PATTEN TO DISCUSS SCHOOLS' FUTURE

by GRAHAM TUTTHILL

    EDUCATION Secretary John Patten has called for talks over the future of the two Dover grammar school.
    A proposal to merge the boys and girls grammar schools on a greenfield site at Whitfield has been on the desk occupied by Mr Patten and his predecessor for the past nine months.
    Now, Mr Patten has said he wants to talk to a representative from Kent County Council about the plans.
    It is feared that while he is happy for the merger to take place, he does not favour a greenfield site and would like the county to consider a cheaper option, such as providing more buildings on the boys school site to accommodate the girls.

    That would not be likely to find favour with the girls school governors, staff, parents or pupils.
    Area education director Neil Mullett is going to London for the talks and he will be stressing the strong views put forward at the consultation meetings nearly two years ago that the only acceptable solution if the schools have to merge - is a new building on a new site.
    At that consultation stage, the public was told that the number of children attending the schools had fallen and that trend was expected to continue.
    But the number of pupils at both schools has increased and this year's numbers are considerably higher than the authority forecast.
    The girls school has 596 pupils this year, against a forecast of 537, and the boys school has 500, compared with the forecast figure of 486.
    A high proportion of last year's fifth form pupils have gone into the sixth form at both schools and there was also an increase in the number of primary school children given places at the grammar schools this summer, particularly boys.
    Boys Grammar School head teacher Neil Slater said funding would be slightly higher next year as a result of the increase in pupils.
    The school is not declining any more and we will not be looking for further substantial cuts in staffing levels," he said.