very crowded school. I had a chance to see inside the school recently. The childrens’ desks and chairs are very close together, and the corridors are quite narrow.
The children already have a limited time to eat their lunch due to the pressure on the school hall. I recently spoke with someone who remembers when KHPS moved from two-form entry to three-form entry – apparently it was considered to be overcrowding the school then – and now we’re moving to four-form entry!
The expansion does seem to be an absurd idea. I fail to see how Birmingham city council could have properly considered these problems when they chose KHPS for this expansion.
Luckily the campaign seems to be going well. I heard that a majority of parents and residents are very positive about the campaign and are happy to sign the petition.
A big thank you to all the people involved in organizing this!
Jean Preston
This proposal seems ridiculous! Why on earth has the Council chosen one of the most over-crowded schools in Birmingham to add more children to? Surely if there is an increase in demand for school places the Council should consider building new schools – not just endlessly increasing the number of pupils in the existing schools. Don’t they care about overcrowding? Or the chance for pupils to play in a playground that can actually fit the school’s children in?
Louise James
This is the text of a letter we sent to the Chair Of Governors
We are writing to express our concerns about the plans to increase intake at Kings Heath Primary School to four forms. Kings Heath Primary School is a lovely school and we feel very lucky that our son, currently in Year One, is able to attend there. The education he has received so far has been excellent and he has progressed well, developed strong friendships and flourished personally, socially and academically.
However, it is clear when visiting the school that the children’s experience of some aspects of school life and education is compromised by the inadequacy of the current site and buildings. Classrooms are small and the size of communal areas, corridors and halls are barely large enough to cope with the current number of children. The proposal to extend that intake by another 210 will clearly have a massively negative impact on school life. It is already virtually impossible to house whole school or large pupil gatherings, which are clearly vital ways of fostering a strong school identity and sense of community. It has been our experience that when school invites parents in to see performances or to introduce teaching methods, the halls are already far too small to house the number of committed and interested parents/carers that KHPS is lucky to have.
It is obvious that if building takes place on the playground the already crowded experience that the children have there will be greatly worsened. There will be little or no room for running around or playground games, with a clearly negative impact on health, engagement with physical and sporting activity and communal play – all vital to help develop rounded and happy children.
It seems that the planning team have failed to visualise how 840 children will simply be able to move around an already cramped school, how 840 children will be able to enjoy active and healthy playtimes, how 840 children will learn in a stimulating environment and how 840 children will be fed in halls designed to hold far smaller numbers. There are safety issues, academic issues and personal and social development issues which must be considered and which we believe all suggest that expansion is a bad idea.
We are very proud of what KHPS does for its children but it seems to us that even now this is in spite of the current facilities. An increase in pupil numbers will only make the jobs of the excellent teachers and support staff harder and hamper their ability to deliver the kind of education that we all want for our children. It seems obvious that it can only have a negative impact on children’s enjoyment of school life and ability to learn and develop.