Coseley School closure: High Arcal makes room for extra pupils
A school in the Dudley borough is taking on extra students from a neighbouring school under threat of closure.
High Arcal School has increased capacity to take on students from Coseley School.
School leaders say it is their 'moral duty' to support the students and their parents at this difficult time – but they admit the move has placed a 'considerable strain' on school 'finances, staffing and resources'.
High Arcal will not receive any additional funding from Dudley Council to take on the extra students until September 2017.
The school has already taken on around 70 students from Coseley, with another 50 to 60 already expected to start in September this year.
And today bosses announced they will have additional space for another 40 pupils at the start of the next school term – increasing its capacity by around 10 pupils in each year group from seven to 10.
Mrs Joe Bull, head teacher at High Arcal, said: "The High Arcal School fully appreciates that the lack of clarity over the future of The Coseley School has brought and continues to bring considerable uncertainty to both parents and students of Coseley.
"We have openly welcomed a considerable number of students from Coseley already and in order to continue, we have taken the decision to increase our Pupil Admission number by approximately 10 in each year group.
"The Coseley students who have already started at The High Arcal School have settled very well.
"As we would expect current High Arcal students have been very supportive of the new arrivals and helped them to settle in enormously. Feedback from a recent parents' evening was extremely positive."
The decision to increase High Arcal schools capacity was discussed between the school's pastoral staff and governing body.
Ms Bull added that school staff have 'really rallied around' and been fully supportive behind the decision to take on extra students.
The school has taken quick steps to alter its curriculum to meet the needs of the new students, she said.
The move comes in the wake of parents at another neighbouring school – Dormston School in Sedgley – launching a petition in opposition to controversial council plans to move Coseley schoolchildren there.
Parents of pupils at Dormston School fear any extra numbers will put huge pressure on teaching staff.
Coseley School's future was thrown into doubt in January when council bosses launched a consultation about its possible closure.
