Why I oppose the plan for academy in Blyth

I AM writing in response to the letter from Bill Brooks in the News Post Leader on July 7, 2006.

I should make it clear at the outset that I am not opposed to academies as such but that I am opposed to an academy in Blyth, and to any academy run by the proposed sponsor, The Emmanuel Foundation.

It is rather hypocritical of Coun Brooks to accuse those in opposition to the academy in Blyth of restricting fair debate – it was after all Northumberland County Council who were found guilty in the High Court of England of 'UNFAIR and UNLAWFUL' consultation in conjunction with their Putting the Learner First scheme.

Coun Brooks says that there is "... currently significant over subscription by councils seeking to have such a resource in their 'patch'". If Coun Brooks is referring to a cash resource then I cannot disagree, but if he means an academy then I must take issue, since he implies councils are competing to have academies. In reality academies are being forced upon councils by a Labour Government anxious to hit their goal of 200 across the country.

The last thing that Blyth needs is another high school. If it were not for Northumberland County Council's inability to attract government funding for Putting the Learner First it would not even be considering another high school in Blyth. After all, the performance of Blyth Community College is rapidly improving and by the time any proposed academy is up and running it will, on current progress, have caught up with its neighbours and offer an outstanding education for the children of Blyth.

The county council seem quite happy with a high school in Cramlington of 2,500+ pupils, but are trying to convince us of the need to have a second high school in Blyth when Blyth Community College has less than half that number and is currently undersubscribed by about 220 pupils. This comes only four years after Blyth Community College was opened as a flagship school at taxpayer's expense, Northumberland County Council having CLOSED Blyth's two high schools to create it. What has Northumberland County Council to say now about their arguments at the time for the closure of Blyth's two high schools? We as taxpayers need and deserve answers.

How can we believe that Northumberland County Council would not allow Blyth Community College to become 'a sink school' if an academy were built? Once an academy is established then the county council will have no say over the academy's admissions policy. In this respect the council is being totally blinkered by its desperation to push ahead with Putting the Learner First and is not thinking through the consequences of its rash decisions for the people of Blyth.

STEVE WILSON

Dorking Close

Blyth

Do we want to throw this away?

THE question has been asked – Why an academy in Blyth? Why not Morpeth or Ponteland or Haydon Bridge?

Academies can only be established in deprived areas which have low standards of education. In Northumberland only Blyth and Ashington qualify a areas of high deprivation. Academies cannot be built in Morpeth, Ponteland or Haydon Bridge.

It has been suggested that if an academy is established in Blyth then Blyth Community College will suffer by losing pupils and becoming a sink school. This will not be the case.

In Gateshead where Emmanuel College was established over ten years ago all the adjacent High Schools have improved their standards along with Emmanuel College. Emmanuel College is the flagship of the Emmanuel schools foundation which hopes to build an academy in Blyth.

King's College in Middlesbrough has improved educational standards and GCSE results in its area from 21 pre cent to 44 per cent in two years. Also at King's College almost ten per cent of pupils have SEN statements and another 23 per cent have Special Need requirements.

King's College is not an elite school but is a good school. It has been suggested that Academies pick and choose their pupils and don't stick to their catchment area. This is not the case.

In Middlesbrough and Doncaster Emmanuel Academies have stuck strictly to the catchment area which have been designated by the local authority – Blyth will not be any different.

Emmanuel colleges take children of all religions and do not force any child to change but encourage all children to practice as they wish. David Vardy has said he does not want to compete with Blyth Community College but wants to work towards both schools being strong and successful. Surely we want the kids in Blyth to have a better chance?

It is also said that Emmanuel schools expel the pupils. This is true – all good schools do the same in order to allow those who want to learn and aspire to do so in a quiet and safe environment.

Northumberland County Council would need an academy in Blyth if the Putting the Learner First programme is introduced in Blyth after Cramlington has completed its programme.

However if, because of a lack of enthusiasm, an academy does not get built in Blyth, PLF may have to wait – Blyth may have to go to the back of the queue.

It has been said that Blyth does not need an academy today, but it will be needed to improve the education of all schools in Blyth.

It would be nice to have two good high schools. Nice to improve the discipline in Blyth high schools. Nice to have more kids achieving and getting better jobs. Do we really want to throw this chance away?

Academies are not an Northumberland County Council or David Vardy initiative. They have been introduced by the Government as Labour Party policy – The 200 academies envisaged are expected to improve the education standards of the whole country.

Northumberland now has the chance of taking advantage of this opportunity. We can turn it down but it could be many years before we get another chance to improve our education.

DAVID VAUGHAN

Member of Academies Working Group

Northumberland County Council

County Hall

Morpeth

Infuriated by councillor's attitude on proposed academies

I READ Coun Bill Brooks letter in last week's News Post Leader regarding the public response received at a meeting in Blyth on the proposed academies. Not surprisingly, the majority of opinion was against these academies.

Coun Brooks' attitude on this response infuriated me. He started by saying the way the meeting was advertised left "little room for a balanced or fair debate". He also stated that he believed people needed to "hear the facts and other points of view" and only then would they be able to make up their own minds.

I am a supporter of our three-tier education system that Coun Brooks and his executive team are "proposing" to change to two-tier. Over the last two years I have attended many school and public meetings held by Northumberland County Council under their consultation process. A balanced or fair debate did not happen at these meetings. One meeting was opened by the chairman saying that three-tier was not an option and not up for debate. Was this a balanced and fair debate?

As for the facts, we have been given no facts that a two-tier system is better than the three-tier system. We have been given no facts that education standards will improve. The Department of Education has said they have no preference over either system and they cannot see any educational reason for change. We are still waiting for facts to explain where funds for this massive educational change will come from.

So, Coun Brooks, we have your "facts" and we know "your point of view" so you must understand now why the majority of people and teachers are against your two-tier proposal.

As for the further consultation going ahead this week in Cramlington. Can we be assured this will be a balanced and fair debate? Will Northumberland County Council keep an open mind to the alternative proposals that have been submitted? I think not. Let's look at the facts:

Thirteen further meetings over four days. (Why the rush?)

Early meeting starts, which make it very difficult for some working parents to attend.

The alternative proposals to be examined by Northumberland County Council's Executive Committee.

MRS D RAY

Cramlington

Council should be asking the questions

Dear Coun Brooks, I took time to attend Public Question Time last Wednesday after concluding that other questions I have raised in the past have been inadequately passed over and received scant reply. I was astonished that the behaviour in chamber was very poorly directed by the chairman of the county council. Not a single question posed either by the public or other councillors received meaningful answers.

On the question of Post 16 Transport Charges, I asked a supplementary question whether you personally knew, when making your decision to hike charges up by 53 per cent, that there had been a failure by county to apply for funding from the Learning Skills Council. You did not reply and the chair allowed you to avoid the question.

You have previously publicly stated that "if there was any other way" you would not have approved this increase. I hope that the independent inquiry you have promised looks at this specific question and challenges whether in fact there has been a cover up on this.

The cost of paying for post 16 transport is only a burden to rural areas and may not cause you grief at the polls but the waste of the taxpayers money ought to be a concern to all taxpayers.

I had already challenged the accuracy of the costing information presented to the public both on this and on the faith school transport charges which you are debating in council this coming week. I have never received an explanation as to why figures do not add up.

It should not be up to the public to question the information supplied, Northumberland County Council's own management should be looking after the public purse and you as councillors should be able to give guarantees that this is being done effectively and efficiently.

LYNN ROXBURGH

Longacre House

The Green

Longframlington

Working together for better local services

WE are taking the unusual step of writing this joint, open letter because of the concern we share that an opportunity to improve health care in the Wansbeck constituency may be lost.

In England a high proportion of care is delivered through acute hospitals, which undoubtedly play an important part in the health system.

However, they are not the only component of a health system and in Northumberland we are fortunate to have thriving community hospitals, of which Morpeth is one.

There are lots of different organisations involved in providing care. This can be a problem. To a patient or to a community it doesn't matter who is responsible for providing what – they just want a joined up, accessible and comprehensive range of services from start to finish. And, when planning services individual organisations can fail to take account of what other organisations are doing.

Current reviews of services by two organisations will directly impact on the Morpeth and Wansbeck communities.

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust is assessing the future for Morpeth Cottage Hospital and Northumberland County Council has already consulted on the closure of residential provision at the Mount in Morpeth, and Essendene in Ashington.

We believe that there is a risk that individual organisations will fail to look at the wider impact of each of the reviews, and may miss potential opportunities for joint solutions.

The recent white paper on health, places an emphasis on moving care closer to home with a central tenant to make care more accessible.

People are particularly supportive of having more services provided locally. Community hospitals and local care are greatly valued, particularly by the most vulnerable members of society.

Those services provided at Morpeth Cottage hospital, include outpatient, physiotherapy, and diagnostics, and in-patient recuperative care.

Morpeth is an old hospital, and transferring some specialist services to Wansbeck General would ensure a continued provision, but it is our opinion that it would be desirable if an increased range of out patient services could remain within the Morpeth area.

Equally, the inpatient care provided valuably within the community, should not be allowed to disappear with the hospital's closure.

Northumbria Healthcare's initial assessment is for a need of between 15-17 beds which we recognise would be difficult to provide as a stand alone service.

There are however, similar challenges facing Northumberland County Council.

Its residential homes have provided valued community care but The Mount and Esendene are older buildings and have been identified for closure.

Despite the county council's wishes to focus its directly-provided services on rehabilitative, specialist and short-term care, it will still have to put in place satisfactory alternative arrangements for the residents of The Mount and Essendene.

In conclusion, we have two reviews, separate in organisations but together part of a local care system.

In addition we are aware that GPs within Morpeth want to explore redeveloping their practices to reflect their expanding services. Could it be that this is just the time when all the major providers of care could benefit from collaborative working? This is both the challenge and the opportunity.

To this end and on behalf of the communities we represent, we ask all of those involved to work together to realise the opportunity to preserve and enhance valued local services.

DENIS MURPHY

MP for Wansbeck

BRENDA FORDY-SCOTT

Chairman Morpeth Local Strategic Partnership

DAVID L NICHOLSON

Chairman Wansbeck Initiative

Thatcher's Labour victory in Northumberland

I WRITE with reference to the News Post Leader front page headline "School slams council's claims". So what's new?

Why should the governing body and staff at Blyth Community College expect a fair deal from Northumberland County Council?

Did they learn nothing from the attitudes and style during the so-called consultation exercise prior to and during the imposition of their "preferred" two-tier system option in the Putting the Learner First proposals?

I find it astonishing that a Labour controlled council can in any way sanction the privatisation of any aspect of education, never mind agreeing to hand control of a secondary school to a private sponsor.

The argument that Blyth can support two high schools, under any fancy name chosen, is rubbish; this is the same county council which closed the two high schools in Blyth as not viable, only four years ago, to open a community college. The argument that a 2,000 plus college is not suitable for the students of Blyth is rubbish. Cramlington is to have a secondary school of some 2,400 pupils – and this is offerred to the parents of Cramlington as a strength.

The reality is that an academy in Blyth is only viable, and can only be successful, if it draws pupils from an enlarged catchment area – Cramlington and Seaton Valley for instance.

What would this do to Cramlington High School and Astley High School in the future? Where would it eventually leave Blyth Community College?

Margaret Thatcher not only closed the pits in Northumberland 20 years ago, she began a change in political thinking, a change which results in Labour councillors in Northumberland accepting and voting for "privatised education" – Maggie's Labour victory in Northumberland.

Tony Blair is not the only disciple of Margaret Thatcher in the Labour Party, all the Labour councillors the county council now bow to her bidding. Shame on you!

ALAN ROBINSON

East Cramlington

We'd love to see you at anniversary celebrations

ALTHOUGH we said last year that there would be no repeat of the hugely successful VJ Day celebrations we are delighted to contradict ourselves and invite again all veterans, ladies and gentlemen, to attend the 61st anniversary to be held on Tuesday, August 15, at Doxford Hall, Chathill, Northumberland, NE67 5DN.

If any veterans know of other war veterans who did not attend last year, perhaps you could inform them of the occasion and ask them to make contact with us if they wish to come as we would love to see them.

The Garden Party will start at about 11am with Trotters cream scones, followed by entertainment with a break for Lewis's fish and chips about 12.30 (we will have another attempt at the Guinness Book of Records), with more entertainment after lunch and a grand finale ("We'll meet again") accompanied by tea and cakes about 4pm.

We would be delighted if as many veterans as possible were able to attend and to assist in the catering arrangements would greatly appreciate it if they could confirm the number of guests by the end of July either by letter at the address below, telephone number 01665 589499 or e-mail doxfordhall@aol.com

We look forward to seeing you all again.

BRIAN and SHIRLEY BURNIE

Doxford Hall

Chathill

Northumberland

Caring work in town

THE members of the Duke of Clarence Lodge of the RAOB recently held a social evening in aid of the Macmillan Nurses, at the High Street Club in Blyth.

We would like to say thank you to the members of the club, the committee, staff and members of the RAOB who supported us on the night.

We raised 400 on the night, and have sent a cheque to the Ward 3 Trust Fund at the Blyth Community Hospital, which is the ward operated by the Macmillan Nurses, who do much caring work in the community.

Once again, thank you one and all, to everyone who supported us on the night.

M K FOX

Secretary RAOB

Duke of Clarence Lodge No. 1229

Cowley Place

Blyth

Swimming club's award thanks

ASHINGTON Swimming Club has received a grant cheque from ExxonMobil in respect of their Volunteer Involvement Programme. This is to support local organisations who help encourage citizenship, community activity and raise the profile of volunteering as a valued activity.

The club has received an award for 500 to go towards supporting a swim clinic venture where top swimmers pass on their wealth of knowledge and expertise to local youngsters, parents, coaches and other volunteers from the club.

The club would like to thank Mr Rob Houlison and his daughter Sara for all their hard work in securing this award.

MRS KATH DICKINSON

Club secretary

Ashington

Swimming Club

RNLI shows its appreciation

THE committee of the Ashington branch of the RNLI would like to thank the people of Bedlington for their generosity during our flag days on Thursday, June 29 and Saturday, July 1.

We collected 339.35.

Thank you for supporting this charity that exists to save lives at sea and is funded entirely by voluntary contributions.

If you would like to help us or would like a presentation on the work of the service, please ring Mavis Crudace on 01670 815995.

MAVIS CRUDACE

Honorary Secretary

North Seaton Village

Ashington

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