Catholic schools fight new closures axe

A CATHOLIC school in south London is fighting plans to close it made by a Southwark Diocese-backed working party. writes Christopher Howse The governors of John Griffiths school,Wimbledon,have "totally rejected" plans by a . working party of headteachers set up by the diocesan Schools Commission to close the school and allow Notre Dame school, Battersea, to take over the buildings.
Another school in the area with a threat to its future is the Holy Family Convent, Tooting. The school closures have come with the need to reduce schools capacity in London in the face of shrinking pupil levels.
Both in Westminster and Southwark dioceses, schools commissions, headmasters and governors are locked in arguments over which schools will have to go. By next Easter, Southwark Schools Commission has to submit a plan for reorganistaion to the Inner London Education Authority which involves the loss of nearly 1,000 pupils' places, or 32 forms every year.
The headmaster of John Griffiths school has written to all parents saying: "To reduce by this amount could mean either closing six schools the sire of John Griffiths or sharing the reduction between schools."
The working party of headmasters has come up with a plan which has yet to he approved before being submitted to the ILEA. It proposes the setting up of three sixth form colleges at Bishop Thomas Grant, Streatham. Notre Dame, Southwark and St Joseph's, Blackheath.
For the boroughs of Wandsworth and Lambeth the proposals suggest: John Griffiths should close and Notre Dame take over as a four-form entry girls' school; Holy Family. Tooting to close: Salesian College. to remain four,form entry: Clapham College to reduce to four-form entry: La Retraite to remain four-form entry: Bishop Thomas Grant to reduce to four-form entry.
Mr J. Hughes, John Griffiths' headmaster said: "There is a deep sense of grievance here. There was no timetable for consultation with parents. I don't want to draw attention to this school in particular. The powers that be at Archbishop's House have got to be made aware that they can't keep the lid on this problem. Parents are registering objections to Archbishop's House.
"Before the school opened in 1968, we were promised a mixed school. This has been the assumption for the last two years and it is what we want now."