I write on behalf of the students, teachers, staff, governors and families of Joseph Hood Primary school with a simple request to Merton Council regarding the plans for the future of the Whatley Avenue Adult Ed building: just tell us.

Just tell us, because we are actually on the same side when it comes to educational values.  Our staff work very hard to provide an excellent education to our 313 pupils. You want us to deliver this (it's one of your July Principles) and we believe our pupils deserve nothing less. And yet you have consistently chosen to exclude us from the process and in doing so have created a needlessly oppositional relationship with us. By failing to consider the impact the selling or commercialising of the site only metres from our school will have on our children's safety and well-being, you have shown what you really think of Joseph Hood Primary School.

Just tell us, because even though we serve 313 children, we ourselves are not children. And yet your constant marginalisation of our school throughout the so-called "consultation" has been frustrating, patronising and ill-considered. And why? The Cabinet defended its decision based on having to manage risk and prepare for the worst, so surely you agree that forewarned is forearmed? If we know what's coming we can be proactive rather than reactive, and we could make decisions in the best interest of our school community based on fact rather than trying to second-guess what our future might hold.

Just tell us, because we aren't stupid. We knew from the outset that your goal was to try to plug the alleged £32m hole in your finances by selling off a decent piece of real estate to the highest bidder. We know firsthand that public money is tight (that's why we've just recruited a governor who is a skilled fundraiser, to help us be creative in finding ways to make up what Merton can't provide) we're creative like that; what a pity you are choosing not to demonstrate a bit of ingenuity yourselves much as the library service did. Instead you're opting to target some of the most vulnerable members of our community by racing through the sale of a historic building, the desecration of a service and worst of all, gambling on the education and well-being of our school and our children.

So, I say again. Just. Tell. Us.

Posey Furnish

Chair of Governors

Joseph Hood Primary School