Time has been confirmed as 7pm. Venue is the Assembly Hall.
We encourage as many parents as possible to attend. Your support will be needed.
Please post your comments below to help shape an agenda for the evening.
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If the funding is withdrawn from the prep, how will the school fund itself? Will 30% extra per child be enough? Will there be financial support from the senior school?
ReplyDeleteWhat stage is the recruitment process for a new Head of Department at? Is the current uncertainty over funding affecting this process?
ReplyDeleteI should know this, being an accountant , but I was always rubbish @ tax & am so long in banking now...I believe there used to be some form of taxation relief iro school fees. Has this now been eradicated? Again, any taxation loopholes that might sweeten any existing / future fee burden?
ReplyDeleteI wanted to ask -
ReplyDeleteIs there certainty that there will be no 'hidden costs'outside the annual fees (eg inflated school fund), should pupil nos not be as expected. Parents need clarity on Board of Gov's contingency plans & budget (current & future). What is the breakdown point in the Prep's annual budget? How much fat / profit (if any) is there in that currently & how much would pupil nos. need to drop by before any increment is imposed?I believe I read somewhere that there is provision within the Report that the Senior School cannot supplement the prep educationally &/or financially. Has alternative fund-raising been considered - eg 2nd hand uniform shop would be easy to set up / run, assist in spreading schooling costs for parents & could provide income for the school.
A few people have said (partly in jest, but worth considering) that we should have Irish lessons to meet the Irish language funding criteria. Are there any legislative loopholes to be exploited? Can non-denominational somehow be termed as integrated - the 2 don't sound so far apart to me. I suspect , however, the fee-paying status of the Prep may be what defines this?
ReplyDelete- Status of Head of Department interviews
ReplyDelete- Under what circumstances would closure of the Prep Dept ever be considered?
- Are the staff committed to see this through - without them, there is no school?
- Any potential for scholarships / external sponsorship?
- What is the communication plan after this meeting?
- I believe this happened before (1997?) & end result was a reduction in Board funding from 40% to 30%. What quashed the motion then - what is different now - can we take any lessons from then to assist in current crisis?
Should ask the headmaster what the RHS response was to the consultation undertaken by the Business Consultancy Service (BCS) of the Delivery & Innovation Division (DID) of the Department of Finance and Personel (DFP)which should have been made before 27 March 2009. Only 11 grammar schools responded. Was RHS one of those? If so, what did they say?
ReplyDeleteIt is noted also that in responding to recent LMS budget proposals for 2010/11 the National Association of Head Teachers while not against the removal of prep funding, suggested that it should be phased out over the lifetime of a cohort of students i.e. 7 years and not introduced abruptly at September 2010 (see www.naht.org.uk/EasySiteWeb/getresopurce.axd?AssetID=18608&type=full&servicetype=Attachment. Why has DENI not considered such a proposal?
Paul Rose
What about further enhancing the AQE criteria for entrance into the senior school in favour of the prep pupils? This would certainly encourage parents to pay extra fees. Other schools like Victoria College give special preference to their prep pupils.
ReplyDeleteI am unable to make the meeting on Thursday?
ReplyDeleteWill there be minutes taken by the BOG and answers to the above questions?
Maybe the answers could get added to this site or sent out via pupils.
Liz, non denomination is NOT the same as integrated. Schools can transform to integrated status with i believe, an starting enrollment of 10% from the minority tradition, but this takes time, and would need a vote of parents and i assume the go ahead of the Minister!!! NICIE are the people to talk to about this. I am not sure what effect the fee paying element would have on integrated status.
ReplyDeletecheck out what Connor House said at their meeting, this can be seen via Cygnet House link above.
ReplyDeleteCan the Board of Governors clarify to parents the status of the Prep Dept, being one of three 'controlled' schools, and how this may leave us more vulnerable than other prep schools, in view of the recent proposals for the removal of partial funding.
ReplyDeleteIn view of the negative publicity surrounding the future of Prep schools, this may directly effect the Sept' 2010 and / or future intakes to P1. The shortfall in fees payable would presumably have to be absorbed by existing pupils. Has Dr.McCavery / Board of Governors reviewed their current strategy for securing future students? Eg. placing greater importance on the website, etc
ReplyDeleteMinutes will be taken at the meeting on Thursday - able to be viewed on this blogsite asap.
ReplyDeletefrom what I understand it is possible considering a motion to be ratified by DoE (?) to enable the senior school to nominate a feeder/preferred school which would, as a consequence, receive priority in the transfer process.
ReplyDeleteThis still needs ratification but would act as a recognised benefit to enrolment in the Prep.. one for the SEELB & your governors. paul
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE THAT ATTENDED THE MEETING ON THURSDAY NIGHT. PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF RHS, TEACHERS, HEAD MASTER, BOARD OF GOVERNOR MEMBERS, MERVYN STOREY MLA AND MICHELLE MCILVEEN MLA.
ReplyDeleteI have issued around 76 letters to MLAs, MPs and to Caitriona Ruane herself (didn't think there was any point writing to the entire SF party - they wouldn't be interested!). So far I have had 20 responses, all very positive and all stating that they are behind the parents. The responses are largely from the DUP MLAs but some UUP politicians have also expresed their disgust at the DE proposals. A motion has been tabled for discussion in the Assembly and our views are being related back to the Education Committee. We need to keep the presure on.
ReplyDeleteDon't know if anyone was listening to the Stephen Nolan show today but apparently the Education Minister was adamant that the proposals would go ahead as, basically, prep schools are elitist and privileged!
Great to hear that you have sent so many letters Paul, we have sent 37. We have received responses from DUP, UUP and Alliance who are all very supportive and plan to do their best for us to fight the proposal. Down High are having their parents' meeting tomorrow night and John McCallister (UUP) is planning to speak at it.
ReplyDeleteI heard the Stephen Nolan show this morning. Mervyn Storey was interviewed also and put our case across strongly. Stephen's approach was a little disappointing. Caitriona kept on about equality but she was not made to explain the inequality between Irish Medium schools being funded at £5k per pupil vs primary schools at £2.1k.
The outstanding results of our prep schools must give us the determination to hold firm and pursue the best for our kids.