Who is defending Redditch Schools from funding cuts?

In response to my calls for the Redditch County Councillors and the Member of Parliament to meet with the DfE to defend Redditch schools I was told Worcestershire MP's would debate school funding this week in Parliament with a Schools Minister.

I have raised my concerns, those of Headteachers, teaching staff, governors and parents a number of times, in summary that:

• Suggested school funding reforms are flawed, when schools in Redditch just 3 miles apart could see one school gain over £200,000 with another losing over £200,000.
• Urban schools in deprived areas will lose out disproportionately.
• Worcestershire has fallen 6 places down the school funding league table in the last two years.
• Government reforms will see Redditch schools lose £300,000 in April.
• In 2015 Redditch schools could lose a further £1.5 million.
• Taking into account Redditch schools who could benefit, net losses could total three quarters of a million pounds.
• Even the schools who stand to gain in Redditch have voiced their concern about neighbouring schools who could lose up to 17% of their funding in 2015.
• More Redditch schools are set lose than gain.
• Three tier education in Redditch has not been taken into account, with reforms favouring two tier.
• Concern that the same lump sum will not address the needs of individual schools.
• Lack of detail on Minimum Funding Guarantee beyond 2015 is extremely worrying.
• Consultees were not given enough time (some governors having 4 working days notice) to comment on the most significant school funding reforms since the 80's.

I am shocked that the Redditch MP did not raise the challenges these reforms throw up for Redditch schools in today's debate.

This was a lost opportunity by the Redditch MP to advise the Schools Minster on how the reforms affect Redditch schools, so that our children's needs could be taken into account. I notice other Worcestershire MP's raise individual concerns for their constituencies, such as three tier, financial losses, the lump sum and Minimum Funding Guarantee, yet no mention of how our schools in Redditch are and could be affected.

After attending Worcestershire County Council's Cabinet meeting last week, where no Redditch County Councillor spoke on Redditch schools, I am left wondering who is defending Redditch schools from funding cuts?

For further details MP's debate Worcestershire School Funding

Redditch County Councillors back Government, not Redditch School Children

 

Today members of the Worcestershire County Council Cabinet voted for school funding reform that will see Redditch schools lose £324,627 in April and a possible £1,534,018 in 2015.

Despite the protest outside County Hall and 6 speakers at the cabinet meeting from a number of areas across the county, including Redditch, County Councillors failed to address the implications of the model they have chosen for our school children. 

They have voted for:

• More Redditch schools losing than gaining. 
• Schools in deprived areas facing losses of over £200,000 while schools in affluent areas could gain over £200,000, with no attempt to address this.
• Greater losses for Redditch with its three tier system than areas of two tier education.
• Reforms that give no minimum funding guarantee beyond 2015.
• Proposals that now do not differentiate between small and large school buildings.

County Councillors have raised concerns regarding how funding affects rural schools, but no mention of urban schools in places with high levels of deprivation.  Today I asked Councillors again to meet with the DfE, as Staffordshire County Councillors have, to raise these issues caused by the Government's reforms.

Schools have not had enough time to consider the proposals, with some governing bodies having only four working days to give their comments on the biggest school funding reform since the 80's and not getting the answers to questions posed prior to the deadline.  I am shocked that Worcestershire County Council have not carried out a genuine consultation on school funding reform.

The Cabinet of 10 Councillors has 3 councillors representing Redditch.  Between Cllr Potter, Cllr Gretton & Cllr Thain, 75% of our town was represented between them.  However, I was angry that not a single Redditch Councillor spoke of the schools they represent and remained silent on the effects for Redditch.

They failed to acknowledge the fears schools have about how they will cope beyond 2015, with hundreds of thousands of pounds that could be lost to individual schools.

An amendment was passed that would see a review for 2014/15 which I do not believe would have been proposed had their plans been pushed through under the radar as was the danger a few weeks ago.

My thanks to teachers & governors who raised this a few weeks ago and in particular to Alison Gleave, Chair of Governors for Wychbold First and Nursery in Droitwich, for having organised the protest outside of County Hall. 

Today's decision flies in the face of seeking fairer funding for Worcestershire Schools. Children get one shot at school and they deserve better.

 

24 Hours to Protect Redditch School Funding

Help Stop £1.8million of School Funding Cuts in Redditch

 

On Thursday 18th October, Worcestershire County Councillors will be voting on changes to school funding for Redditch Schools and the rest of the county.

There is still time for County Councillors to vote against these proposals which include Redditch schools losing £1.83 million over three years.

How you can help:

Protest - Please join parents, school governors and Redditch Borough Councillors to oppose these cuts at a protest outside County Hall in Worcester, 9.30am Thursday 18th October ahead of the Council meeting which starts at 10am.

Contact County Councillors - Contact County Councillors representing Redditch who are due to vote on Thursday & ask them not to support cuts to Redditch schools.

Conservative Cllr Potter -  janeapotter@talktalk.net

Conservative Cllr Thain - davethain@gmail.com

Conservative Cllr Gretton - pgretton@worcestershire.gov.uk

 

Contact the Member of Parliament - Contact Karen Lumley the Conservative Redditch MP - karen.lumley.mp@parliament.uk and ask her to defend Redditch schools against the Government's funding reforms which will see Worcestershire Schools worse off.  In the last two years Worcestershire Schools have fallen further behind other local authorities from 141 to 147 out of 151 and that was before these proposals. 

 

See below for more details

Prioritising Redditch Buses

Good update meeting with First Bus this morning. 

We discussed the evening service on the 57/58 route, taking in my own ward of Greenlands, which has been running since July on Friday and Saturday evenings.  The need for more buses to call in at the Alex Hospital and disabled access.

From First's point of view, they are happy with the levels of passengers using the 57/58 evening service and the safety for their drivers.  The Police have been giving their support, the people who are using the bus in the evening are finding the service tremendously useful and the recent landscaping has been beneficial.  We continue to work together to try and make sure the evening service can continue and even extend. 

People rallied to get this evening service along this route reinstated after Diamond removed their service.  I was delighted First were able to go a long way to answering our calls.  I raised again the fact that people want to see an evening service 7 nights a week to give people better access around the town for work and pleasure.  Not only does it make sense for people using the buses but for the town centre and the wider economy. 

Again I highlighted that if just a couple of buses an hour on the route could call into the hospital it would be extremely beneficial to staff, patients and visitors.  Bus passengers have voiced their concern to me that the County Council funded hopper service, which has already been delayed will not serve enough of the circluar route and that 9.30am until 3.30pm Mon to Fri is not good enough to meet their needs. 

Interesting that despite Worcestershire County Council having cut over £1 million from bus transport this year, equal to 119 bus services, this will be the second small hopper route, yet leaving so much of the town without buses. 

People have mentioned the need for more low floor buses and I have been reassured that 75% of the First fleet in Redditch are low floor access.  I have asked for more details as I want to know that these are fairly distributed, giving the best access possible for disabled bus users around the town.

First listened carefully to the requests and I remain hopeful that by sharing people's travel needs providers can better understand how to improve their service.  I am sure we can continue to improve services in Redditch by working together.   

Our Elected Representatives Can Do More

Rebecca Blake, Labour Parliamentary Spokesperson, today asked Worcestershire County Councillors & Worcestershire Members of Parliament live on BBC Hereford & Worcester radio to do more on school funding for Redditch schools.

"Redditch schools cannot afford to lose £1.8 million.  Head Teachers in Redditch tell me that for some schools this could mean losing as many as four teachers. 

Worcestershire MP's and County Councillors can do more to stand up for our children against these cuts.  Given Staffordshire elected representatives are meeting with an Education Minister at the Department for Education to raise their concerns with the Government reforms, I have asked our elected representatives to do the same and raise these unfair cuts to Redditch schools.  In addition I have asked for Worcestershire County Councillors to not vote for these cuts in October".

One Deputy Head wrote to Rebecca stating that Worcestershire County Council dismissed concerns at the recent meeting as "there will always be winners and losers in every change".  The Deputy asked "Who will come and tell our parents and our pupils that the Local Authority see them as the losers and their education is clearly less valued than the neighbours up the road".

Cllr Rebecca Blake said "It beggars belief that these changes can in any way be described as the Government addressing the fairer funding issue in the County".

Coverage by Redditch Standard

Outrage at School Funding Proposals

As the Conservative County Council consult on school funding reforms as part of the Government's required national changes, schools in the Redditch constituency face suggested cuts of £1.86 million over the next 3 years.

Described as a simplification in school funding, WCC suggest over 40 different models, including Vaynor First School in Headless Cross gaining £197,184 while at the same time Abbeywood First School in Church Hill would lose £127,526.

Even taking into account the smaller proportion of schools who could gain, Redditch schools will be left almost three quarters of a million pounds down.

Rebecca Blake, Labour's Parliamentary Spokesperson said "Cuts to school budgets of this magnitude will be devastating for those worst hit.  How can it be justified that children attending Walkwood will gain, while children 3 miles down the road at Birchensale will lose out.  Even across the county, Redditch is unfairly hit with 3 out of 4 of our high schools losing £570,000, yet Worcester's High Schools have no cuts at all.  Cuts in Redditch are not necessary when you consider that £2.3 million has been wasted on the Government's new free schools which have failed.  I urge the Government and County Council to think again, children get one shot at school and they deserve better". 

Rebecca, also local councillor reported "In conversations with Headteachers, Governors and fellow Councillors, it's clear that not enough weighting is being given to areas of high deprivation, including schools that have a number of children who qualify for free school meals. Two tier versus three tier is clearly back on the County Council agenda, considered unfinished business from the extremely disruptive Redditch Review many years ago that saw a number of schools in Redditch close, followed closely by a second phase". 

Ms Blake highlighted "Fairer funding campaigners have been let down.  In opposition the Government pledged to tackle the difficult issue of school funding formula that saw Worcestershire lag behind Warwickshire.  However the answer cannot be for our schools to lose nearly £1,86 million.  In 2010 Worcestershire was ranked 141 out of 151 local authorities, since then we have fallen to 147th place and that was before these cuts were suggested.  Parents deserve to know what is being proposed and I believe they will be as outraged as I am". 

Coverage by Redditch Standard

Taking the Save the Alex Campaign to Manchester

Rebecca Blake Labour's Parliamentary Spokesperson for Redditch met with Andy Burnham, Shadow Health Secretary the day of his conference speech, where he laid out Labour's policies for the NHS.

"Andy restated today that he is open to reorganisation that is based on clinical care. We know in Redditch it is about cost cutting which I believe will put people's lives in danger.

I raised the threat of closure, loss of A&E & maternity at the Alex Hospital with Andy Burnham.

Andy agreed with me, given the challenges that face the NHS this was no time for the government to be spending £3.4 billion on a top down reorganisation. Andy had forced a debate in the commons, including requesting savings that had been made in the NHS to be reinvested in the NHS and the £1.4 billion underspend return from the Treasury to the department of health, but the Tories voted against. This could have been extra money for patients at the Alex.

Andy discussed his concerns that the government were breaking up the NHS to privatise services, something a Labour Government would not do".