SL AM

David Lepper MP
John Saunders House,
179 Preston Road
BRIGHTON,
BN1 6AG

15th October 2008

St Luke’s Against Merger
Dear Mr Lepper

593 REASONS NOT TO MERGE ST LUKE’S...

That’s the forecast for the number of children whose education will be disrupted if the proposed merger all
through primary goes through. St Luke's Infants and St Luke's Juniors schools are exceptional schools with
great kids and great teachers. The Infants received an OUTSTANDING OFSTED report, the Juniors a
GOOD. Closing St Luke's Infants and merging it with ST Luke's Juniors puts all this at RISK FOR NO
GOOD REASON. One size does not fit all. We should be celebrating good practice not throwing it away. As
the local MP and former teacher and I am asking you support our campaign against the merger. The councils
own deputy head and the cabinet member with responsibility for the St Luke’s decision praised the parents,
staff and governors of the Balfour Infant and Junior schools who successfully fought off a similar merger in
2002. Please urge Mrs Brown to show the same common sense with regard to St Luke’s.
There
. are no good educational reasons to merge St Luke’s
Overleaf we have listed the concerns of the parents at St Luke’s both the Infants and the Juniors. Please take
the time to read them. At the very least the council needs to address these concerns before they rush through a
merger not after. What’s the rush?We are all proud of St Luke’s don’t undo all that has been achieved.

Cabinet Member Mrs Brown says.. OFSTED Says...

“In sheer desperation, the action group BAGAM was • Teaching and learning are outstanding… By
set up because the Labour administration and the the end of Year 2 in 2006, achievement was
education department seemed determined to ignore outstanding and standards were nearly all sig-
their concerns. nificantly above the national average, with dif-
The independent government adjudicator recognised ferent groups of pupils achieving equally well
there were insufficient sound educational Standards in 2007 are now exceptionally high.
reasons for the merger because they were two Here, 50% of the pupils reached the higher
high-achieving, oversubscribed schools and has levels in reading, and 44% the higher levels in
rejected the proposal. numeracy.
After all these months of worry and uncertainty, both
schools can now get on with what they do best - • Pupils leave the school with exceedingly
educating the local children to a high standard in a good skills in numeracy, literacy and informa-
tion and communication technology, balanced
caring environment. I wish them well.”
with excellent personal skills. They are well
prepared for the next stage in their
Coun Vanessa Brown, Conservative
education and later life.
deputy leader and education spokeswoman
ST LUKES OFSTED REPORT ~JUNE 2007
Brighton and Hove City Council
Archive Home From the archive
Unique Reference Number 114375
http://www.theargus.co.uk© Newsquest Media Group 2002 www.ofsted.gov.uk

Please help us.

Yours sincerely
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❑ Parent/Carer St Lukes Infants ❑ Parent/Carer St Lukes Juniors ❑ Both ❑ Other.........................................