Only a couple of days to have your say......

This post is to let you all know that there are only a couple of days to have your say on the SOR. It is important that everyone has their say and lets the County Council know that we are all interested in getting the education system in Suffolk right for our children!!!!

Also I have had some more responses from my second letter. Please see below:
As you can see Cllr Graham Newman has now responded, but I have still heard nothing from David Ruffley MP. Neither of the High Schools have responded and as I had to right to the PM and DPM I am still waiting for a response.

Dear Mr Waters

Thank you for your letter concerning Schools Organisation Review which I have passed to the officers who are co-ordinating responses to the current consultation.

May I assure you that all the plans consulted upon recognise the fact that extra school places are going to be needed in the Stowmarket area, should some or all of the proposed housing developments come to fruition?

The question of using Stowmarket Middle School as a sixth-form centre has been considered in some detail as the plans to move to a 2-tier system have been developed, although this was not thought a desirable arrangement by a number of key stakeholders.  Thus this potential option was not included in the final consultation as a preferred solution.

Yours sincerely

Graham L Newman (Cllr)

Member for Felixstowe Coastal Division

Cabinet Member for Education & Young People

Suffolk County Council

Tel: & Txt: 07545 423823

E-mail: graham.newman@suffolk.gov.uk

Dear Mr Waters

Thank you for sending me a copy of your original letter concerning SOR, and for your “in principle” support of moving to the two-tier model of education in the Stowmarket area. I’m grateful to you for reposting this e-mail as I was away at a Conference when your previous communication was sent, and hadn’t caught up with some correspondence which I could only view on a Blackberry at the time.

I note your concerns about “split site” working at Stowmarket High, and have had these registered as a response to the consultation.  Although I was unable to attend the public meeting at Stowmarket High, I was aware of this concern from those I did attend at Needham Market, Bosmere and Cedars Park. Other than the general comment I made in my e-mail to you last night, I have nothing further to add at this stage.

Yours sincerely

Graham L Newman (Cllr)

Member for Felixstowe Coastal Division

Cabinet Member for Education & Young People

Suffolk County Council

Tel: & Txt: 07545 423823

E-mail: graham.newman@suffolk.gov.uk

Dear Mr Waters

Thank you for your email and attached letter.

It will be included with the other responses we receive. My initial comment would be that while young people will be expected to take part in some form of education or training until they are 18, this is not expected to lead to growth in school sixth forms where A levels are offered. The growth is expected to be in FE colleges, apprenticeships etc as most young people for whom A levels are the right option are already doing them.

Regards

Phil Whiffing