Labour challenges Tories over Southend schools

Labour councillors last night launched a series of questions to the Conservatives over what the future of Southend’s schools will be with the new government’s education proposals.

Under the new system, schools will be able to apply for academy status, and parents will be able to set up their own independent ‘free’ schools. There have been concerns that this will create further segregation in the school system.

Cllr Stephen George asked Roger Hadley (left), executive councillor for Children and Learning: “would the executive councillor tell us which schools in Southend are likely to apply to become academies under the new ConDem Government’s education proposals, and what impact does he anticipate this will have on those schools that retain their existing status?”

Cllr Hadley replied: “Southend has a higher proportion of schools rated outstanding by OFSTED than the national average.

“In Southend 14 schools are rated outsanding, which equates to 25% of schools, compared with only 6% of schools nationally.

“This means taht we have 14 schools that have been invited to express an immediate interest to achieve academy status.”

Those schools are Barons Court Infant, Bournes Green Infant, Bournes Green Junior, Chalkwell Hall Infant, Leigh Infant, Heycroft Primary, Temple Sutton Primary, West Leigh Junior, Milton Hall Primary, Westborough Primary, Southend High for Girls, Southend High for Boys, Westcliff High for Boys, and St Bernard’s High.

Cllr Hadley continued “Senior officers have held discussions with head teachers to explore the opportunities and risks of academy status.

“The governing bodies of some other schools are considering their position and officers estimate that approximately two more schools may wish to apply for academy status at this stage.

“The two most significant areas of impact on other schools are as follows. The Dedicated Schools Grant includes some funding for services that are provided by the local authority. Schools that become academies are funded directly by central government and when they do so they take with them a proportion of this funding. At the moment we do not have informtion about how this amount of money is to be calculated.

“The second area of impact relates to partnership working and collaboration between schools. Senior officers have given schools a very strong message that, whatever decisions schools make, we would hope that all schools of all types would continue to work together to share practice in the interests of continuous improvement. Head teachers have responded positively to this message.”

Labour councillor Ian Gilbert followed with a further question about the new school system. He asked: “What does the executive councillor believe the likely consequences of losing over £1 million in government grants from the Department of Education will be for services to children and young people in the borough?”
Cllr Hadley responded “The grant covers a wide range of provision, including funding for front line work across all of the areas of responsibility for children and young people within the Department for children and Learning.

“The Council has had notice of the announcement for less than a week and since then has been receiving further announcements by Government.

“We are still assessing the implications of these, so that we fully understand the whole picture and can take all the relevant information into account. As yet it is therefore still too early to say where we will achieve the reductions.”

Cllr Gilbert pressed the issue, asking “Will these be cuts to waste of front line services?”

Cllr Hadley replied “I wouldn’t like to say; officers are still looking in to all avenues.”

Tags: Academies, Cllr Ian Gilbert, Cllr Roger Hadley, Education, Schools, Southend