By John Connell

Published at 11:57, Friday, 01 March 2013

A consultation into controversial merger plans for two of Workington’s schools has been launched.

Governors from Southfield and Stainburn schools voted last month to convert to a single academy on one site, though the conversion is yet to be formally approved by the Department for Education (DfE).

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has claimed that parents, teachers and pupils were being kept in the dark about key details of the plans.

But education trust Bright Tribe insisted that it could only begin the formal consultation after the proposals were agreed.

Now it will hold a series of meetings to reveal more details of the plans to give people an opportunity to ask some of the important questions that union bosses claimed had been left unanswered.

A Bright Tribe spokeswoman said: “Consultation has begun with staff, parents, children and the wider community to ensure they are fully informed of what converting to an academy means and how it affects them, and to ensure everyone has an opportunity to give their feedback.”

Southfield College will be holding an open evening for parents on Monday from 6pm, while Stainburn School will have an open evening for parents on Wednesday, also starting at 6pm. The first meeting will be led by Southfield headteacher Lynda Dalkin, while the second will be led by Chris McGrath, headteacher of Stainburn.

They are open to parents of students as well as parents of children who have been allocated a place for Year Seven entry in September. Members of the governing bodies of both schools, senior members of staff, representatives of Bright Tribe will also be there.

Headteachers of all local primary schools have also been invited to a meeting on Thursday, March 14 at 3.30pm at Stainburn School to find out more about the proposal and give their feedback.

Members of the local community have also been invited to a meeting at Workington Sixth Form Centre on the same day from 5.30pm.

Community groups and members of the public with particular links to the schools have received invitations, but the event is open to anyone who wishes to attend in order to ask questions and give their feedback on the proposal.

At all of these events, there will be information available about Bright Tribe Trust and the proposed school conversions, and there will be opportunity to ask questions and give feedback on the proposals. A questionnaire will be made available for people to record their views.

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk