To all the people going on about grammer and spelling, these are comments on a website not an english exam. If you feel that students need a better education then do something to help that rather than mucking around with a school system that works perfectly fine! And to the people who are saying rude comments such as 'Do you have so little friends that you won't be friends with anyone in your form', well for your information, when you are in years 7,8 and 9 the year groups are split into 2, the german side and french side. So if you have five people from each year group you are very likely to of never of spoken to at least one person in your form as they will be on the other side of the year. This system is supposed to stop bullying, well adults writing on here and telling people they obviously don't have many friends seems like a form of bullying to me. I would also like to add that the governors who are saying it is a change for the best, well, your not affected by it and you don't know. You don't know the pupils and you haven't been in the situation. You have already had and enjoyed YOUR school years WITH your friends. Now let others enjoy theirs.

   personally, i think that everyone protested for a valid reason, and only a select few went over board. The aim of the protest, to my understanding, was to get the school's attention, and for them to simply listen to us. and once we were successful in achieving this, others felt the need to undo all our efforts, and go on a protest around the school for a second time. However, we did achieve something: we don't have split breaks anymore, and we have the protest to thank for that. otherwise, i doubt very much it wouldve changed, as they didn/t take any notice to the forms we filled out earlier in the year on who we wanted to be with, so why should they listen to why we dont want split breaks? its over and done with now, we've done all we can do. its up to the school now. i think its been blown way out of proportion, and if i'm honest, i don't care that much about it anymore. we've only got a year to go, and its only for half hour a day :)

   The whole ''chaning forms'' was a silly idea in the first place to be honest. There is nothing wrong with how they are now, so why change something? & different brake times? What is that all about? Teacher's say to us if we'e talking in lesson 'save it for brake time'. How are we supposed to do that when we're all split up from our friends? School isn't just a place to learn, we learn our social skills too. I moved from Scotland last year thinking i would be some sort of outcast but i soon learned how wrong i was. Now i have lots of friends at Emmbrook but if i came to the school whilst this new system had been enforced i wouldn't have as many friends as i do now. So take that into consideration and just think of the new Year 7's joining the school, how are they going to feel. We weren't just protesting for our sake, we were also thinking of the Year 7's too. The protest just show's that as a school we all stick together.

   I have to say, while I appreciate the pupils' concerns, it happened in my school when I was there and at first there was outrage. Everyone was up in arms, but when it was actually put in place it was fine. Also, the grammar and spelling of many of these comments is absolutely abysmal, perhaps it would be a good thing if the pupils were separated from their friends so they could get more work done?

   Firstly a request to the getwokingham website - please put in a spellcheck facility as the pupils who protested and posted comments clearly need it. The spelling and grammar is absolutely shocking. It clearly shows they need to spend more time concentrating in class rather than worrying who they are sitting next to.

I am a former pupil of The Emmbrook and I cannot understand the 'not being with my friends' argument. Do you all have so few friends? Of my three or four closest friends only one was in my form. Certainly by year 9 or 10 you should have built up a group friends from different classes, sports and other activities. Your narrow mindedness will not serve you well when you leave school. How are you going to make friends when you go into further education or work?

I would only agree with the point about the spilt breaks, which does seem to limit the ability to maintain and create new friendships.

As for the protest, it clearly got out of hand and was taken over by pupils who have no interest in bettering themselves or their school.

   Nigel Matthias came to the decision about changing the classroom structure after "consultation with staff, governors, parents and pupils"

One teacher who, understandably, wishes to remain anonymous has said "unfortunately I am unable to voice my true opinion as I have been instructed not to mention any of the events that occurred on Thursday." If staff are unable to merely voice their opinions of the events then, when they were being consulted, what else could they do other than agree?

Yes, the parents of students were spoken to. A meeting for parents was organised and a large amount of parents attended the meeting. I would like to point out however that the school itself in its letters home called this gathering an "information meeting" and at no point was discussion mentioned.

Here is a list of several quote from students currently at the emmbrook school "I Hate Our School Now!" "We have been consulted. Consulted and Ignored" "My final year of school has been ruined"

David Cornish, a guvernor who spoke out saying he approved the decision "after a process of consultation with students and parents"

So I repeat. Nigel Matthias came to the decision about changing the classroom structure after "consultation with staff, governors, parents and pupils"

Staff, governors, parents and Pupils. Well between them they seem to have been silenced, disillusioned, ignorant and ignored.

   I think that these changes to the tutor/college system are to get the school ready for the move to Finchampstead in a few years time!

My advice to anyone about to start Year 10 to do GCSE's in September - Move to a more stable environment, you don't want disruption effecting your education. You get one shot at it and you need stability to acheive.

Chris Ex-Emmbrook Pupil

   My daughter attends The Emmbrook school, I think it is a great pity that the pupils felt the need to protest in the first place, it shows a depth of passion. They are clearly very concerned about the new system and more especially that they will be parted from their friends.

School is a place for learning but that learning should include social skills, learning to trust and being part of a community and making friends, some of which will continue into adulthood.

It is a sad fact that bulling is common place in many schools today. We have had first hand experience of this, I understand that it is difficult for schools to deal with but it was with the support of her friends that she was able to continue to attend school when things got really bad. Where would she have turned under the new system being split from her friends and scared? We all know the depths bullying can send children into. It was the worst time for us, so please think very hard before you separate pupils who need the support of their friends.

Parent of pupil

   I'm writing here as a parent but I am also a Governor. I'd like to make three points.

Firstly, I'm outraged at the personal comment being made about Mr Matthias. Many pupils seem to have very short memories and have forgotten about the flood this time last year. Mr Matthias put in an extraordinary amount of work, regardless of his summer holidays and indeed, his personal well-being, to ensure that pupils had a school to come back to last September. If anyone has a right to claim the shool as his own, it is he.

But of course, there are other stakeholders. The recommendation to move to a college system came from the Head, but it is the Governing body who approved the decision. We did so after careful examination of the evidence and after a process of consultation with students and parents. By the nature of life, consultations have their limitations, which is why the school has a Governing body. Parents; tell us your concerns by all means but even better, if you don't like our decisions, come and join us!

Third, concerns were expressed at the time about keeping friendship groups and the problems of the split break and we haven't handled this well. So, the students protested. Protest is a gift of democracy and must be used with respect. Having used it, it will carry more weight if the names of those abusing it and causing damage are notified to the staff and if pupils and parents, whilst welcome to express genuine concerns, also now give the school and the Head the respect they deserve in giving this new system a chance to work.

David Cornish, Finchampstead

   In response to the posting by "concern for Emmbrook" inviting us to "look at the simple facts"....

If you were at the parent's briefing evening, you would have heard Mr Matthias clearly state that he "didn't care about Ofsted" (which I didn't believe for one moment by the way) and that this initiative was NOT a reaction to recent Ofsted feedback.

In my view, both the initial letter home and the reasoning on the night itself contained generic statements that could not be substantiated either way. Whilst hosting the evening was appreciated, with the exception of some closing Q&A, it was primarily a one-way briefing. In no way could it have been considered a true parental consultation where "for or against?" opinion was being canvassed, in stark contrast to the school closure consultation by WBC.

Clearly, the decision to introduce the college system had been taken. Whilst I don't have a problem with the Head making best interest decisions on behalf of OUR school, to pitch this to the LEA as a process that has received due consultation all round is misleading.

Surely the compromise would to have run this as an extended pilot against an established baseline position together with some predefined success criteria for review purposes?

On a separate note, there have been some rather harsh comments posted by some (not all) 6th form students on how misguided the younger students had been in their protest. Please remember that they don't yet possess the same levels of maturity as yourselves and to dismiss their cause as trivial displays an unwelcome level of arrogance. It's regrettable that this group expression was subsequently hostaged by a small minority who used it as an opportunity for wanton damage.

   I was also part of the protest, and can i just say .. it is NOT Mr Mattias's school in the slightest. It is OUR school aswell. The change is not effecting him, and he hasn't taken in to consideration how it is going to effect us. The reason we protested was to be heard, if we had done it any other way we would have been ignored. I do agree that things got out of hand, but the protest was sucessful. The damage to cars was not intentional but an accident. All of those that were involved were just simply trying to save THEIR school. Like somebody said "Why fix something that isn't broken?" Mr Matthias was aware the majority of the school did not like the idea of change and yet he still inforced it. So no, the protest was not a waste of time.

   My comments below were sent to the Head Teacher & Head of Governors back in March of this year. I received no acknowledgement or response - is this parent consultation?

One of the reasons that I chose The Emmbrook School for my child was the fact that the children mixed well across the years. As a result, there was a feel of caring throughout the school and low levels of bullying, which comes as a direct result of mixing well across the age groups. So if this is already happening, why the need to change?

Whilst I am aware of the benefits that can be gained by vertical grouping, most schools actually retain age related patterns of pastoral care rather than a mixed age approach so that particular problems, which tend to be age related, can be dealt with without the embarrassment of having older or younger members of the tutor group present in discussions.

It is difficult to carry out a programme of tutorial activities with a mixed age group as most materials published commercially tend to be targeted to meet the needs of a particular stage. I would also suggest that for a tutor to find a common voice with which to address the pupils must be difficult in a mixed age group. There are advantages to administrating on a horizontal basis, when sending out information to parents for example, and with electronic registration, will tutors really get to know their pupils?

The breadth of issues across such a wide age range can also be somewhat daunting for the tutor who may well only have experience of certain age groups and the issues that follow each group. Can one tutor really be expected to gain enough knowledge to cope with all the important age related issues, such as transition from primary school, option choices, works and careers advice, puberty, etc. and be able to offer suitable advice on such a wide spectrum of issues? Is this an opportunity for staff development or just a step too far?

It appears that the decision to move to vertical grouping has already been made and there does not appear to be any information on the web site or details of evidence to support the change. This is disappointing that you did not feel that such a radical change deserved full consultation with parents prior to decision making with the exception of one information evening which I sadly was not able to attend due to the very short notice given. I hope that you will listen to the students views.

   i think the whole change is stupid!! some people hate school and form is the best part for them cause they have a nice tutor and have their friends with them! personally if i was a year 7 coming into the school and i had a really tall year 11 in my form i would be scared of them!! when i started we were all in the same year and you all learnt the school and system!! they have tried this new collage system in some schools and one school i cant remember the name of it.. but if they dont sort them selves out the school will be closed down! and this is because of the collages.. if we move into the collages people are gunna drift apart from there friends and no1 wants that and in the new forms there will be a year 11 group a year 10 group a year 9 group and so on.. and people will get bullied even more!! i think its stupid!! mr matthias comes into our school and most of us have been here longer than him and he is trying to change it and no1 wants it! but if he does this it will be a mistake.

   Lets look at the simple facts. Parents and students want to be educated in the best schools available. The quality of schools is judged on results and Ofsted reports. At Emmbrook, Ofsted praised the quality of teaching provision but criticised the quality of tutoring. What Mr Matthias is doing is responding to the latest Oftsed report in an attempt to improve standards in the school. Subject lesson structures will not change. All students will be taught in year groups and still receive 5, one hour lessons a day. The tutoring is what will change, with an additional 30 mins of ‘learning’ a day – in these sessions there will be a series of study skills delivered. The new system WILL improve the quality of education delivered by the Emmbrook school – FACT In MOST other schools that have moved to this system the number of incidents of reported bullying has been reduced – FACT

I understand the right of students to protest – it’s the right of all of us in the free world. Reading the comments of students on this site they seem to focus on missing friends. Of course social relationships are a key part of school life but not the number one job of a school. If Mr Matthias did prioritise friendship groups over education he would me an appalling head teacher. However, he clearly knows what he is doing and has the educational interests of the Emmbrook students close to his heart.

From what I understand, I fully support the changes and wish the Emmbrook every success in implementing the new approach to delivering a modern, up-to-date, relevant study skills course.

   I feel greatly saddened by some of the comments which have been submitted. Firstly, let us all remember how privileged we are to be able to send our children to such a happy, successful school. What happened was not merely a protest, it was an opportunity being taken by a small number of pupils to show themselves at their very worst! How so many parents can endorse such behaviour is beyond my comprehension. It seems to me that to have a headteacher who refers to The Emmbrook as "his school" can only be a good thing; this surely reflects the passion and committment he brings to the job, or even a sign that it is, in fact, much, much more than a job for him. Our children are lucky to have dedicated and professional staff working with their best interests at heart. How dare so many people underestimate the value of that.