New Portobello High School - on going issues

[Maria]

From today's EN (final two letters on page):

[Bob Jefferson]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Porty]

Some info culled fro, the EN comments section about Edinburgh Parks and Portobello Park in particular:


Edinburgh has 144 parks and they fall into different classifications such as: Community Parks, Natural Heritage Parks, Premier Parks and Gardens. Portobello Park is a city Park. Here's the definition of a City Park.

"City Parks: Parks providing facilities that are used by people who may live anywhere in the city. Many include sport pitches and other formal facilities."

Here's the official entry for Portobello Park in the council list (excuse the formatting):
Portobello Park Milton Road East EH15 3 City Park
Roseburn Park Riversdale Crescent EH12 5PT City Park
Union Park Saughton Road North EH12 7
City Park
Victoria Park Newhaven Road EH6 5PY City Park
Abercorn Park Abercorn Terrace EH15 2 Community Parks

Portobello Park is one legal entity of 19ha and has been configured in its current format for less than 25 Years. There used to be two full size rugby pitches too.

[Porty]

The Parent Council of PHS have been allocated a week in the main window of the Library to display some of the entries from last weeks art competition along with some graphics from the consultation. I understand that a mix up occurred, which has now been fully rectified. Instead of the PC displaying PHS on the park they displayed a graphic of the smaller St Johns School as it would have been on the park.

I believe this has rattled a few cages up park avenue way. They apparently sent out an undercover photographer to capture the incident!!! I'm temped to publish the lyrics of Desperado again but I will refrain.

Bet there's a few St John's parents more than a bit baffled as to why their school in the park didn't happen.

[Bob Jefferson]

From today's EN:

[Bob Jefferson]

From today's EN Letters Page:

[Bob Jefferson]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Bob Jefferson]

From today's EN Letters Page:

[Bob Jefferson]

[Porty]

An update on the School flood from Maureen Child:

Dear All

A few people have got back to me challenging the view in my latest Report, which is also the view of the management team of Portobello High School, that the damage to the school by a flood - which damaged several floors - was not cased by a deliberate act of vandalism. I still hold that view and I’ll tell you why.

This flood story has grown arms and legs in the telling. Initial thoughts and speculation have become facts in people’s minds – and in print. This speculation has been repeated in a Council Report to the Education, Children and Families Committee which will be considered tomorrow. I have talked with the Head Teacher and intend to challenge the Council report. I believe that it gives a false interpretation of what happened and threatens to damage the reputation of this excellent school community.

At worst, whether or not the action which led to the flood was deliberate is still an open verdict.

It is more likely that a hot water tap was inadvertently left on in a sink on the Friday and ran for several days. In the sink was a small piece of Perspex, is normally used for mixing paint and – probably - it slipped to cover the drainage hole. This was an art classroom, on the sixth floor, with a large array of ceramics which were undamaged.

The cupboard doors, which were supposed to have been ‘ripped off’, had - in fact - come off cleanly. School staff did a practical experiment and showed that it was impossible for two grown men to rip them off like that, even using tools. On further close inspection, it was clear the glue had dissolved, probably due to the steam and the heat.

There was no trace of any intruder on camera, and no sign of anything untoward.

I believe it is significant that the school had dealt with a previous small incident when someone had left a tap on, accidentally. The vagaries of the School’s hot water system are such that you can turn on the hot tap and nothing happens, then a few minutes later, it starts to flow. A similar thing may well have happened here, but that small piece of Perspex had slipped to cover the drainage hole and the resulting flood wasn’t discovered for several days.

This flood could have been caused by someone filling a bowl of a bucket, or finishing off clearing up, oblivious of the idiosyncrasies of the hot water system.

Once staff had looked at the scene and the situation more closely, there was no sign of a malicious act.



The school had absolutely fantastic support from officers in the Council and from all the contractors who put the school to back to rights in just one week – which was a tremendous feat. The school staff and pupils have been wonderful too. They do not need the cloud hanging over them of false accusations.

So - I would still say that there is NO real evidence that it was a deliberate act of vandalism. If evidence emerges, I’ll change my mind. But until then, I will persist in saying it was a very unfortunate accident and steps should be taken to ensure it does not happen again.

Maureen


You have to wonder about the people who are contacting their local Councillor to have her identify the incident as vandalism. What is their motive?

The latest schools letter in the Evening News

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/lette ... jp#2858100

is so sick it can only have come from one or maybe two minds involved in this debate. I'm incredulous at "Mary's" statement that pupils, parents, parent councillors etc ought to be "ashamed of themselves" for voicing concerns. - The author is clearly prepared to stoop to any level.

To me it doesn't matter much if its vandalism- the fact is; one running tap caused around 900 children to miss a week at school. This is entirely down to the vunerability of the unfit for purpose building.

[Bob Jefferson]

From today's EN:

[Bob Jefferson]

From today's EN Letters Page:

[Bob Jefferson]

[Bob Jefferson]

From today's EN:

[Bob Jefferson]

Today's report to the Education, Children and Families Committee, referred to by Maureen Child yesterday:

[Pal of Porty]

REF: RECENT FLOOD IN PORTOBELLO HIGH SCHOOL

Yesterday - Cllr MacLaren said: "This was an act of vandalism.

Today when Challenged - Cllr MacLaren said: "We are currently waiting for the outcome of the police investigation when I will be able to give an update on the situation."

Strange how she did not need the outcome of the police investigation to put the boot into Portobello yesterday (or at last week’s Council deputation) but she has nothing to say today.

[Bob Jefferson]

From today's EN Letters Page:

[wangi]

admin: post(s) deleted

Lets keep the comments based on personality etc away from here and focus on the issues. I'm aware each side of the "campaign" has strong personalities and these are often stronger than the argument itself, but...

Subsequent discussion .

[Porty]

[seanie]

Marilyne MacLaren eh?

Reassuring to know she's in charge of our children's education.

[Bob Jefferson]

The ultimate insult in politics has to be when you have made a complete mess of things and yet the opposition judges you to be such a liability to your own party that they consider it strategically more advantageous for you to remain in post than to demand your resignation. That's precisely the situation Marilyne Maclaren faces according to sources within the Labour group.

Funnily enough, I feel pretty much the same way about the unofficial spokesperson for PPAG in his many guises.

Perhaps the apology is in the post?

[Bob Jefferson]

[Porty]

Letter from Saturday nights evening news.

Its got the usual unsubstaniated theory about sizes, which Seanie puts straight in the comments section, but in some ways I find it encouraging. Seems like there's a bit of a change of heart in the PPAG camp or at least the Douglas household.

(Second letter down)

[Bob Jefferson]

From today's EN Letters Page:

[Bob Jefferson]

From today's EN Letters Page:

[Porty]

[Bob Jefferson]

From today's EN Letters Page (4th letter down):

[Bob Jefferson]

[seanie]

[Bob Jefferson]

From today's EN Letters Page (3rd letter down):

[Bob Jefferson]

Re Jean Douglas's idea of re-locating PHS to Lismore, I'm guessing that a school that currently accommodates around 100 children is unlikely to provide a site that would accommodate 1450.

On the other hand, I do see some merit in St J's moving there, assuming Lismore is forced to close. It would mean that pupils would be just a stone's throw away from Holy Rood, the high school most will go on to attend. It would also mean that the entire site at Portobello could be developed, which would raise much-needed capital for the school building programme.

[seanie]

The surrounding site was discounted for PHS in the consultation, mainly due to location and access.