From: no-reply@wholeschool.

tv
Date: 28 June 2013 10:46:11 BST
Subject: Message from Mrs Bell, Coleraine High School
Reply-o: no-reply@wholeschool.tv
Der !rent"
#t the $%rect%on o& the 'orth (stern ($uct%on n$ )%*rry Bor$ +'(()B," the Bor$ o& -overnors o&
.oler%ne /%0h School hs" &or so1e t%1e now" *een rev%ew%n0 n$ ssess%n0 the opt%ons v%l*le w%th
re0r$ to the &uture $evelop1ent o& .oler%ne /%0h School 0%nst the *c20roun$ o& the current e$uct%onl
n$ &%nnc%l s%tut%on n$" %n recent t%1es" the re3u%re1ents o& re plnn%n0.
)st utu1n the '(()B presente$ us w%th nu1*er o& opt%ons. 4ollow%n0 consultt%on" the -overnors
%n$%cte$ to '(()B %n 5cto*er 2012" tht the pre&erre$ opt%on &or the 16or%ty o& the pup%ls" st&& n$ prents
o& ./S ws to 1%nt%n the sttus 3uo" wh%ch ws the retent%on o& .ontrolle$ -%rls7 -r11r School on
the e8%st%n0 s%te.
'(()B poste$ the !ost !r%1ry #re !ln &or .oler%ne on 26 4e*rury 2013 n$ on 13 9y 2013"
representt%ves &ro1 the 'orth (stern Bor$ 1et w%th St&&" -overnors n$ !rents o& the school to present
the proposl. Th%s proposl %s presently the su*6ect o& 12 wee2 consultt%on per%o$ wh%ch en$s on 16
Septe1*er 2013. The proposl &or ./S $oes not re&lect the -overnors7 proposl *ut" %nste$ %s wor$e$ s
&ollows:-
!Coleraine "ca#emical $nstitution an# Coleraine High School %ill combine to create t%o separate co-
e#ucational schools un#er the same school names an# management types& 'ne school %ill select
its pupils by aca#emic ability an# %ill ha(e a ma)imum enrolment of **+ pupils by the year ,+,- %ith
the other school non selecti(e %ith a ma)imum enrolment of .,.+ pupils by the year ,+,-/0
'otw%thstn$%n0 the -overnors7 proposl n$" %n ccor$nce w%th the sp%r%t o& re plnn%n0" we hve *een
re3u%re$ *y '(()B to en00e construct%vely w%th other schools %n the re n$" %n prt%culr" .oler%ne
#c$e1%cl :nst%tut%on. The %1 o& such en00e1ent hs *een to 1%nt%n the prov%s%on o& h%0h 3ul%ty
0r11r school e$uct%on &or the c$e1%clly 0%&te$ pup%ls %n the schools7 tr$%t%onl ctch1ent res. #s
one o& the top-per&or1%n0 c$e1%c schools %n 'orthern :reln$" w%th proven v%*%l%ty &or the &uture wh%ch
hs *een reco0n%se$ *y the Deprt1ent o& ($uct%on" the Bor$ o& -overnors %s stron0ly oppose$ to
*eco1%n0 non-select%ve school.
:n response to the present proposls" the -overnors h$ cons%$ere$ co1*%n%n0 o& ./S w%th .#: to &or1
the #c$e1%c School on the .#: s%te. Th%s hs pro$uce$ so1e chllen0es %n the &or1 o& le0l n$ structurl
uncert%nt%es re0r$%n0 the wy &orwr$ %n co1*%n%n0 .ontrolle$ n$ ;oluntry School s %n$%cte$ *elow:
:t %s the v%ew o& the ./S Bor$ o& -overnors tht ny co1%n0 to0ether o& the two 0r11r schools:
< 1ust s&e0ur$ the e$uct%onl %nterests o& current n$ &uture pup%ls.
< cn only procee$ on the *s%s o& n e3ul prtnersh%p *etween the %ntereste$ prt%es
< 1ust tret e3ully ll per1nent &ull t%1e 1e1*ers o& st&& o& *oth schools
< shll procee$ only w%th 0urntees re0r$%n0 ppropr%te &%nnc%n0" resourc%n0" st&&%n0 n$
cco11o$t%on s $e&%ne$ *y *oth Bor$s o& -overnors.
:n $$%t%on:
< the n1e o& the new school 1ust *e 0ree$ *y *oth Bor$s o& -overnors n$ the n1e o& ./S 1ust not
*e v%l*le to ny other school.
< the enrol1ent n$ %nt2e nu1*er w%ll *e representt%ve o& nor1l 0r11r school ent%tle1ent so tht
prospect%ve pup%ls 1ust *e trete$ e3ully w%th pup%ls %n other res.
#&ter 1uch reserch n$ $%scuss%on these %ssues hve not *een *le to *e resolve$" so the -overnors hve
0ree$ tht %n or$er to ret%n the c$e1%c e8cellence o& .oler%ne /%0h School" our pre&erre$ response to
the proposls w%ll *e our &%rst opt%on" .ontrolle$ -%rls7 -r11r School on the present s%te.
:& th%s cnnot *e 0ree$ *y the '(()B &or clerly e8pl%ne$ opert%onl resons" then the Bor$ o&
-overnors woul$ propose tht .oler%ne /%0h School woul$ *eco1e the co-e$uct%onl school re&erre$ to %n
the current proposl" select%n0 %ts pup%ls on the *s%s o& c$e1%c *%l%ty.
#s prt o& the #re !lnn%n0 !rocess" '(()B %s re3u%re$ to consult w%th our Bor$ o& -overnors" st&&"
prents n$ pup%ls re0r$%n0 the &uture o& the%r school.
$t is absolutely (ital that there is a strong response from Coleraine High School to this consultation&
he 1o(ernors are also 2eenly concerne# that plans be #e(elope# %hich meet the e#ucational nee#s
of all the pupils in the catchment area& hey also %ish to ensure that these #o not preju#ice the
e#ucational interests an# concerns of the pupils, staff an# parents of CHS&
"lthough the 1o(ernors share concerns about the %hole "rea 3lanning process %e cannot ignore
the consultation or %e %ill ris2 ha(ing no influence o(er our future an# the suitability of pro(ision for
all pupils in the tra#itional catchment area&
he Boar# of 1o(ernors %oul# therefore as2 that you please ta2e some time to rea# o(er the
proposal an# consi#er your response:
http:44%%%&neelb&org&u24schools4consultation4post-primary-area-planning4coleraine-area4
For your con(enience $ ha(e for%ar#e# this letter to your email account, the consultation response
form has been place# on the school %ebsite un#er the 5e%s an# 6(ents section, the #ocument can
be foun# at http:44%%%&colerainehigh&co&u24School75e%s&asp)8lc9.:i#9*,f#+a;e-+*<b-=>*+-bf,c-
>*.fe+<f*?,?&
3lease complete the form an# email to the follo%ing accounts:
asembley>>-@c,2ni&net 0 schoolconsultation@neelb&org&u2
Shoul# you agree %ith the Boar# of 1o(ernors of Coleraine High School %e %oul# encourage you to
inclu#e this section belo% in your response&
.oler%ne /%0h School %s &%nnc%lly secure" oversu*scr%*e$ n$ success&ul school w%th stron0 l%n2s to the
locl co11un%ty. The ethos o& the school %s %nclus%ve n$ encour0%n0" prov%$%n0 s&e n$ nurtur%n0
env%ron1ent %n wh%ch the pup%ls re encour0e$ to 0row c$e1%clly n$ personlly. The # )evel n$
-.S( results *e%n0 cons%stently *ove the 'orthern :reln$ ver0e" con&%r1 tht th%s school %s one o& the
top-per&or1%n0 c$e1%c schools %n 'orthern :reln$. The Deprt1ent o& ($uct%on reco0n%ses tht ./S %s
=good school7" echo%n0 the 9%n%ster7s $es%re tht e(ery school str%ve to *e 0oo$ school. : 1 stron0ly
oppose$ to the school *eco1%n0 non-select%ve school n$ 1y pre&erence woul$ *e to ret%n ./S s
s%n0le se8 0r11r school. To cont%nue to prov%$e n e$uct%onl pthwy &or the c$e1%clly *le pup%ls
%n the .oler%ne #re" : woul$ *e prepre$ to cons%$er support%n0 proposl tht ./S *eco1es co-
e$uct%onl 0r11r school su*6ect to su%t*le s&e0ur$s *e%n0 put %n plce to preserve n$ uphol$ the
ethos n$ stn$r$s o& .oler%ne /%0h School.
he 1o(ernors %oul# encourage you to present your o%n in#i(i#ual response an# present any other
arguments as you may feel appropriate& Such in#i(i#ual responses %ill carry more %eight than a
stan#ar# reply&
Ahate(er your opinion, the Boar# of 1o(ernors %oul# reiterate the importance of ma2ing a
submission to the 566BB& "n email %ith an attachment %ill be for%ar#e# to your account %ith
instructions on ho% to complete the consultation&
han2 you for your continue# support an# for ta2ing the time to ensure the future of grammar
e#ucation in Coleraine High School&
>ours s%ncerely
9rs # Bell
/e$1%stress n$ Secretry to the Bor$ o& -overnors.