Schools in Bishop's Castle should join forces to fight as one, parents told
Schools around Bishop's Castle should fight as one for the good of their pupils, parents were told at a public meeting sparked by a primary school's 's bid to join another academy trust.
Parents, staff and governors from schools in the Bishop's Castle area met at the SpArC Theatre to discuss the future options.
The meeting was called by governors at the Community College, but was prompted by the unexpected announcement before half term that Bishop's Castle Primary School was considering joining the Hereford-based Bishop Anthony Educational Trust, or Baet.
That would place it in an umbrella organisation that currently takes in nine schools including Ludlow Infant and Nursery School, Bitterley CofE Primary School, Morville CofE School and Hereford Academy.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Jim Sparkes, chairman of governors at the Community College, said the primary school's decision to consult on joining Baet, which is linked to the Diocese of Hereford, came as a surprise, but talks had taken place between the schools since. He said: "It's a huge decision that will influence the children and the community of Bishop's Castle for years.
"There is no rush to make this decision but once it's made, it's final.
"Bishop Anthony Educational Trust is a perfectly reasonable academy trust, there are a lot of schools in it. It is out there as a potential multi-academy trust that we could all look at joining.
"But we are saying let's look at the options and let's do that together and let's see if we can find one of these multi-academy trusts that we can all be part of together, because it would have a huge benefit for the children.
"Collaboration is much better for us than competition between schools, but if you had two schools in different multi-academy trusts, competition would very much be on the agenda."
He said the primary's interest in Baet had been a surprise as the schools around Bishop's Castle had been working in partnership for three years as the South West Shropshire Learning Trust, with a view to possibly making it a multi-academy trust in its own right in the future.
Jane Carroll, chair of governors at Bishop's Castle Primary School, said previously she didn't see why the primary school joining Baet should affect its work with the Community College.
