THE SCHOOL counsellor who was made redundant from The Chase to save costs has been reinstated part-time.
Sam Morris will be at the Geraldine Road school once a week through her new charity Safe with Sam, which supports young people with mental health issues.
In March, governors announced 14 jobs would be axed at the end of the school year in August, blaming declining pupil numbers and warning The Chase potentially faced a £2.6million financial black hole.
Parents and pupils expressed shock that Mrs Morris would be made redundant, but the Welland mum wasted no time in getting her charity off the ground afterwards.
Headteacher Richard Jacobs said: “We are thrilled to be able to welcome back Sam Morris to The Chase.
“It broke our heart to make her role redundant last year as she was a loyal and hard-working member of staff.
“However, the financial crisis I inherited last year meant that the school had to prioritise its spending and we had no choice but to protect teaching jobs first.
“That was the right choice to make and our examination results shot up this year as a result, making us the most successful school in the whole of South Worcestershire.
“We have now returned the school to a sound financial basis and are anxious to improve our pastoral services even further, in a format and structure that we will be able to afford.
“With the support of the charity Safe with Sam we are confident that our students will continue to be happy and successful, today and tomorrow.”
Mrs Morris added: “I am delighted to be returning to The Chase. Although the redundancy period was a difficult one for all concerned, Mr Jacobs and I continued to work together in the interests of the students.
“Our positive relationship means that we have been able to forge a new working alliance.
“Through the new mental health charity Safe With Sam I will now be able to serve The Chase students for many years to come.”
