NEAG

rajdavies · Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Posts: 3

I'm a resident and parent of children attending schools in Bedforshire - which has finished its consultation period on looking at changing from 3 tier to 2 tier and the county council school structures working group are recommending moving to 2 tier. This is after 65% of parents voted AGAINST changing the present system.

As the Bedfordshire County Council working group uses the fact that Nothumberland County Council had recently decided to change from 3 tier to 2 tier as one of their arguments for changing (don't want to be left out I guess!) I was looking to see if parent's views had also been ignored in Northumberland as well - and I came across your group - so I thought I'd ask here: were you ignored as well ?

All the best with your campaign

Rob Davies

fionaw · Forum Guru Joined: 12 Jun 2004 Posts: 1129 Location: Blyth

I think you might get a flood of replies to this - we were OVERWHELMINGLY ignored!

Their consultation was (in my opinion) flawed but they put much store by an independant telephone survey which was conducted with residents throughout the county, whether they were involved with education or not. The result showed that only 22% were in favour of the change to 2-tier.
Over the past 2 years we have presented petitions with over 35,000 signatures, marched on County Hall, taken our documentation to Downing Street, etc etc, BUT we haven't given up

Lynn Roxburgh · Posted: 03 Jul, 2006 11:26 pm Post subject:

I think you should look at NCC web site www.northumberland.gov.uk which will show you details of the judicial review which has only recently been completed and you will then see the stregnth of feeling against change in this County. We too are constantly told of others who have changed but have found many anomalies - Leek in Staffs didn't go after all, neither did the Isle of Wight and Somerset is about to begin consulting after it could only move its urban areas last time round and kept three tiers in rural areas. Our LA is keen for us to look at Northamptonshire at the moment. Glad you found the web site and hope it encourages you to continue your dialogue.
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Lynn Roxburgh

rajdavies · Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Posts: 3

Thank you very much for information and encouragement!
I've looked at Northamptonshire - and the change from three-tier to two-tier hasn't been completely smooth:

From the Ofsted report: Annual performance assessment of Northamptonshire county council’s Education and Children’s’ social Care Functions 2005

The council recognises that the recent reorganisation from a three-tier to a two-tier system of education has been an adverse factor affecting both attendance and behaviour in a minority of schools

I also looked at the Isle of Wright's decision to stay with three-tier education and realized that 4S consultants were instrumental in the county's original decision to move to two-tier education, as they have been in Bedfordshire and Suffolk.

Were 4S consultants also used by Northumberland County Council ?

The Bedfordshire County Council vote will happen on July 13th and we are actively lobbying councilors to vote 'NO' to the recommendations. I'll let the forum know of the outcome.

thanks for all the help

Rob Davies

edbrown · Posted: 04 Jul, 2006 10:02 am Post subject:

The overwhelming majority of taxpayers are against the move to 2-tier education in Northumberland.

We have constantly been misled by councillors and officers and have had a flood of temporary, part-time, consultants which has drained valuable resources from education.

Our case has been to the high court where it was deemed that Northumberland County Counci had acted illegally and the council are now consulting again on their preferred option of a 2-tier system of education. However, they have failed to provide sufficient information for people to make an informed decision.

I am open to a change of education structure but only if the council can demonstrate that it will improve both educational and pastorl standards in our schools while not affecting other services.

There is clear guidance that educational standards and pastoral care (the Every Child Matters) agenda must be improved by any change to structure.

It is incorrect to say that Northumberland has changed to 2-tier. The High Court ruled that each and every school and each and every partnership has to be consulted about whether to change from 3-tier to 2-tier. There is also guidance that all linked schools must be considered together and all affected schools included in the consultation.

In Northumberland the Council have reacted quickly to the High Court ruling and are reconsulting before the end of the school term, this includes consulting during holiday periods in some school partnerships, and during exam periods. This is very bad practice.

Hopefully your own authority is mor eopen about its aims and objectives and has put forward evidence of educational improvement.

You should also use the Freedom of Information Act to obtain information from Bedfordshire, DfES, and Ministers about their plans. Also use the right to inspect the Annual Acocunts as a way to obtain information on what is happening - we found out all sorts of interesting things from the 2004/05 accounts. For example more was spent on PR and advertising than educational evaluation for our proposed changes. More was spent on legal fees for Cheire Booth than on the review of educational benefits.

I wish you well in your campaign but from the contacts we have had it appears that many Councils are using the same arguments and the same phrases as if there is a more central influence.

I have repeatedly asked the Secretary of State for Education to meet with parents but successive occupants of that position have not even had the politeness to answer these requests. Tony Blair also agreed to meet with paretns but has failed to do so.

The current Education Bill will further damage paretnal involvement as removes many of the remaining restraints on Local Authorities.
_________________
Ed Brown
www.solid-us.com
www.go-britain.com

rajdavies · Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Posts: 3

Bedfordshire County Council has voted to retain the three-tier school system of lower, middle and upper schools at a meeting of the Full Council today (Thursday 13 July 2006).

The council voted to accept an amendment which retained the existing schools structure, and rejected a proposed move to a two-tier system.

The amendment also proposes an action plan designed to improve standards at all Bedfordshire Schools and raise standards to the average achieved by comparable authorities at Key Stage Four (16 years old).

Progress will be monitored through a performance management structure. The County Council will formally review progress in late 2009.

Councillor Rita Drinkwater, Cabinet member for Education, said: "We have accepted the view of the County Council on school structures and will now be getting on with implementing the amended recommendations."

Thank you for your help and support - the councillors were bombarded with letters, emails and campaigns were run through the local papers.

Good luck in Northumberland!!

Rob Davies

fionaw · Forum Guru Joined: 12 Jun 2004 Posts: 1129 Location: Blyth

WELL DONE your councillors have obviously listened to the public view.

jronan · Posted: 13 Jul, 2006 5:23 pm Post subject:

Congratulations indeed, nice to see the population being listened to.

Tracey Boldy · Forum Guru Joined: 14 Jun 2004 Posts: 1070

You obviously have a more reasonable, listening council than we have been lumbered with. Well done and congratulations - just go and show them what a Middle school system can do when its council is behind it.

Tracey Boldy · Forum Guru Joined: 14 Jun 2004 Posts: 1070

sammoj · Posted: 13 Jul, 2006 6:48 pm Post subject:

We tried that in May last year Sad

edbrown · Posted: 13 Jul, 2006 8:06 pm Post subject:

That was elections - I think what is being proposed is a revolution.

You have to remember that only 22% supported the proposed change to 2-tier and this is was reflected in the election with less thatn this percentage voting for Labour who won the majority of seats.

Several of the Labour councillors had narrow margins.

Liberal Democrats had 3,500 more votes than Labour but got 14 seats compared with Labours 35. The Conseravtives had a high vote as well but had significantly lower number of seats compared to their heavy vote count.

That was elections - I think what is being proposed is a revolution.
_________________
Ed Brown
www.solid-us.com
www.go-britain.com

Lynn Roxburgh · Posted: 14 Jul, 2006 12:11 am Post subject:

If you've got any ardent fans of two tier now looking for jobs from your LA for goodness sake don't snd them our way we've enough sheep aimlessly following Council! What is it that we do wrong and you, Leek and the Isle of Wight all get right?
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Lynn Roxburgh

edbrown · Posted: 14 Jul, 2006 10:54 am Post subject:

It is the Council who are failing the taxpayer.

The public perception is of a weak and failing council.

We will have to wait and see if those responsible for evaluating the Council agree with the public perception.
_________________
Ed Brown
www.solid-us.com
www.go-britain.com