Petition for a new Wick High School

[unicorn]

It is a ridiculous state of affairs I remember one pupil a few months back saying here that if the door slammed in the classroom they were in the lights went out, how is that safe? surely an electrical fault like that is a fire hazard. An impromptu week of no pupils would surely get the education boards attention

[Alice in Blunderland]

An impromptu week of no pupils would surely get the education boards attention

You are so right and guess what they would soon find the money for a letter to be typed and sent out to all parents concerned reminding them of their duty to have the children educated.

[wee sparkle]

I am in my fifth year at Wick High and it so very badly needs some attention. The staff and rector try their best to make the most of what they have....but by the time they are replacing schools down south (ones that are in a far better state then Wick High) they should be consideing replacing our school, or at the very least giving it some much needed repairs. I cannot speak for Thurso High pupils as i have never actually been in their school, but Wick definately needs some attention and i think it would make the pupils feel more proud of their school if we either got a new one or had our current one done up.

[Royster1911]

It is a ridiculous state of affairs I remember one pupil a few months back saying here that if the door slammed in the classroom they were in the lights went out, how is that safe? surely an electrical fault like that is a fire hazard. An impromptu week of no pupils would surely get the education boards attention

Had this been reported to the Janitor, he would have filled in a maintenance report order to have this fault rectified.
If (as in this case) it is classed as an emergency repair, the response should be within 24hrs. If it is not, then the HT (and janitor) should be chasing up the clerk of works. Strange how he seems to pop up when things are not being done in schools!

[Venture]

A report carried out by the Highland Council on Wick High School in 2003 highlighted £7Million of repairs were required to be carried out to bring it up to an acceptable standard. To date only £850,000 has been spent. The majority of this being spent on repairing rather than replacing.

As an example the main hall was totally refurbished last year not with money from Highland Council but with money given to the school by way of a bequest. In January this year part of the newly decorated hall and the library were damaged when one of the old heating pipes burst. It wasn't replaced it was repaired.

The rector used up near enough all of his allocated maintenance budget for the school on installing another boys toilet. There was up until then only 1 toilet in the whole school for 400 boys.

Because of the state of the pipes in the school children can't drink the water. There is only one fountain which dosen't work properly and the only other alternative is to buy it.

With regard to tiles falling off ceilings on top of children and staff, an official from the Highland Council told the rector that replacement of tiles should come out of the school’s maintenance budget, as the school is the tenant. However, the problems with the tiles were caused by water ingress from leaking roofs, which should be a landlord’s responsibility to repair. In fact, it had been suggested to Mr Traill that tiles could be re-used from Dingwall Academy, which was being demolished!

[M.Funkenstein]

I wont even start on the damn asbestos. Good grief, what a place.

[unicorn]

I was told years ago by a plumber that water fountains were not allowed to be used any more due to hygiene risks??

[M.Funkenstein]

I was told years ago by a plumber that water fountains were not allowed to be used any more due to hygiene risks??

haha, I can understand that ):

[Royster1911]

I wont even start on the damn asbestos. Good grief, what a place.

Ohh, sore point. We had white and brown asbestos found in our boiler house ducting. Solution. Seal the area with plastic sheeting. This is after I have been working (crawling) in that area for a considerable time. Any work under the building is prohibited because of that. Oh, Yes I have it on record that I have been in close contact.

[Venture]

The asbestos register for Highland Council (Non Housing) properties which was last updated on 19th december 2007 shows three entries for Wick High School. Two of the entries are for surveys last done in 1998. The other entry details are:

Suspected asbestos in column casings ABOVE ceiling tiles (Clasp Building) in other words the New Block.

Surveyed - NO Recommendations - Status/cleanliness to be confirmed

Comments - Access to ceiling void to be restricted until further notice.


The picture in today's Courier shows the ceiling referred to in the register.

[unicorn]

Parent power is a powerful tool, get out there and shout loud, make a fuss, get the national newspapers involved, These are your children and they deserve education in comfort and safety.

[~~Tides~~]

The school is an absolute joke. Just because we like in the back of beyond... We pay the same taxes as everyone else.

As previously stated, there has, for the past year only been one boys toilet in the whole school. What nobody has said is that there has been no hand drier in the toilets, no soap and only cold water. As a result, and as disgusting as it sounds, for the past year the vast majority of people using this toilet havent been washing their hands. I lost count of the amount of staff I told about the problem. I highlighted it at the 6th year council, I even said it at the full school council, told the cleaners, jannies... Months on, the hand drier still doesnt work and there has never been a paper tower near the place. Is it any wonder why bugs have been spreading like wildfire.

There is so much wrong with the school its hard to know where to start. One of the worst things I think is the benches in the physics labs. Installed around 30 years ago, they are in so bad a state, the whole row can be tilted forwards or backwards to around 30 degrees. These are benches with gas lines and 240volts going into them...

Regarding the refurbished hall, it is a disgusting place NOW. Cold, cheap looking turquoise walls, a carpet that shows up every spec of dirt, cheap looking woodwork. And then the rector banned 6th year from even using it, providing no alternative accomodation. He also recarpeted the crush hall with the same horrible carpet, then banned eating in the crush hall, the only other area in the school (of 800 pupils) with seating except the canteen (which can only hold about 150 at a v. tight squeeze) leaving virtually nowhere for anyone to go.

In the last year I have had lessons in a classroom that was 10˚C (english block when the heating broke down) and lessons where the temperature regularly exceeded 30˚ ('new' block).

I could go on and on and on... But want to make one more point, imagine if Wick had asked the HC for £300k to blow on some fireworks...

[~~Tides~~]

And by the way, dispite Trail's constant banging on about raising attainment and generally making everyone's life a misery, the prelims, both SG and higher, look to be the worst results for years...

[unicorn]

well if the kids are not comfortable in their learning environment is it really any surprise, I dont suppose the teachers feel any better about it either.

[98elite]

We past through Dingwall last week, their new high school looks great, lets hope that the Highland council don't forget Caithness in their 21st century schools improvement programme.

http://www.dingwallacademy.com/nwacad.htm

[KCI]

The state of the school is ridiculous!

I remember posting a few weeks ago, saying I was shocked to hear that the swimming pool in the school was going to be closed. I had no idea that the whole school was in the same state!

My boy is only 6, but I dread to think about the state of the school when he finally starts High School.

If there is anything that we can do to help, then I am all for it.

[Venture]

The state of the school is ridiculous!

I remember posting a few weeks ago, saying I was shocked to hear that the swimming pool in the school was going to be closed. I had no idea that the whole school was in the same state!

My boy is only 6, but I dread to think about the state of the school when he finally starts High School.

If there is anything that we can do to help, then I am all for it.

Thanks KCI the Parent Council will gladly take you up on your offer. There haven't been many offers like yours on this thread but there again, what's new.

The story hit the headlines yesterday. The majority of people who are crying out shock and horror at the situation will by next week have forgotten about it and will do little if anything to make a difference to the situation. Its because everyone has sat around doing nothing over the years that the school is in the state that it is.

There are over 800 pupils at the school and on the Parent Council we are lucky if we have 15 parents turn up for a meeting. Why? I have heard various excuses but the fact is that the majority of people dont bother getting of their backsides to do something to help the school because they know that there's always a minority of parents who will do all the work for them.

Parents think the Parent Council is just a body who organise concerts and fundraise for the school. We do fundraise for the benefit of the pupils. In fact we are about to secure the purchase of a new mini-bus for the school at a cost of nearlly £40,000. This will benefit many pupils especially those with disabilities and reduce travel costs for the school. But there is more to us than that. What most don't realise is that the Parent Council also have a voice in the running of the school. This includes how and where our children are educated.

We now have a situation where the school is not fit for 21st century education etc etc. Obviously this is bound to have a knock on effect on the children themselves. The rector and his staff do a great job with what little they have but at the end of the day they are employees and their hands are tied. So what can be done. We could wait until our local councillors can squeeze some money out of Highland Council who seem to have none available for education but plenty for fireworks and other more important things, we could just do nothing and hope the children can muddle through it all and come out the other end with glowing qualifications. or we could start shouting and making a difference. People power is a great thing. The recent Save our Maternity Unit campaign proved this. If it can be done once it can be done again.

There's no point in wasting time arguing with Highland Council. Any contribution they could make wouldn't come into effect for years. We have to go up a level. In order to do this the Parent Council needs the support of all parents not just those with kids at the school now. Anything I can do to help improve the state of the school wont more than likely benefit my son who is at High school now but it will I hope benefit my grandchildren and others in years to come. You can do the same. If you are willing to help in any way please PM me.

[cd1977]

I think Wick high was a great place for schooling. The main building is full of character and it would be sad to see it demolished.

I think a lot of the concerns are superficial and will not affect the pupils education. The heating issue I can sympathise with.

I suppose everything is in the eye of the beholder.

I enjoyed my time there.

[Highland Laddie]

Why bother trying to patch up Wick high school, it has done well, but has seen it's best days.
To carry out repairs to bring it up to an acceptable standard is like putting an elastoplast on an amputated leg.

I think it would make far more sense and greater use of finances to demand a new purpose built school fit for decades to come.

[Sapphire2803]

I'll gladly help if I can, my son is in S1 and my daughters will be starting WHS in a couple of years.
Help to do what though? has anyone thought on what can be done?
How about getting as many people as possible to turn up to the front of the school for a petition signing? I'm sure it would make a good photo opportunity for the papers and a show of solidarity is always good in a case like this.

So... come on folks... ideas please? Then we can all get our fingers out and do something. With any luck the council will do the same, but I won't hold my breath...