ALLIANCES have been firmly underlined as schools in Redditch undergo a major upheaval in how local children are educated.
The head teachers of top performing St Augustine’s Catholic High School (Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy) and Trinity High School stood side by side yesterday (October 15), united in their determination to stick with Redditch’s traditional three tier education system.
In a statement entitled ‘Working Together’, Anthony Quinn, who is at the helm of St Augustine’s, and Adrian Ward of Trinity, voiced how the directors of both schools have agreed to continue to work together to serve the school communities in Redditch.
The statement reaffirms the decision by both school boards to back the three tier system, which involves children going to infant, middle and then high school.
With two tier, children go from primary (year six) straight to secondary.
Mr Quinn said: “You can’t mess about with education – any changes to the education system in Redditch should include everyone and collaborate with everyone.
“If there are ever to be any changes within St Augustine’s or Trinity there will be conversations with our board, Trinity’s board and with the parents.”
The ‘Working Together’ initiative strives to provide all Redditch children with a ‘high class and purposeful education’ whilst supporting parents, who, the boards believe, need such reassurance in the current climate.
The publication comes amid a period of uncertainty for parents and students across the borough, with representatives of both St Augustine’s and Trinity feeling the need to offer people stability, direction and purpose in selecting a school – as is ‘the basic right in modern day Britain’.
The move comes after Tudor Grange Academy Redditch campaigned in favour of the two-tier system, an initiative backed by Ridgeway Academy which is developing from a middle school into a seconday school.
Head of Trinity High, Adrian Ward, added: “As long as I have known there has been three tier systems in Redditch but a couple of schools have decided to go two tier for educational reasons.
“But some of the best performing schools in Worcestershire are three tier – they are equally good teaching educational systems.”
He added that any changes to education systems need to be managed and, where possible, avoided.
“We don’t need it – if it isn’t broken why do we need to try and fix it.”
