KHVIII and Bablake to merge?

[rebbonk]

It looks like that from September 2021 the two schools will form a tighter merger than in the past.

The prep' school will be housed at Warwick Rd whilst the senior school will be housed at Bablake's current premises. The reasons put forward for this are many and varied, but I can't help wondering if selling off prime development land in Earlsdon is proving an attraction?

[rebbonk]

[dutchman]

The school trustees owned land all over Coventry at one time. I only found out by accident when I read an old planning application for the demolition of a city centre shop to make way for a car park.

[dutchman]

Two historic Coventry schools announce they are merging



Coventry's two main private schools - Bablake School and King Henry VIII School - are to merge.

Both schools are part of Coventry School Foundation, who have hailed the move as a "strategic and ambitious plan for the future".

The fee paying schools, with a combined history of 1,150 years in the city, will merge to become known as Coventry School.

The school will open in September 2021 with the merger due to be completed by September 2022.

Chair of Governors Julia Mc Naney said the project will "achieve savings that can be reinvested in continually re-enriching the school experience".

By September 2022 all pupils will all be on one of the sites two age-specific campuses and separate nursery provision will be located at The Grange based in Brownshill Green.

King Henry VIII School was founded in 1545, and Bablake School was originally founded in 1344.

Both schools charge up to £12,162 in annual fees, £4,054 per term.

By the end of the merger in September 2022, Coventry School will be a single educational establishment but arranged across two campuses.

The Foundation have said that the Bablake and King Henry VIII names will be preserved, with pupils aged 4 to 11 based at the Coventry School prep campus at the King Henry VIII site, and senior pupils (aged 11 to 18) based at the Coventry School senior campus at the Bablake site. Nursery pupils (aged 3) will be based at The Grange.

A new school logo will be developed in November, and a new principal will be appointed in December.

Doors will plan to open in September 2021, with the final transitions completed by September 2022.

[rebbonk]

Rather a lot of staff are unhappy, as are a lot of parents. Apparently, it was presented as a 'fait accompli' in an email yesterday. Hardly the way to communicate to stakeholders.

[dutchman]

More than 2,400 parents and alumni sign petition to stop merger



A PETITION has been launched by parents to stop the proposed merger of two top independent schools in Coventry – Bablake and King Henry VIII.

The merger, announced last Thursday (October 1) by Coventry School Foundation, plans for the two historic schools to become a single all-through day school for three to 18-year-olds called Coventry School by September 2021.

Already more than 2,400 people have signed the Stop the Coventry Schools merger on change.org

Parents have expressed their anger and shock over a “lack of consultation” prior to the announcement. The petition claims the proposed merger “only seemed to be motivated by the incentive of profit”.

Arguments against the merger raised by parents include the view that it is important both schools retain their distinct historic identities, many are also opposed to the new name.

The parents of one Year 8 child at King Henry VIII School, who contacted the Observer, said: “The merger announcement email was a complete shock, two years in planning yet the governors kept this to themselves.

“We would not have placed our child there in Year 7 if we knew this was in the pipeline, this is not what we signed up for.

“We all have personal choice as to why we chose our preferred school and do not want two great schools to be increased in size as firstly, King Henry’s will lose its ‘family feel’ environment.

“I am angry that no consultation was made with parents, children or staff of either school to gauge whether this would be welcomed. We sacrifice a lot to send our children to these schools and as such should have a say in its future.”

Another parent, who has two children at King Henry VIII School told the Observer: “I am disgusted at the way the school has gone about making this announcement. I suspect you will find a large portion of parents feel the same way as highlighted by the rapidly growing online petition to stop this.”

A former Bablake pupil, who signed the petition, said: “This merger is an appalling decision and the ethos of Bablake will ultimately be lost. Coventry School means absolutely nothing and lends no heed to the rich history, tradition and culture of both schools… not to mention the famous (friendly) sporting rivalry! It screams anonymity and blandness.”

[dutchman]

I believe the Telegraph pulled an article about the protest following pressure from the schools? At the very least a headline was changed before I could click on it.

[rebbonk]

A lot of people are very unhappy about things.

From my point of view (I attended Henry's many years ago) I'm more concerned about the poor management and leadership. If they scrape through this mess, what is being done to remove the current incompetents from office and to prevent a recurrence of this fiasco at a later date? This is not a result of covid, but of systematic, sustained and incompetent mismanagement.

There are plenty of questions that need asking of the governing body that simply aren't being aired.

[dutchman]

Thousands raised to block Bablake School and King Henry VIII School merger

Thousands of pounds have been raised for a fund hoping to block the merger of Coventry's two top private schools, King Henry VIII School and Bablake School.

The GoFundMe page, set up by campaign group 'Action 4 Henry's and Bablake', has been set up to fund legal action to push back against the proposals.

The funding page had already received more than £6,000 of donations at the time of writing from people wishing to push for the two schools to stay separate.

King Henry VIII School was set up 1545 and Bablake School was set up in 1344, and both share a long history of rivalry and achievement.

Coventry Schools Foundation runs both schools and is overseeing the merger.

Action 4 Henry's and Bablake say they have set up the page because "legal action will also be needed to actually block the merger and save King Henry VIII and Bablake Schools as two distinct and successful schools."

CoventryLive first reported on the shock merger in October 2020, and Coventry Schools Foundation has since pressed on with a new name,uniform, and timeline on bringing the two schools together.

Their timeline says the new Bablake and King Henry VIII School (BKHS) will be open for September 2021.

But the Charity Commission have opened a case looking into the merger, and CoventryLive understands it is expected to report back with its findings shortly.

Writing on the GoFundMe page, Action 4 Henry's and Bablake said: "It is almost certain that legal action will also be needed to actually block the merger and save King Henry VIII and Bablake Schools as two distinct and successful schools. We are instructing Irwin Mitchell LLP, a leading law firm who are experts in advising on disputes in the Education Sector, to help us reach this outcome."

Spearheading the campaign, former Bablake School headmaster George Fisher said: "We're not here trying to relieve some sort of hey day as it were, we're here to look at what can be two very dynamic and forward looking schools which are there to serve the children of Coventry and that's what they have done very very successfully for a long period of time.

"To risk losing that and merging them into one sort of anonymous BKHS school, to me would be a disservice to the city really."

[dutchman]

Teachers set to strike at Coventry's Bablake School over anger at merger



Teachers at Bablake School are expected to go on strike this week amid the new Coventry Schools Foundation merger which will see the historic establishment merge with King Henry VIII School.

The joining together of the city's two top private schools has been on the cards for some time, but some teachers at Bablake said they are unhappy and feel they are not being listened to by school governors.

Due to this, members of the NASUWT union will strike strike tomorrow, Wednesday, May 26.

One striking teacher told CoventryLive : "The governors still are failing to listen to staff regarding pay, job cuts and other issues despite already changing the plan for the merger, the new plan does not address these issues.

"Staff are becoming more frustrated as they need to plan for the next year and can’t ask, governors can’t make decisions and won’t inform staff about the current situation regarding the merger."