Meeting with minister offers hope for Colchester schools (From Gazette)

Meeting with minister offers hope for Colchester schools

9:00pm Wednesday 10th March 2010 in

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EVIDENCE which campaigners claim means two Colchester secondary schools should not close has been outlined to a Government minister.

Colchester MP Bob Russell and Monkwick dad Joe Slatter met Schools Minister Vernon Coaker to explain why they think Essex County Council should not be allowed to close Alderman Blaxill and Thomas Lord Audley schools.

They claim the county council’s proposals for a £130million reorganisation of secondary education in Colchester are based on flawed statistics, which fail to take into account how rapidly the borough is growing.

After the meeting, Mr Russell said: “While, at this stage, I must not raise hopes too high, I honestly believe that, thanks to Mr Slatter’s detailed analysis, the case for closure will show the county council’s figures are flawed, and that this will result in the whole of the reorganisation package being looked at afresh.”

Essex County Council wants to close the two schools, turn Sir Charles Lucas Arts College into an academy and expand other schools in the borough, including Stanway and Philip Morant.

A report drawn up by Mr Slatter, who has eight-year-old twins who want to go to Thomas Lord Audley, said the number of places at secondary schools in Colchester would drop from 10,664 to 10,118, if the plans went ahead.

However, the latest forecasts, based on GP registration data and birth rates, suggested that by 2018 there would not be enough spaces for all Colchester children.

Mr Slatter and Mr Russell also said Thomas Lord Audley was an improving school with rising numbers of children wanting to study there, while Alderman Blaxill could get better under the leadership of headteacher Jonathan Tippett, if allowed to.

Two representatives for Partnership for Schools, the organisation which is running the Government’s Building Schools for the Future programme, where the £130million is coming from, were also present at the meeting.

A Department for Children, Schools and Families spokesman said: “Once Essex County Council has submitted its strategy document, which is expected in the next couple of weeks, it will be carefully considered along with the statistics compiled by Mr Slatter.”

Mr Slatter said: “I’m pretty confident now that when Essex does put its figures forward, it will turn around and say they don’t add up.”

Essex County Council insisted the decision on closing Thomas Lord Audley and Alderman Blaxill had already been made.

Spokesman Michael Page said: “The overwhelming and vast majority of people in Colchester are committed to delivering a world class education for the town and are moving forward together to achieve this.”