WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL AND THE CLOSURE OF RYEISH GREEN SCHOOL

That this House deplores the decision of Wokingham Borough Council to close Ryeish Green School on the pretext of falling student numbers whilst at the same time announcing proposals for 5,500 new homes south of Reading which will require the creation of a new secondary school to meet the needs of an expanding population; supports the comments of the Ryeish Green Headteacher, Jenny Garner, that the school closure decision was made for political rather than educational reasons; believes that Ryeish Green is a vibrant and good school with evident potential to expand and prosper and that the only reason for the closure is the desire of Wokingham councillors to exclude Reading children from Wokingham schools; congratulates Ryeish Green on a successful Ofsted inspection in March; and calls upon the Schools Minister to intervene in the light of the announcement by Wokingham of increased housing provision in the area, possibly including the Ryeish Green site itself.