Save Hillside Community First School

Wimborne Academy Trust have begun a consultation process to reduce the number of children admitted to Hillside First Community School each year, from 60 to 30 children. This comes as a result of the recent reduction in the number of young families living in the local area, and will mean that Hillside has one class per year group instead of two. At present, there are 90 school places in Verwood each year for children wishing to attend a church school, and a further 60 places for families who wish to choose a non-denominational education. If the proposed changes take place, there will be 90 church school places, and just 30 non-church school places. This should not be a discussion about being anti-religion, but rather, pro-choice. Local families unable to secure a nondenominational school place will be forced to travel out of catchment for their education. A reduction in the number of school classes will also result in decreased funding for Hillside, and an inevitable reduction in the number of teaching and support staff. This could easily lead to the deterioration of the school’s provision. This would also put more pressure of the other schools in Verwood and cause more traffic problems at the Verwood First and EMS campus.