Press Release
Liberal Democrats call for views on schools review.
Liberal Democrats on Suffolk County Council today called for people in
Suffolk to send them their views on the proposals to change school structures
before the County Council meeting which finally approves the proposals in March.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Cllr Kathy pollard, said, "The Conservative
cabinet today approved the proposals for two tier education in Suffolk and the
issue will be coming before full council in March. We have read the report in
great detail and it seems to us that the educational case for change is
convincing. What concerns me however are the risks associated with such a
change.
I will be requesting further information on the costs associated with the
changes, such as how the extra £900,000 a year on school transport and £1.8
million for consultants fees for implementing the change will be covered.
I and my group were very concerned to see reported this week that the Building
Schools for the Future programme, which will be relied upon heavily for the
changes, has yet to complete a single project. Further, the man in charge of the
programme has admitted their targets are 'over ambitious'.
I would like to ask anyone who would like their views, whether for or against,
known on this issue to get in touch with myself or any member of my group. We
have set up an email address should you wish to email your views,
yourviewsonschools@googlemail.com, and we would welcome your thoughts."
Ian Young
Research Assistant
Liberal Democrat and Independent Group.
Pointers for Debate from David Chappell
I have been leading the debate within the Liberal Democrats across Suffolk and there is considerable resistance to these proposals for a whole raft of reasons.
The argument put to the County Councillors seems to rest on a number of issues, and my concerns rest on the following:
That the statistics show that Middle Schools are bad for children at Key Stage 2. Those statistics have been challenged but have been presented to the Councillors as 'rock solid'. We have a former Headmaster and Ofsted Inspector among our members who assures us that he has lots of experience as to how statistics are massaged and he has been looking at these statistics. I also understand that the Parents for Change Group have seriously challenged the statistics and the Tories accept that challenge to the statistics as having some merit.
However, as the government plans to scrap the SATS exam, the problem is going to go away without any action needed.
After the change from 3 tier to 2 tier in Bradford a Review Group was set up to check progress after the event. They found no significant differences in performance of the children under the then new 2 tier system.
Closer to hand I understand that the changeover in Norfolk also shows no significant improvement in the statistics after the change took place.It seems that Whitehall is contributing to this change by telling Councillors that this change is necessary as only by demonstrating structural change can they 'prove' to central government that they are doing something to improve children's education.
In relation to this Whitehall has told them that they will have no access to a particular pot of money unless they introduce this change. One County Councillor told me the 'pot' was £200 million, another that it was £830 million, a significant discrepancy. There is no indication though that this money will definitely be available if they change, or how much of it will be available! A highly unsatisfactory position.
In my serious debates with County Councillors rather than fall back on what is best for the children, they have invariably fell back on the argument that 'unless they make the change they will have no chance at these monies'.The Councillors and Council Officers are ignoring the government's advertised intention to raising the school leaving age at 18. This will mean that the Upper Schools will fill with such children, and there would be no room anyway to absorb Middle School pupils.
Historic records show that the children who go through the process of change suffer academically. There are two factors at play hear. One is that despite this knowledge no additional money has been set aside to provide educational support to offset the change. The second is that the proposal to make this change over eleven years will seriously damage our children's education over a prolonged period, in return for a marginal improvement.
The suggestion that Bury St Edmunds Middle Schools be left until last is of no comfort as by the time this happens such schools may well have been abandoned by the teachers that have made them the best! You can't blame teachers for wanting a secure future for themselves and their families.The agency to be appointed to carry out the building programme has yet to successfully complete a project!
There has been no environmental impact study either of the building programme, the effect of the new schools, though there might be some improvement from new schools, or on the effects of the extended transport arrangements.
These has been no assessment of the effects of the children of extended travel to school, in terms of the tiredness, of the social impact, or of their safety. When I was younger if I missed the bus I could walk home, now children in Barningham for example are faced with an 18 mile journey.
There has been no traffic congestion assessment of the areas around the schools to be enlarged.
No budget or financial plan has been produced so show the financial cost of the building programme. I have asked if the Council has this money to hand and in reserve, and been met with silence.
One of the most important factors that can be used to influence Councillors is the complete failure to properly consult the public. For example the advertisement in Haverhill required a public response by Saturday! Yes they wanted a response the very next day!
One Tory Councillor assured me that more information was going to be made public. When I asked why that information had been released prior to the public consultation she had no answer.There is also an issue which I have not seen with regard to bullying. When the age range between children is high bullying increases. One of the marked factors that teachers noted when the Middle Schools were introduced there was a reduction in bullying when the age range of the pupils was closer together.
This is not just about Middle Schools. Many primary schools built to feed the Middle School system do not have the room to take an extra two years of pupils. Upper Schools are going to be expected to take children up to the age of 18, while at the same time taking younger children as well. They just do not have the capacity.
You will have noted that Council have stated that they have worked out that the home to school transport bill will be £1 million. They could only make such a calculation after having already decided which pupils will have to travel, so they must know now exactly which schools are to close, or absorb new pupils. They should therefore also have been able to do a full budget for the school rebuilding programme. On the other hand if they do cannot clarify these matters then the £1 million for transport is just fictitious figure.
On the whole it is a wholly dissatisfactory situation to which no one seems to have any answer other than a marginal and doubtful forecast of improved education, and a very marked desire to have a 'chance' to access the government's pot of money. The Liberal Democrats are working to resist this, but the Tories have a significant majority on the Council.
There is one way that you can help me convince Liberal Democrats on the County Council to vote against this proposal, and that would be to forward any information that you have supporting the claim that has been made that the statistics are of doubtful merit. It is clear that the Council Officers are sticking to the line that the statistics are rock solid, despite previous Ofsted Reports that Suffolk's results are satisfactory.
One of our members is a former Ofsted Inspector, who is opposed to these changes. If you feel he could help your campaign I am sure he will be willing to help!
Regards,
David Chappell,
Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate 2005
David sent the above information to the Parents Against Change Action Group for their consideration.
They replied,
David
Thank you for your email - we too share these concerns and I take on board some of your comments such as the exact costing of additional transport without being able to state which schools will be merged / closed.
I have attached some of our information, most of which is available from our website, plus a couple of Worcestershire CC Cabinet papers from December which serve to highlight the issues they are now facing in the Wyre Forest as they go through their reorganisation...
If you have any questions, please give me a call - 07917 083314.
Steve Cowper
on behalf of Parents Against Change
The following information was attached:
A Case for Retaining the Existing 3 Tier Structure
National Middle Schools' Forum
- Briefing Paper
A response by St Felix CEVC Middle School Governors
National Middle Schools' Forum - Suffolk Review
The Yawning Hole
Worcestershire CC Cabinet paper 1
Worcestershire CC Cabinet paper 2
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