'Save our school' - Blackheath Bluecoat School pupils confront Greenwich councillors over closure threat (From News Shopper)

'Save our school' - Blackheath Bluecoat School pupils confront Greenwich councillors over closure threat

10:18am Thursday 27th October 2011 in Top Stories By Mark Chandler

GREENWICH councillors on their way to a function were confronted with hordes of parents, pupils and teachers from the school they may axe.

On their way out of the town hall from a meeting, councillors had to walk past lines of protestors on either side noisily chanting “save our school”.

As they reached the Woolwich Centre across the road, where they were heading for a Freedom of the Borough ceremony, more Blackheath Bluecoat School protestors greeted them with banners and chants.

Mandla Thane, 12, said afterwards: “I care about the school. I have dyslexia and this school helps me a lot.

“This place has given me a chance.”

Sixth former Neil Graham, 17, said: “It seems like they’ve already made up their mind.”

He said: “Our school is progressing. Our school is getting good GCSEs and expected to get better next year. Closing it can’t be the right decision.”

Before the meeting, Bluecoat protestors had been joined by anti-cuts campaigners, one dressed as the Grim Reaper, and promised to fight proposals to close the school due to debts and low pupil numbers.

People from the school also filled the council meeting’s public gallery to hear a speech given by one parent, asking for councillors to find an alternative way to keep Bluecoat open.

As the meeting progressed, loud chants from pupils could still be heard coming from outside the building.

To questions about school capacity in the borough, cabinet member for children and young people Councillor Jackie Smith insisted 11 per cent of primary places were unfilled.

She said: “That’s a 1,500 pupil capacity for current secondary schools to take and we don’t anticipate that we’ll need a further school until much later in the decade.”

Cllr Smith added: “The current school is also in quite a bad state of repair.”

A consultation on the closure runs until November 2 with no final decision planned until January.