Wow!! What an astonishing response we’ve had to our campaign to Save St Nicholas Special Needs School! Since launching our petition on Thursday, more than 5,800 of you have now signed it, showing an incredible amount of support from the Chippenham community and beyond. So thank you!!!
This demonstrates just how much the school’s location, facilities and its experienced and caring staff are valued. It also sends a powerful message to Wiltshire Council that St Nicholas School should stay in the heart of our community!
Keep sharing our petition
Let's see if we can reach 6,000 signatures before tomorrow!!
We have received an update from Wiltshire Council regarding the pre-statutory consultation that took place this summer. A whopping 71% of respondents voted for the development of 3 school locations (in Chippenham, Trowbridge and near Devizes). The report also highlighted the petitions launched by Larkrise and Rowdeford schools, which showed how these schools are valued by their communities. You can read the the full report here: https://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/documents/g11670/Public%20reports%20pack%2027th-Nov-2018%2009.30%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10&fbclid=IwAR2GGfRSsnsgjngDXicFWBnUmL8wS7RJyTdLF__0PpXP5zVhovQcgUpVy8Q
We say: Just because we are late to the fight, does not mean we love St Nicholas school any less!!! Rather naively, many of us were led to believe that the three schools would remain open, and at worst, St Nicholas school would be moved near the Abbeyfield School site within Chippenham. We stand in solidarity with Larkrise and Rowdeford schools in demanding that all three schools remain open, and are developed, so that children can be taught in their OWN communities with links to the local schools, shops, parks and churches in their OWN towns.
Midday tomorrow, 21 November, is the deadline to submit questions and statements to be included in the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 27 November. Please email stuart.figini@wiltshire.gov.uk with yours.
We will also submit our petition by this deadline so that it can also be considered by the Cabinet, so let’s see how many more signatures we can get in the next 24 hours!! We will, of course, keep the petition and campaign running after this date. Look out for further updates on action you can take to support us.
Our campaign gains media attention
You may have heard parent Mel Pritchard and Headteacher Ros Way speaking on BBC Wiltshire radio this morning. They outlined the serious concerns of the proposal for a remote mega school, and asked Wiltshire Council to listen to the community and look again at their plans. If you missed it, you can hear their compelling arguments again here at 2:21 and 2:54 in:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p06psyd6
We also received a shout-out on Thursday from Heart radio and they’ve included our petition on their Facebook page. You can see it here:
https://www.facebook.com/Heart-Wiltshire-News-1913143142238950/?__tn__=kCH-R&eid=ARCXMY77-MKqZApd7p2VjNK-pMMyi3YDCFkdlQpYrjWiAwI-j-Rc_hE816NhiBsNJ6Hi2sIsWjY2-kii&hc_ref=ARQyh6ro_SxtFY90DAMWYx8bgm96femN0PP_96hV5BI9DxETjlU5Hdsgreaqafw-dTY&fref=nf&__xts__[0]=68.ARDP4RSxwvr83r_5dVQBfiSE4O8Wd7Kyr_zda1ePwE92hKKATzMAv7K_hTSVlAOiSmR0oLwIUm_wz0BryWIv4CYbUc0OLOlE-pcbwXPYRCf33ZGOhO2SDAF-5IGA1R2VB22bBIgQ7ynPB71oHc_JhHNpfGupKdezUJPYWYX2CjZLGQkjENAQt2b1TD6r9T9Ygm7jsYV1WyccweObNyVj-Y7b5dkOH9yk6-UyCDLSYWLQtzPS6CHeJN0Vq3ele1z1MYTV-3CWiexzCYlXANYmyhJKwf54x7BaHnibngGT-vGs5SgCSj6CFI5_dh-E8z8_VSomRZDJs2m8g_KtLNWF
Last week, several St Nicholas parents were quoted on the front page of the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald after news broke of Wiltshire Council’s shocking plans. You can read the full story here:
https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/17225870.parents-anger-at-decision-to-close-st-nicholas-school/
We need your help to keep the pressure on Wiltshire Council
Although this is all good news as it raises awareness of our campaign, we need your helpto put pressure on Wiltshire Council who will decide our children’s fate when they vote on Tuesday, 27 November.
If you’re on Twitter or Instagram, please help us to get #savewiltshirespecialschools trending. Feel free to tweet your MP, cabinet members and the press.
Michelle Donelan, MP for Chippenham, has already shown her support by saying these proposals would be ‘catastrophic’ for students with special needs. But feel free to contact her on 01249 704465 or email michelle.donelan.mp@parliament.uk to make sure she continues to publicly oppose these plans.
You can also email James Gray, MP for Wiltshire North, at jamesgraymp@parliament.uk or better yet, drop by his advice surgery this Saturday, 24 November, at Calne Community Hub and Library, The Strand, Calne, SN11 0JU, between 10-11.30am – no appointment necessary.
Share your views with Cabinet member for Education, Laura Mayes: laura.mayes@wiltshire.gov.uk
As parents of disabled children, all we want in a school setting is a place where our children will be safe and will be supported appropriately to learn to the best of their abilities. But we also want them to be happy, as we don’t know what the future holds for them. This comes from building relationships with a small and constant team of dedicated staff who know our children and how to meet their needs, by being included in and valued by their own community, right now, through links with local churches, parks, shops and the schools their peers and siblings attend, and having a range of fun and exciting experiences on offer. We feel our children benefit from all of this and more at St Nicholas school, where their quality of life and outcomes are improved.
Best wishes,
Parents and friends of St Nicholas special needs school