The letter below was written in response to the GEMS letter we received last Thursday:


Dear Ms Atack,

Many thanks for your prompt response.

Also, thank you for the note that went out from school on Thursday.

We are delighted that Gems recognises the strength of concerns felt by the parent body of JPS and has shown willingness to repsond positively. I think this will help restore faith and trust in Gems. Parents need to know that their collective voice is listened to, responded to, and where reasonable, heeded. So a big thank you for what you have done so far.

The parking measures you have suggested will hopefully help the drop off problems in the morning, so thank you for that initiative. However, the dangers inherent in over-crowding remain at pick up time.

We thank you too for your willingess to reduce class sizes through natural wastage. It is fantastic that you have responded in this way. However, 27 students per class from Years 1 on is still way too many:

1) The academic interests of our children are not adequately served in a class of that size and

2) the over crowding and associated dangers therein -parking and safe movement of children around school -remain.

So we reiterate: we wish you to allow class numbers to fall via natural wastage and a freeze on new places so that numbers are capped at 24.


We would all actually like class sizes capped at 22, but we recognise the environment in which Gems operates and so in the name of compromise we suggest 24.

We look forward to your positive response.