Why Bradfield catchment area should change

[cornfed_pig 10]

2. Transport concerns. Increases in carbon footprints are one of the main issues. Wisewood was and is the most walked too school is Sheffield and strong indications show that it is very feasible for people to walk to Bradfield but not Myers. Why hasn’t anyone looked or considered closing WW and the lower half go to Myers and the top half of the catchment go to Bradfield??? Would you have supported Bradfield and MG being rebuilt and catchment sorted between the 2?

Exactly what I suggested last year and wrote to the consultation saying so. Pupils north of Far Lane should go to Bradfield, south of Far Lane to Myers.

 

4. Safety Issues. In my view and that of many parents of this estate then the route to get to Myers Grove just isn’t a safe route. The number of secondary/main roads which children would have to cross is ridiculous. There are some crossings but no where near enough to ensure the safety of our children.

The main crossing problem is Loxley Road outside the Yew Tree. That junction needs to be upgraded to make it easier and safer to cross. When trying to cross toewards the Yew Tree you need eyes in the back of your head to see traffic coming from behind you.

 

6. Do you think something very fishy is happening with Bradfield School?????

Definately well dodgy.

 

7. Wisewood school is in ward 17 (Hillsborough), Bradfield and Myers are in ward 24 (Stannington). Do you or anyone else know why Bradfield were out of the equation for this and why ward boundaries have been discounted in the first place?

 

Ward boundaries are irrelevant for school catchement areas. Wards are artificial entities that have to be exactly the same size to provide representation to the council. Catchement areas are different sizes to provide pupils for different sized schools.

[The Chavs 10]

Ward boundaries are irrelevant for school catchement areas. Wards are artificial entities that have to be exactly the same size to provide representation to the council. Catchement areas are different sizes to provide pupils for different sized schools.

 

Not quite true, if you look on the council website there are 28 wards all of different sizes. Do you know what the wards are for ?? Im not trying to be funny but if its not for planning what are they for ??

 

The merger has been done based on planning for the North West but the North West hasnt been included in the plans in full and the wards havent been used so I am still at a loss as to why the Council are still saying this is for the "North West" area.

 

http://eduplugins.sheffield.gov.uk/schools/ward.aspx

[cornfed_pig 10]

Not quite true, if you look on the council website there are 28 wards all of different sizes.

No, there are 28 wards all of the same size, 13500 electors, within a few hundred.

 

Do you know what the wards are for ?? Im not trying to be funny but if its not for planning what are they for ??

Yes I do know what they are for, and they are not for plannng. They are purely, only and solely for providing representives to the Council.

[The Chavs 10]

Proposal :

 

Sheffield City Council review the catchment areas for the North West area of Sheffield.

 

I feel that the political parties within Sheffield have been concentrating on battles regarding Wisewood and Myers Grove but have been ignoring issues relating to the whole of the North West.

 

 

Can someone please advise what the process is for getting this on the agenda. Do I have to target local councillors? I know the socs gorup mentioned people in the BSF programme they had been on touch with - can anyone give me a name? Any advise on how to take this campaign further would be appreciated. Thanks

[loopylulu 10]

I used to live close to you and walk to Myers every day and it doesn't take 45 minutes.

And i don't believe i could make it to Bradfield in 20 minutes from where i live now in Stannington!

I know this isn't the main reason for peoples discontent but seeing as you mentioned it - IMHO 45 minutes walking excercise in a morning and afternoon for a kid is exactly what they need.

 

Who says they need 45 minutes exercise in a morning and afternoon? What about the exercise they get at school? What if they are members of a sporting team - They would be tired by the time they had to go training.

 

I would not expect my child to have to be walking for 1and half hours on their school journey - think about it 45 minutes walking in the belting down rain - wouldnt that be great for them.

 

We are not talking about 14-15 year olds but 11 year olds - do you not realise that 45 minutes walking alone when you are 11 is a very scary thing to do not only for the children but for the parents as well as they do not feel it safe for their children at this age to be walking that far!!

[The Chavs 10]

I would not expect my child to have to be walking for 1and half hours on their school journey - think about it 45 minutes walking in the belting down rain - wouldnt that be great for them.

 

 

I wouldnt either. I agree it is too much too much to ask. Why do we have morning and evening rush hours.....it's because fully grown adults wont put up with this either. We dont go out to work for 7 hours and then spend 1.5 hrs walking to and from on top of this. Most people get to and from work as fast as possible in the comfort of their car. For all those that have said walking isnt a problem I would ask what you and the members in your family do to get to work??

 

Can someone please advise what the process is for getting this catchment issue on the agenda. Do I have to target local councillors? I know the socs group mentioned people in the BFS programme they had been on touch with - can anyone give me a name? Any advise on how to take this campaign further would be appreciated. Thanks

[loopylulu 10]

I wouldnt either. I agree it is too much too much to ask. Why do we have morning and evening rush hours.....it's because fully grown adults wont put up with this either. We dont go out to work for 7 hours and then spend 1.5 hrs walking to and from on top of this. Most people get to and from work as fast as possible in the comfort of their car. For all those that have said walking isnt a problem I would ask what you and the members in your family do to get to work??

 

Can someone please advise what the process is for getting this catchment issue on the agenda. Do I have to target local councillors? I know the socs group mentioned people in the BFS programme they had been on touch with - can anyone give me a name? Any advise on how to take this campaign further would be appreciated. Thanks

 

I would contact local councillors but I think the issue has been raised regarding changing catchment areas, there was the consultation on catchment area change - as usual the council decided not to change catchment - no surprises there then.

 

If you think that your local councillors would take up the challenge of trying to change the catchment area then try them other than that I think it would have to be Harry Harpham and Jonathan Crossley-Holland.

[The Manager 12]

i was told on a number of times at the consulation meetings that catchment areas was ""set in stone and could not be changed" alena p

first time the merger was goin ahead , after they tried to change these catchment areas !! very odd!!

[The Chavs 10]

No, there are 28 wards all of the same size, 13500 electors, within a few hundred.

 

Yes I do know what they are for, and they are not for plannng. They are purely, only and solely for providing representives to the Council.

 

 

Thank you for this. Not sure I quite understand the logic or fully understand what they do but at least I know a little more.

 

If anyone is interested I have posted under the Wisewood thread the following as a direct result of someone saying parents should be working together etc:

 

Thank you for your post.

 

Can I make a suggestion? Would anyone like to join me for a walk from Wadsley Park Village to Myers on Friday afternoon? DMartin, perhaps you would like to join me and ask a few who are pro-merger if they would also like to join me. Lets walk and talk about how we can all work together to help the children get to the new school and lets work together to try to understand each others issues.

 

I know Harry Harpham has done this walk previously but lets see if we can pull people together to talk as we walk.

 

If people are interested I will post a time etc for meeting. PS/ I will extend this invite to Harry Harpham and Red aswell.

[Fitz 10]

Before I start I would like to say I fully understand and sympathise with the residents of WPV why they would like the catchment area to change especially when you bought your houses on the understanding that you would be in the catchment.

 

Some of your reasons I find a little hard to swallow. Firstly how you feel the distance to walk to Myers is too far and therefore parents would use their cars to transport their children to school, and the reason that the children from Stannington are closer to Myers than Bradfield.

 

As I resident of Loxley, I know that a number of residents drive from WPV to Loxley Primary past their local school of Wisewood Primary to take their children to Loxley. The traffic at school times is horrendous and dangerous as parents are only interested in find a parking space and have no consideration for local residents walking to school as they just run up the kerb whether you are there or not. (Yes, I know it's not just WPV parents buy I am trying to justify for reasons for the change). Loxley's Head Jan Fletcher has sent numerous letters home about this situation so I guess a few local residents have complained, I for one and my neighbours are fed up with it.

 

Shouldn't you be implementing your reasons at Primary level.

[The Chavs 10]

Some of your reasons I find a little hard to swallow. Firstly how you feel the distance to walk to Myers is too far and therefore parents would use their cars to transport their children to school, and the reason that the children from Stannington are closer to Myers than Bradfield.

 

As I resident of Loxley, I know that a number of residents drive from WPV to Loxley Primary past their local school of Wisewood Primary to take their children to Loxley. The traffic at school times is horrendous and dangerous as parents are only interested in find a parking space and have no consideration for local residents walking to school as they just run up the kerb whether you are there or not. (Yes, I know it's not just WPV parents buy I am trying to justify for reasons for the change). Loxley's Head Jan Fletcher has sent numerous letters home about this situation so I guess a few local residents have complained, I for one and my neighbours are fed up with it.

 

Shouldn't you be implementing your reasons at Primary level.

 

 

I do agree with some of your points. I do think it must be hard for residents close to any school when it comes to traffic problems. Mrs Fletcher in particular has problems with parents dropping off where the yellow zig-zags are, made worse since the lollypop lady position hasnt been filled.

 

You do have to remember though that Loxley Primary School actively promotes for people to apply from outside the catchment area. Without these additional spaces being filled this would have serious consequences. Loxley currently fills approx 18 spaces per year from catchment and it needs 30 to be filled to ensure budgets etc. Loxley attracts people from Worrall, WPV, Wisewood, Stannington, Hillsborough etc. If it continues to remain full then this benefits the long term future of Loxley residents children as it should not have other problems associated with falling numbers. (Wisewood secondary is full but look at that though, still faced with closure and they are turning people away this Sept!!).

 

I think travel issues are slightly different for Primary level. The children are younger. I dont think many people expect primary children to get to school off their own steam (unlike secondary).

 

With relation to WPV itself. This estate is relatively new. Lots of parents already had their children established at a school before moving onto the estate so probably felt it was better to stay with the current school. Wisewood is not the local primary for WPV - Marcliffe is. Within WPV children go to lots of different schools at primary level : Oughtibridge, Marcliffe, Wisewood, Loxley, Sacred Heart, Hillsborough just to name a few.

[Fitz 10]

Thanks Chavs

 

I know Loxley has trouble filling it's places with pupils each year and has to advertise for pupils. But I still think that people would use their car to take the kids to Bradfield instead of walking, and if the busses were taken off can you imagine how many cars would be trying to use the turning circle.

 

I agree with you about primary children not making their own way to school, but theres nothing stopping the parents walking as well. I know this would then bring in issues with working parents but everything just rolls into another situation.

 

I just wish that there was a way to resolve this matter without upsetting the children and their parents, I just can't see it happening though.