One of the country’s highest performing grammar schools is resisting an attempt by the Church of England to take it over. Governors at Liverpool’s Blue Coat School said the “hostile” attempt by the diocese to get their hands on the school was “despicable”. But the Church was buoyed by a message from Education Secretary Alan Johnson, who said he was “minded to approve the application”.
The church is relying on a 300-year old document that says that pupils will receive “religious instruction” to justify its move. But parents, governors, teachers and trustees have opposed the plan -- and are taking legal advice to see if they can bring a Judicial Review to block the Church.
But the diocese welcomed the Minister’s decision saying that it wasn’t a “take over” as strictly speaking the school is already classified as a CofE school.
The Chairman of Blue Coat’s governors, Chris Hallows, told the local paper that the Church “just want to get their hands on a good school which is achieving better than any of the church schools currently in Liverpool. The message that we will send out is that this will dramatically change the character of the school and reduce its standards and performance. There’s no doubt in my mind that the Blue Coat will become a different school, to the detriment of the quality of education received by pupils.”
Mr Hallows believes the takeover would change the way the school was run if Church representatives were parachuted on to the 21-strong governing body. He also fears it could dramatically reduce the academic quality of the school’s pupil intake by changing the admissions policy, which is currently based on an exam to select the best 120 pupils out of the 600 or so who apply for a place each year.
Mr Hallows said there would be also major concerns if the school is forced to appoint an ordained headteacher when current head Sandy Tittershill retires in July, 2008. “We would have no problem appointing a C of E ordained headteacher, but currently we can recruit from the entire national pool of talent and if that choice is restricted we may not find the best person for the job.”
School officials will today hold a crisis meeting with Wavertree MP Jane Kennedy, who has been backing the school’s stance. The Education Minister has given the school until January 12, to lodge its objections to the plan.
Mr Hallows said the school was 100% opposed to the takeover, which he said was “not being done amicably. The way they have gone about this is despicable. They served this notice on us without our knowledge 18 months ago and they are pressing ahead despite our opposition.”
The Bishop of Warrington, the Rt Rev David Jennings, who chairs the Diocesan Board of Education, said there was clear evidence the school was founded as a CofE school, and he had asked the Secretary of State to investigate why its status had not been clarified after the 1998 Education Act.
Mr Hallows said the school was founded by a benevolent church minister 300 years ago. “But that was the end of the Church’s involvement.”
Headteacher Sandy Tittershill wrote to parents that the character of the school was at risk. He told them: “One of the major strengths of the Blue Coat School is its multicultural diversity. Our selection and entrance tests draw students from all faiths reflecting the culture of today's 21st century society. The doctrines of the 18th century are outdated and do not reflect the current Government agenda of choice and diversity and this is not reflected in this proposal. The city of Liverpool needs the Blue Coat School as it is, a multicultural, dynamic and tolerant community.”
He added: "I have now personally been at the school for 41 years and became the school's 24th headmaster in April, 2001. Never at any time has one single person ever suggested to me that the Blue Coat school is a Church of England school.”
NSS December 2006