A POLITICAL chief has accused the Department for Education of “bully boy tactics” over threats to seize the Woolston High School site for a Free School.
Local Lib dem leader Ian Marks is backing Warrington Borough Council’s plan for improved special needs education on the site after the school closes in August.
It was reported earlier that the Dfe may use special powers to take the site if it did not get its own way for a Free School in Warrington.
In a letter to the Lib Dem Minister for Families and Children, Sarah Teather MP, Cllr. Marks (pictured) says the Dfe should not disrupt the council’s plans.
He said that plans to co-locate Green Lane and Fox Wood special schools to Woolston were started in 2009 when his party ran the council.
“We are pleased that Labour has continued with this plan and we are happy to support them. Both these schools have been judged by OFSTED to be ‘outstanding’ but by bringing them together we think our special needs provision can be even better.”
His party does not support plans for a Free School and feels it would be disruptive to existing secondary schools.”
He is concerned that Dfe officials say that their priority is to support a Free School and if no other site can be found they reserve the right to take Woolston site.
He said: “We strongly resent such ‘bully-boy’ tactics which would have a highly disruptive effect on our special needs plans. I cannot believe the Government would allow this to happen.”
Earlier it was reported that the Dfe may use special powers to take Woolston High.
Cllr Colin Froggatt, the borough council’s executive member for children and young people, said this could be detrimental to services for vulnerable children in Warrington.
A group of Woolston parents want to open a Free School – to be known as The Kings School – with a first-year intake of 120 pupils, in the high school buildings. They have the backing of the DfE and are already advertising for staff.
The council has offered temporary accommodation in empty classrooms at Bruche Primary School, and also identified a site in Hillock Lane – part of the high school’s playing fields – where new buildings for the Free School could be erected in the longer term.
Bully boy fears over Free school plan
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
7 Comments
Pity Councillor Marks did not have concerns about this school when he and his coalition partners closed it when they had control of the Council. Do not the wishes of the local parents count for nothing? Just another example of WBC taking no notice of its electorate. The DofE abviously in backing thism project are taking full notice of what the electorate have to say. If staff are already being recruited are we too far down the road to change tack?
Why refer to “this school” being closed by WBC, the free school is not Woolston High School reborn – it is , at best, an unknown entity. Should this embryonic school turn out to be a lame duck then don’t go complaining and trying to get your kids into other schools.
Nostalgia should not cloud the debate about what this school can offer, without the safeguards of a proper public sector school, including the qualifications of staff,. Also consider and the likely detrimental effect on other schools currently serving the community.
Considering the area around the school has continued to vote Labour, who are against Free Schools, no matter how much the local party tries to fudge it, I would suggest that listening to their electorate is exactly what they are doing. If you vote for a labour council it seems unfair to whinge when you get resistance to Tory policies.
Alan, sorry……Nick Tessla,
Are you for or against this free school opening? Yes or No?
Mun
“It just does not make sense”, immortal quotation from Cllr Froggatt 2007
Watch carefully for a glimpse of our Council leaders in their finest Oscar winning performances since the Godfather 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x010ZjbPrfk&feature=relmfu
You be the judge!
“bully boy tactics” ??? Wasn’t this precisely the manner in which Ian Marks & Cons ran the last administration? – and what the electors voted against to topple them? Nobody has forgotten the tactics used to close Woolston High, Longbarn and Stockton Heath Primary, and the ‘bully boy’ deceitful manner in which the LibCon Exec board tried to sell-off Walton Hall and Gardens. The plans to co-locate Green Lane and Fox Wood special schools to Woolston were certainly started in 2009 when Ian Marks and the LibCons ran the council – and when the focus in education seemed to be not to ensure that under performing schools were improved but to fiddle around with schools that were performing well above average. Green Lane and Fox Wood special schools have been rated ‘outstanding’ by OFSTED and should be left alone to continue their good work. Lessons should have been learned from the decline of Stockton Heath Primary which after all the millions wasted on it has been in special measures twice and still cause for concern.
Has all this fiddling about with schools really got anything to do with education?
What does Cllr Marks know about Woolston when he lives in Lymm?
Too right WBC be bullied into putting a free school in Woolston seeing they didn't listen to those living locally about the existing school's future.
Already Padgate/Lysander is failing – though did it actually improve.
WBC should try getting a grip and listen to what people want rather than make the decision for themselves!
Your straight-forward question deserves a straight-forward answer – I’m against.
Free schools are a ludicrous idea (if only because of all the un-knowns) and this one will have a detrimental effect on other local schools.