Cwmcarn headteacher hits back at council in asbestos row (From Campaign Series)

The Headteacher also states that Caerphilly have commissioned Ensafe to do this new report, yet the council openly criticise Ensafe in their media presentation - claiming their report has not been published due to inaccuracies.

The more this continues the greater worry is that there is a hidden agenda. There has been little transparency from the council throughout this entirety.

If our children have been forced to be educated in Ebbw Vale because of Asbestos, why are they not allowed to return? The HSE - the highest authority in the land has stated there is no threat it is essentially uncontaminated.

We raised concerns over the real reasons for the 'temporary' closure in November, and only since the HSE report has the media been willing to investigate our concerns.

The school has been disadvantaged from the start in this - we as parents and supporters of this GREAT school are ready to tackle all opposition to the school remaining head on!

The council has openly spoken (and you have reported) about the need for schools to close in Caerphilly as part of the 21st century schools programme. If there is not an agenda to close Cwmcarn High School why have we been led to believe that work on the Risca school site to remove asbestos has been carried out this week.

We need answers, and we need answers now. Caerphilly - we will WIN

There is over capacity by 3 schools for the area, this gives the perfect reason to shut it without full consultation.

What I dont understand is why they want to close a school that so many children want to attend?? Risca is half empty for a reason, people obviously don't want their children to go there, why aren't they trying to close that and if it's true that money is being spent on it why are they wasting money time after time on surveys etc and not putting cwmcarn right? Don't they realise that by shutting cwmcarn doesn't necessarily mean that the kids will go to Risca because they won't. The are entitled to a choice and if they wanted to go there in the first place they would have. Cwmcarn may close but it wont solve the problem, same thing has happened before people will vote with their feet and then Risca or another school will become the new problem. Come on councillors use your common sense you are there because we put you there so please do the right thing now and save our school!!!

Because Caerphilly Council have been proved wrong in their initial overreaction following the erroneous Santia report they are now simply moving the goalposts to find excuses to close the school. The fact that they have had a hidden agenda all along is now utterly exposed. I would urge The Argus to investigate this issue that I'm convinced would reveal a duplicitous local authority that is quite happy to play politics with our children's futures. Parents and other concerned persons must act NOW before it is too late. The longer this issue is left unresolved the easier it is going to be for the council to get its way. WE pay these people's wages so WE must be heard.

CCBC are making decisions about the future of teachers and young people (fantastic young people) that they've made little effort to meet but are adamant that they are the ones who are of paramount importance.
They are people at the centre of this political tug of war and certainly seems that faith in the agenda of CCBC is fading fast.
It is extremely sad.

http://www.caerphill
y.gov.uk/pdf/Educati
on_learning/cwmcarn_
high_school/Interim_
Report_Regarding_Cwm
carn_High_School_20.
11.2012.pdf

Please follow this link, it's the interim report from CCBC on Nov20th which states

For the avoidance of doubt, the decision to close CHS on a temporary basis was undertaken solely to safely manage the damaged asbestos product within the school.
Investigations into the condition of CHS by the Health and Safety Executive are on-going.

Let's question the real agenda

angrybird2097 wrote:
What I dont understand is why they want to close a school that so many children want to attend?? Risca is half empty for a reason, people obviously don't want their children to go there, why aren't they trying to close that and if it's true that money is being spent on it why are they wasting money time after time on surveys etc and not putting cwmcarn right? Don't they realise that by shutting cwmcarn doesn't necessarily mean that the kids will go to Risca because they won't. The are entitled to a choice and if they wanted to go there in the first place they would have. Cwmcarn may close but it wont solve the problem, same thing has happened before people will vote with their feet and then Risca or another school will become the new problem. Come on councillors use your common sense you are there because we put you there so please do the right thing now and save our school!!!

angrybird2097. You have hit the nail right on the head. My children's catchment area school is Risca but I chose to send them to Cwmcarn, like many other parents I know. Why on earth are Caerphilly Council seemingly so determined to close such a good school?

angrybird2097 wrote:
What I dont understand is why they want to close a school that so many children want to attend?? Risca is half empty for a reason, people obviously don't want their children to go there, why aren't they trying to close that and if it's true that money is being spent on it why are they wasting money time after time on surveys etc and not putting cwmcarn right? Don't they realise that by shutting cwmcarn doesn't necessarily mean that the kids will go to Risca because they won't. The are entitled to a choice and if they wanted to go there in the first place they would have. Cwmcarn may close but it wont solve the problem, same thing has happened before people will vote with their feet and then Risca or another school will become the new problem. Come on councillors use your common sense you are there because we put you there so please do the right thing now and save our school!!!

angrybird2097. You have hit the nail right on the head. My children's catchment area school is Risca but I chose to send them to Cwmcarn, like many other parents I know. Why on earth are Caerphilly Council seemingly so determined to close such a good school?

angrybird2097 wrote:
What I dont understand is why they want to close a school that so many children want to attend?? Risca is half empty for a reason, people obviously don't want their children to go there, why aren't they trying to close that and if it's true that money is being spent on it why are they wasting money time after time on surveys etc and not putting cwmcarn right? Don't they realise that by shutting cwmcarn doesn't necessarily mean that the kids will go to Risca because they won't. The are entitled to a choice and if they wanted to go there in the first place they would have. Cwmcarn may close but it wont solve the problem, same thing has happened before people will vote with their feet and then Risca or another school will become the new problem. Come on councillors use your common sense you are there because we put you there so please do the right thing now and save our school!!!

angrybird2097. You have hit the nail right on the head. My children's catchment area school is Risca but I chose to send them to Cwmcarn, like many other parents I know. Why on earth are Caerphilly Council seemingly so determined to close such a good school?

CCBC are moving the goalposts here. Last October us parents were told that the council were just waiting for the HSE/HSL report before deciding on their course of action. The HSE/HSL report is now in and it states that the school is a safe school and always has been a safe school. So, because CCBC didn't get the results they wanted from the HSE/HSL, they are now talking about the poor repair of the buildings, something that wasn't an issue for them back in October/November.

All CCBC want is to get the school closed. I would love to know why they are so determined to close Cwmcarn school when it is such a successful, high achieving school with very few surplus places - unlike other schools such as Risca which is half empty.

"Don't they realise that by shutting cwmcarn doesn't necessarily mean that the kids will go to Risca because they won't."

I won't be sending my children to Risca. I will home school them rather than send them there.

Gwennan wrote:
CCBC are moving the goalposts here. Last October us parents were told that the council were just waiting for the HSE/HSL report before deciding on their course of action. The HSE/HSL report is now in and it states that the school is a safe school and always has been a safe school. So, because CCBC didn't get the results they wanted from the HSE/HSL, they are now talking about the poor repair of the buildings, something that wasn't an issue for them back in October/November.

All CCBC want is to get the school closed. I would love to know why they are so determined to close Cwmcarn school when it is such a successful, high achieving school with very few surplus places - unlike other schools such as Risca which is half empty.

"Don't they realise that by shutting cwmcarn doesn't necessarily mean that the kids will go to Risca because they won't."

I won't be sending my children to Risca. I will home school them rather than send them there.

A feeling that I know is being echoed by many parents. If CCBC think they don't have a fight on their hands they should think again.

The reason Caerphilly is trying to close Cwmcarn is an historical reason dating back to the 1908's when the conservative government made it an independent school in The then Labour leaders constituency(Neil Kinnock) and the council from then has tried continuously to shut the school since then.
I attended meetings at Crosskeys college in the early 2000's led by Risca councillors Ken James etc trying to shut the school.
Mr Beales the head master at the time took CBC to the welsh assembly over the state of repairs and negligence from them during this period.
So as a school it not about results etc its totally political and a historical hatred of the school

Well said "Save Cwmcarn". How could such a momentous and far reaching decision be made based on the Santia report? Surely the Council would have been better informed if the Health and Safety Executive and HSL had been allowed to carry out their more scientific and accurate Gold Standard testing. If they had done so 900 plus pupil's wouldn't have had their education disrupted, £1.4 million of taxpayers money wouldn't have been spent unnecessarily and we wouldn't have spent many sleepless nights! The HSE/HSL report which hasn't been put on the Council website(why not?) clearly states that asbestos levels are much lower than those recorded in the Santia report. How then could Santia put on page 7 of their report that after removal of ACM'S the school should be DEMOLISHED? The CCBC repeatedly claim that they wish to be "open, honest and transparent" but only allow their one sided viewpoint to be published. Allay our fears CCBc, this is looking more and more like a conspiracy with the outcome a foregone conclusion. I suggest that the school commissioned Ensafe report will make very interesting reading and all parents and careers need to request it from the school a.s.a.p.

Sorry forgot to put in my last message, so many excellent comments I totally agree with all of you. How many reports are the council prepared to commission? Why is a fourth report necessary and how much of our money are CCBC prepared to spend until they get the result they seem to be seeking. Allow us back to Cwmcarn CCBC, prove us all wrong in our doubts. We will continue in our fight until we get home. Spend the money on the maintenance and repairs you claim are necessary. No more reports please the HSE are the Governing Authority and they have made it clear that we could return you are spending Taxpayers hard earned money again when you don't need to. Hope all of you will join us in the protest walk on Monday 25th February. We need JUSTICE for our children keep the pressure on CCBC.

It certainly does appear that this situation has been very badly handled by CCBC. The HSL report demonstrates the incompetence of the Santia investigation and completely discredits their findings, and therefore its conclusions and recommendations.

Given the status of the HSL as a government agency it is astonishing that CCBC should want to stand by the discredited Santia report, and it does raise the suspicion that they have a hidden agenda. Also, if there are concerns as to the accuracy of the Ensafe report, as the Council states, why on earth are CCBC funding Ensafe in conducting another report?

Almost every CCBC press release states their concern for the welfare of the pupils and staff of the school, a claim that is beginning to sound a little hollow as this fiasco gets dragged out with new 'concerns' being introduced to justify closure.

CHS has long been among the highest performing schools in CCBC. If the school is closed under these present circumstances, then it will indeed have the appearance of a triumph of malign 'party' bureaucracy and a tragic disgrace.

One rather obvious question does spring to mind: if the council are willing to waste £1.4 million on the move to Ebbw Vale, why don't they just consider diverting those funds to rectify the 'maintenance issues' at the Cwmcarn site?