Sent: 07 January 2009 14:39 
To: undisclosed-recipients: 
Subject: Sefton Park Expansion Update

Hi everyone and a Happy New Year!

Here's an update on the Sefton Park Expansion Plans (and our 
opposition to them!)

A handful of us were invited to a meeting with Councillor Peter 
Hammond to discuss the expansion. It turned out not to be so much 
a meeting with Peter Hammond as a meeting with his officers, Mick 
Branaghan and Kate Campion, with Peter Hammond observing. Mick B 
was concerned with logistics and money. He told us Fairfield 
(old) was no good - due to cost, space, traffic, and they were 
relying on selling it to help pay for the new Fairfield school 
anyway! He admitted that if rolls continued to increase, they 
might build a new school on the Brunel site in the next 5-10 
years, even after expanding Sefton park. It seems as though they 
need a 2 form entry school! We asked him to investigate the 
possibility of getting more land from Persimmon. 

Kate Campion was the educationalist who seemed to be sold on the 
idea of a 3 form entry school. Among her less-than-convincing 
arguments were "my daughter went to a 3 form entry school and she 
was OK" "I used to be a Head and I don't agree with the 
Governors' assessment of the situation"  "A good Head will be 
able to counteract any difficulties associated with larger 
schools" (I am paraphrasing wildly but that was the gist.)

We are due to meet with Peter Hammond again on the 12th Jan - so 
if you have any views you want to be put forward, please email 
me! He indicated he would be making a decision about whether or 
not to proceed with the expansion this month - mid to late Jan - 
so this is crunch time!