Stormont School, Hackney Downs:

re their hopes and plans to temporarily decant the school while it is rebuilt

Back Story: Stormont School on Hackney Downs is hoping to completely rebuild next year, 2011. They need to temporarily create classrooms for the students for a period stretching to perhaps 2 years.

In 2 meetings I've attended with Stormont School to date, as a representative of the Hackney Downs User Group, I have made it plain that there would very likely be strong opposition if the school was to attempt to decant onto any open common land;

but it may be worth their while looking into the possibilities of creating temporary classrooms in the (mostly) disused bowling green on the Downs.

And I underlined the importance of being certain that if this were to happen, it must not create any precedent that can be exploited at a later date.

So....... Yesterday, Wednesday 7th July 2010, Myself and a number of Park User Group members were expecting to attend a meeting in the school at 7pm, set up via Park Development. But I discovered, by chance that afternoon, that Stormont School seemed to not know anything about a 7pm meeting.

And I made this discovery because, late in the afternoon yesterday, I happened to re-read information that Building Schools for the Future had emailed me, Tues 6th just the day before, about there (also) being some daytime meetings in the school yesterday.

"There are parent’s consultation meetings at the school this Wednesday from 1.30pm – 3.30pm and 5pm – 6pm. The ward councillors are going to attend the evening session."

I'd paid it scant attention first time as I was expecting to already be atttending the 7pm - 8pm.  And naturally I assumed that the reference to "ward councillors are going to attend the evening session" actually meant the evening session.

So it was on a whim I decided it'll perhaps be a good idea for me to pop along to the school at 5.30, in an hour's time, and check out TWO different meetings in that same day. And it was as soon as I arrived at the school that I learnt that the 7pm evening meet was apparently never heard of. Thankfully we were able to contact in good time those I knew had confirmed with Parks Development  that they were coming at 7pm.

I guess these things happen. It's early days.

On the plus side, there is now a strong chance that at least one person from Stormont will join our User Group Monthly Tree Watering session on Hackney Downs, 4th Sunday of each month, the next being on Sunday July 25th, and perhaps one local councillor will water with us too. And Stormont will perhaps open up for refreshments for us after we've watered on that Sunday. Hope to see you, and maybe your families and friends too.

http://www.learningtrust.co.uk/schools/special_schools/school_info.aspx?ID=76

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackney_Downs