The last post...for now

It is planned that this blog will be relaunched soon as a general RHS Prep Communications blog soon (interest permitting!). We feel the it would be a good idea to try since this blog has proved a great success as a communications means.

See you later and in the meantime THANK YOU FOR USING THE BLOG.

Julie Rainey

Outcome of the EQIA

Julie Rainey, Liz Breadon and Pauline Frazer attended the NI Assembly Education Committee Meeting today (28th April), to hear the Department of Education's

Departmental Briefing on Outcome of draft EQIA and the Minister’s decision to withdraw part of the Funding to Prep. Departments of Grammar Schools

Many of you have asked what the Minister of Education's justification was for cutting the funding by 1/3 if the issue was based on equality. Department of Education officials were asked this question by members of the Education Committee. John McGrath, DE Deputy Secretary, explained that the Education Minister was "continuing the trajectory" on from previous funding cuts in 1994 (50% to 40%) and 1998 (40% to 30%). She did not feel this was "out of kilter" to make the reduction to 20% (i.e. the what the "reduced by 1/3" means). She had taken consideration of responses and advice given to her and therefore was not removing the funding altogether as previously proposed, though she was still of the personal opinion that prep funding was inequitable.

There was no indication that anything was in the pipeline in future years with regard to further cuts. It was referred to that the previous cuts were in 1998. There was plenty of opportunity for DE officials to indicate if there any plans and there was nothing to report. They said no Departments at all could make guarantees for years down the line.

Interestingly at the end of the session, a Sinn Fein Committee Member said of the Minister "she was damned if she did and damned if she didn't".

It was suggested by Committee Members that perhaps the Minister had 'saved face" with the 1/3 cut.

That’s the explanation we got.

A very big thank you

Dear Parents & Guardians

The Board of Governors' letter on Friday 23 April was a welcome summation of the sentiments & determination felt by the whole school following the announcement at the Education Committee at Stormont last week.

As a Parents’ Group, we want to add a huge ‘thank you’ of our own to you all. As a small working party we have been highly reliant on your support, timely response to calls for action &, above all, your ability to hold your nerve throughout a stressful few months. We very much appreciate the trust you placed in us & in the information & advice we provided. Testament to this has been the net minimal disruption to pupil numbers & the new pupils joining the school throughout this turbulent period.

Above all, we appreciate the barrage of letters & emails you sent to DENI & other external bodies, MLAs & to OFMDFM, both initial letters & follow up letters, to keep the pressure up. You should be under no illusion, that without this we would not be where we are today, as it was clear that it was not just the volume of correspondence, but the personal arguments posed which were crucial to the outcome. Recent soundbites from OFMDFM indicate this has been the most professional & aggressive campaign & lobbying they have EVER seen & we understand the correspondence received by OFMDFM numbered in the thousands! Do stand back, think about this & be proud that you, the people representing 1.5% of the pupil population of Northern Ireland, did this & that in doing so, you have invested in your childrens’ future educational rights & standards.

It is with some sorrow that we will see RHSprepfunding.blogspot.com wind down in its current form. We have, however, decided not to kill it off completely as, now established, we feel it may be a useful communication tool for wider ‘prep communications’ in future. Watch this space!

Please also be reassured that the Education Minister is certainly not off our radar! We continue to be vigilant & liaise on the political, inter-prep school & legal fronts, maintaining the relationships & completing the work of recent months

Regards

RHS Prep Parents’ Group

Full steam ahead for Regent House Prep

A very welcomed letter was sent out to all RHS Prep Department parents on 23rd April, on behalf of the Board of Governors, by our Acting Head of Department and Chairman of the Board of Governors

In the letter, they stated that they were delighted that "the disruption caused to controlled Preps is now over."

The Board of Governors said that they looked forward to a "time of continued commitment and partnership with parents".

It was also confirmed that the appointing of a permanent Head of Department has already been put in motion.

I'm sure you will all agree that the letter we all received encourages us to move on.

It's business as usual at RHS Prep.

Onwards and upwards!