5:34pm Wednesday 10th March 2004
By Sophie Kummer
Councillors voted this week to press ahead with plans to close a failing school next year, despite warnings from education chiefs that their decision could face a judicial review.
Gillian Palmer, Barnet Council's chief education officer, warned cabinet members at a meeting on Monday (March 8) that their plans to close Christ Church C of E School in Hilton Avenue, North Finchley, in 2005 could result in parents and neighbouring councils mounting a legal challenge.
She said pupils in Year 9 should be able to choose their GCSE subjects safe in the knowledge that they could complete the courses they have chosen at the same school.
If they were not, she said, parents or neighbouring councils, such as Haringey or Islington - where some Christ Church pupils live - could challenge Barnet for not providing adequate education. However, councillors agreed to close Christ Church school in August 2005, and St Mary's C of E High School in Downage, Hendon, approximately two years later.
They decided to try to find places elsewhere for all Christ Church students who need to do their GCSEs.
Councillor Brian Salinger said: "The number of students who would be doing their GCSEs there will dwindle between now and the beginning of September. I fear that by extending it to 2006, and not finding a quick solution, we will have a school that's dead before then."
Chairing the meeting, Councillor Anthony Finn said: "It's like staying on the Titanic as it goes down - it can't add to the pupils' education to have them running around an empty school."
Meanwhile, the Rev Adrian Benjamin, the chairman of governors at Christ Church, this week laid out ambitious plans to restructure secondary Church of England education in Barnet by building new schools and opening another academy (March 9).
He said: "We should close Christ Church as soon as possible and turn St Mary's into an academy. We could then move Friern Barnet School in Hemington Avenue, New Southgate to the Christ Church buildings and they could look after Christ Church's current Year 9 pupils, and the Friern Barnet buildings could become the new girls' school."
He also suggested building on the site of Christ Church's playing fields and creating a new C of E boys' school, with the same headteacher and governors as the new girls' school. He said the plans had been ratified by the London Diocesan Board. The result would be two new single-sex boys' and girls' schools in Finchley, and a new C of E academy in Cricklewood.
The council will consult the public on any options the London Diocesan Board proposes.
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