Staff search for work as schools to merge

Worried staff at two of the Black Country's worst performing schools have said they are looking elsewhere for work because they are concerned about job security ahead of a planned merger.

A planned £32 million merger will see Sandwell Council use its intervention powers to close Menzies High School Science College in West Bromwich, and Wednesbury's Manor Foundation Business Enterprise, and Sports College in September 2010, immediately opening the new school on both sites.

The initial phase of the public consultation has now come to an end, and councillors will be asked to approve the start of formal legal consultation at a meeting next week.

But in the report, to the children and young people cabinet advisory team, it was revealed that of the 30 teachers from Menzies, which is in Clarkes Lane, who were questioned on the scheme, 26 said they were against the proposal. None were in favour.

Concerns listed in the report included "the perception Menzies is being used to 'bail out' another school" and that "staff feel insecure and are looking elsewhere".

Seven members of staff at Manor, in Friar Park Road returned feedback forms with five in favour of the merger and two unsure.

The overall response to a series of consultation exercises showed a largely negative response. Out of 89 responses from staff, pupils and parents, 47 said they were against the plans, compared to 19 in favour. A further 21 people said they did not know and two did not indicate an opinion.

Brian Heavisides has already been chosen as the new superhead of the two Sandwell secondary schools as they merge. Mr Heavisides is currently at Redhill School in Stourbridge and is expected to return there once the merger is complete.

Both Manor and Menzies are part of the Government's National Challenge scheme, set up to ensure schools achieve a minimum 30 per cent pass rate at GCSE by 2011.

Borough schools boss, Councillor Ian Jones, said: "The officers will be going through the consultation with me at the meeting and before then I am not able to comment. I don't want to prejudge any of the results."