Conservatives vow to fight for St Pius Primary

Leading Bristol Conservatives have vowed to oppose the proposed closure of St Pius X Roman Catholic School in Gatehouse Avenue, Withywood, and fight for its future.

Last month, the Council's Education Department revealed plans for a radical shake-up of Bristol's primary school provision. As part of a £46 million new investment programme, the Primary Review controversially identified three schools for closure, eighteen for merger and eight to become 'federations'.

Ironically, St Pius X has just had £120,000 lavished upon it for a new roof, and pupil numbers are steadily growing as local parents endorse the work undertaken to raise standards by Head teacher Tony Halloran and his staff.

Conservative Prospective MP for Bristol South, Dr Mark Lloyd Davies said: “I am saddened that, in spite of Labour's rhetoric about investment in education, St Pius has been targeted for closure, and many schools for amalgamation and merger.

“Shutting this community school is not what its teaching staff, parents and pupils want or deserve. This ill-conceived reorganisation must be opposed.

“With Bristol's state sector still languishing near the bottom of national league tables, it is high time we started raising standards in our schools - not closing them.”

Tory leader and local Bishopsworth Councillor Richard Eddy added: “It strikes me as perverse that, when there is increasing recognition that children learn better in smaller numbers, this Labour-run Council appears hell-bent on closures and mega-schools.

“These recommendations are extremely short-sighted, in that they appear to take little account of future demographic changes in the city's shifting primary school population.

“Conservatives will back the right of parents to send their children to their local school and fight the closure plans.

“If the announced consultation process is genuine and meaningful, Officers will have to respond to the wishes of all those who are desperate to keep St Pius X open.”

Back to Local News Index 17 June 2008