Thursday meeting

Well, well, well! What can I say after the meeting at the Lafford High School! Full house, loads of questions (most of which remained unanswered), very very cross parents, eloquent young people, emboldened young people. They were incredible. Billinghay should be proud of these young people, and we are. Perhaps a couple of you would like to join the Parish Council soon (you need to be 18).

There were so many questions, it was quite unbelievable. The truth was that the bodies in place did not satisfy the questions the people asked. There were just not listening to what people had to say. No county councillor spoke up or defended the management they had put in authority. It was embarrassing to watch a head and director crumble with no real or substantial answers. There were criticisms of management, of the difficult situations they had put their employees in. Still no result.

At the start we were reassured that no decision had been made. But, sadly, every sentence they said revealed their decision. No matter what the people said! It was as if there were totally hard of hearing.

Every Child Matters. Hmmmm.... Make your own mind up on that one. Young people spoke from their hearts, citing examples of bullying, poor options choices, excellent teachers who cared for them.... All the talk of 'Every Child Matters' really did not add up, all empty words. The arithmetic clearly did not add up.

The teachers were praised, the SENCo was singled out, another was voted in as an alternative head teacher. It was phenomenal. Eventually, people sloped off, discouraged and ready to give up.

Questions remains...
In the league tables of unsustainable schools across the fair county of Lincolnshire, where does the Lafford High School lie? Are we at the top, middle or at the bottom? In a county filled with schools, why did they pick Billinghay? We would still like to know!

What did I learn?

The clear message was:

WE WANT AND NEED THE LAFFORD SCHOOL IN BILLINGHAY. 

Not sure if they heard that!