No need to fear change

Sir - With reference to the article last week on changes proposed for Woodside Middle School, I note that the suggestion that current Year 6 and Year 7 pupils be moved early to an upper school has been met with some fear and anger by a number of parents who are alarmed at the idea of their children being with ‘much older children’ rather sooner than anticipated by either them or their children.

I would like to point out that in 2006 when St Bede’s Middle School was closed this is exactly what happened there. The Year 6 and Year 7 pupils were offered the choice of transferring to other middle schools or transferring early to St Thomas More Upper School.

The majority of parents at the time opted for the latter course of action, despite also having concerns and worries that their children would not cope by being in a much larger establishment and finding themselves among much older pupils rather earlier than anticipated.

In fact as far as I am aware this process went ahead smoothly and with great success and the Upper school staff found it to be a rewarding experience to have pupils with them from Year 7. I would urge the parents who are now facing this change at Woodside to be reassured that it may in fact be beneficial and exciting for their children rather than traumatic and to know that it has already been tried successfully in our town.

Of course, it should also be pointed out that in reality, moving to secondary school at the end of Year 6 is the norm in most areas of the UK anyway but will take some time to be accepted here where we have long been used to the three school system.

As long as Mark Rutherford staff are properly equipped and ready to receive their younger intake and welcome them I doubt the pupils will suffer too much and hope the parents’ fears will soon be allayed.