Parents have slammed a councillor's 'bizarre' and 'disrespectful' poem about the delayed Oakley Grove school in Bishop Tachbrook.

Two campaigners from a 160-strong parents group have condemned Conservative county and district councillor Cllr Jan Matecki.

The Budbrooke ward councillor posted an eight-stanza poem on Facebook explaining Warwickshire County Council's plan to house 180 Oakley Grove students in Myton School's new sixth form block until the delayed Bishop Tachbrook school opens in September 2024.

But parents Jenny Bevan and Kelly Box said the poem shows him to be "completely out of touch".

They said the compromise could mean families have to take a 20 minute car journey in peak hours to get their children to school, whilst also arguing that the school's should have been built on the flat site next to Harbury Lane and the junction of Oakley Wood Road.

Mother of two Ms Bevan said: "If the efforts put into penning the poetic update could instead be put into finding a solution for the reception children that doesn't involve bulging classes for our children, then I would certainly feel a lot happier.

"If the building of the school had been prioritised on the flat land now given to the extra houses, then we wouldn't need to be desperately awaiting updates on our children's futures.

"Parents are concerned about the quality of their child's education and school experience because of the temporary solution in the lower standard Myton sixth form building."

Warwickshire County Councillors revealed last week that the new Myton block would be built to 2013 regulations rather than 2021 like the new schools in Oakley Grove and Atherstone.

Mum of three Ms Box added: "Why on earth did a councillor feel the urge to write this bizarre poem?

"It's extremely disrespectful to all the families who are now facing uncertainty as to where their children will go to school.

"Writing a poem about something so serious highlights how out of touch the Conservatives are.

"It's disgraceful."

Despite planning permission being granted in 2019, Oakley Grove has been delayed due to issues around the transfer of the site from the landowner.

Councillor's Comments

Speaking to Nub News Cllr Matecki said that he had never intended to trivialise the concerns of residents and said he thought the poem would be an effective way of engaging the public.

"Poetry can be a very strong and powerful medium, it can be emotional," he said.

"I am sorry that a minority of people think that creativity is offensive but what I wanted to do was get an important message across to the public and do so in a different a personal way to engage the public."

Cllr Matecki also said that he had not received any real negativity on social media himself, and added that some residents had even told him that they liked the poem.

180 Oakley Grove students will be housed at Myton School's new sixth form block (Image via planning application)

He also said that he believed the poem was bringing good news and a real solution for local families.

"I don't see anything that I have posted as condescending or belittling the situation," he added.

"I thought it was a positive message to the many people I have engaged with, not through social media but through emails and parish council meetings.

"I think it gives the vast majority of parents who have raised the concerns beforehand to me, what they actually wanted.

"The children will be pupils of the new school from 2023, they will just be learning off site.

"That is what parents wanted, they asked if we could have some temporary cabins. But this is actually a better solution – they get a purposefully built block."