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MP blames Southampton council chiefs and calls for urgent action

4:10pm Thursday 17th December 2009


SOUTHAMPTON secondary schools are among the worst performing in the country, it can be revealed today.

Statistics to be published next month will show GCSE results are among the worst in the country – just like the city’s primary schools.

LAST YEAR'S FIGURES

They are expected to confirm the proportion of pupils getting five good GCSEs in Southampton is the third lowest of all education authorities in England. Only Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight are worse.

Today communities secretary and city MP John Denham has called for urgent action and an end to “complacency” and “excuse-making” by council chiefs in charge of schooling.

He warned the city’s secondary schools were following a “similar trend” to the relative decline of primary schools.

Last month Southampton was named as the third worst performing authority for the number of 11-year-olds reaching expected standards in English, maths and science.

It prompted schools secretary Ed Balls to order Southampton City Council to produce an action plan showing what will be done to improve primary and junior schools.

Research carried out for Mr Denham by the House of Commons Library showed Southampton had now slipped to third from bottom in national rankings for pupils achieving five A* to C GCSE grades in 2008/9, according to the provisional results.

Only 59.7 per cent of students achieved that benchmark, compared to a national average of 69.7 per cent. In Hampshire schools achieved a 69.9 per cent pass rate.

Mr Denham said other councils had made "so much more effective use" of additional Government funding.

He said: "It is time to end complacency and excuse making in the Civic Centre.

“There are many hard working and dedicated teachers and head teachers in the city, but they need the leadership and support that can only come from a city council with an unrelenting focus on raising standards.”

Southampton secretary and national executive member of the NASUWT teachers’ union Ron Clooney blamed the “political turbulence” at the council in recent years and its “appalling” allocation of money and resources.

Councillor Paul Holmes, the city council’s Cabinet member for children’s services, said Mr Denham’s remarks were “an insult to the tireless work by staff and governors”.

He said using the “correct measure” of five good GCSEs including English and mathematics, in recent years Southampton had nearly doubled the progress made nationally.

Cllr Holmes added school inspection watchdog Ofsted had judged the majority of the city’s secondary schools as “good” or better, and nearly one third were “outstanding”, more than double the figure for the country as a whole.


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Your Say YourEcho

Rudd Gillett, Swiss Cottage Soton says...
4:21pm Thu 17 Dec 09

Portsmouth worst than ours! What a surprise hahhahhahahahhhah

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Donald2000, Southampton says...
4:38pm Thu 17 Dec 09

I would like to know what Denham knows about education. Oh and by the way, these expenses fiddlers should back off and keep their mouths closed. Goodbye, Mr Denham.

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Farrington, North Baddesley says...
4:54pm Thu 17 Dec 09

Rudd Gillett wrote:
Portsmouth worst than ours! What a surprise hahhahhahahahhhah
Quite clearly you went to school in Southampton, Rudd. The word should be WORSE.

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Waysider, West End says...
5:14pm Thu 17 Dec 09

As the old saw has it,- "you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear". which in educational terms simply means,- if Johny aint got nufink between the ears, then there's little hope for him. But there is a little glimmer of hope, in that, - having had a thorough grounding on SEX!!, he would have plenty to occupy himself. (how exciting). I learnt all about that by spying on the Yanky soldiers with the local talent in Northend Copse in 1944. now that was exciting. Teach them the three R's Mr. Balls, and don't pile distractions on their plates. then we might get somewhere.

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Condor Man, Southampton says...
5:15pm Thu 17 Dec 09

would Denham have blamed the Labour council who caused the mess in the first place? of course not. It's a cheap shot at the Tories, who, have done a much better job trying to sort the schools out.

Funny how the Oasis schools and Upper Shirley High have improved since opting out.

Still no comment from Clive Webster though.

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Brite Spark, Stubbington says...
5:17pm Thu 17 Dec 09

It's a shame Southampton's schools have declined in the last 25 years, there used to be discipline in the schools and discipline at home but because of namby pamby parents, and teachers who are scared of the children who know that they can get away with mouthing off without fear of being caned, classroom control has vanished. My son goes to a very good school, but even there he gets detention for sucking a sweet at the start of a lesson, but the couple of buffoons who actually disrupt the class do not get punished because the teachers are scared of reprisals from the kid's parents and indeed the kids themselves. Britain's gone soft on bringing up children, and the result is many dross youths on the streets who commit crimes, because by the time they reach 16 they are confident that they can harass people in the knowledge that they will not be punished by their parents or by the police.
You bend a tree when it is young.

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stickymcglue, west end says...
5:26pm Thu 17 Dec 09

thats the same John Denham who rather than use someone else's pen to sign something on the 2nd floor of an office he was visited , sent his driver down to get his own pen that he left in his car !!! That to me showed him for the big "I AM" that he is... also , when asked a simple question on news night or question time , he is not capable of answering !?!? he talks gibberish... so I for one will not listen to his "views" on southampton schools because they are quite possibly random.

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Lone Ranger, Southampton says...
6:55pm Thu 17 Dec 09

Just for once forget the personalities of both Government and Local Council and look at the statement:-
.
"Last month Southampton was named as the third worst performing authority for the number of 11-year-olds reaching expected standards in English, maths and science." ..............FACT !
.
That should not be acceptable from the SCC...They should accept the deserved criticism which is justified... Do your plan ( as i think you have done ) and then make sure things improve. NO EXECUSES

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warness, Cadnam says...
7:49pm Thu 17 Dec 09

Well done Lone Ranger - "no execuses" - GREAT SENSE OF HUMOUR

On a more serious note, what a wiggy in the picture. Are we, the foolish thousands, supposed to think that John Denham has got REAL hair?

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Rudd Gillett, Swiss Cottage Soton says...
8:09pm Thu 17 Dec 09

Farrington wrote:
Rudd Gillett wrote: Portsmouth worst than ours! What a surprise hahhahhahahahhhah
Quite clearly you went to school in Southampton, Rudd. The word should be WORSE.
sum people just dont git it!

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TumbleWeed, Bitterne says...
8:38pm Thu 17 Dec 09

Education in Southampton has become a real joke. The problem is at the top. Clive Webster has been in charge whilst things have turned bad. He is hardly seen at any of the schools. It is an insult that he is paid over £100,000 a year whilst our children struggle

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stickymcglue, west end says...
9:11pm Thu 17 Dec 09

southampton was doomed as soon as the ice rink vanished ,,, its a symbol of the day the council valued real-estate over the interests of young people..... Eastleigh is a car-crash of a shopping town but its education ( thankfully ) is in the hand of a much-less-useless authority...

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Lone Ranger, Southampton says...
9:16pm Thu 17 Dec 09

warness wrote:
Well done Lone Ranger - "no execuses" - GREAT SENSE OF HUMOUR On a more serious note, what a wiggy in the picture. Are we, the foolish thousands, supposed to think that John Denham has got REAL hair?
Aha..another great poster who's only contribution is criticism..you will do well here. There's loads that come on here showing total lack of creation or contribution. I am sure that they will welcome you to their fold. Unless you use different log in names of course...but surely you are not that bright !!

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warness, Cadnam says...
9:29pm Thu 17 Dec 09

Lone Ranger
I am sorry if you are offended: but
"Do your plan ( as i think you have done )"
Is hardly immense creation or contribution, is it?

Go down the pub with Southy, leave real debate to the capable and eloquent

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warness, Cadnam says...
9:29pm Thu 17 Dec 09

Lone Ranger
I am sorry if you are offended: but
"Do your plan ( as i think you have done )"
Is hardly immense creation or contribution, is it?

Go down the pub with Southy, leave real debate to the capable and eloquent

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freemantlegirl2, Southampton says...
10:05pm Thu 17 Dec 09

Sounds like you lot are back at school in the playground!!

I've actually been at Taunton's this evening, celebrating the students there most of whom were at school in Southampton, and their outstanding achievements. I wish sometimes we could concentrate on 'successes' of our young people and not the doom and gloom. Look out for details in the Echo tomorrow. My own son won an award for outstanding achievement at Taunton's and a very proud mum I am.

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now in the north, bolton says...
10:45pm Thu 17 Dec 09

All those "common purpose", specialist trained people and they cant organise our educational system (which we pay for) in a suitable manner so that our children can learn what they need to.

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Idris Dragon, Southampton says...
11:53pm Thu 17 Dec 09

Donald2000 wrote:
I would like to know what Denham knows about education. Oh and by the way, these expenses fiddlers should back off and keep their mouths closed. Goodbye, Mr Denham.
I would like to know how you can say that. It is an ill-informed and porous viewpoint.

Well. He was in charge of Higher Education for a while and was on Southampton City Council for ages. That and he has a degree, so he is not stupid and was SUSU president (tbh the last real president they had...)

He didn't fiddle. The torygraph went after the cabinet and found nothing of note in Denhams expenses. Not an angel, but a **** sight better than the vast majority of tories.

Keep his mouth shut? He is MP for Southampton Itchen. His job means that he needs to look after his constituents. I think this is where he does need to have a say. Personally, I think he SHOULD speak out; surely pressure from a government minister will carry more weight than in-fighting within Southampton City Council.

Goodbye? I hope not, although I hate the 'new labour' ideals, John Denham is a very good MP and is a very respectable cabinet member. He threw away his career for his morals in 2003 by resigning over the Iraq war and should be respected. Not slandered by ignorant stereotypical smears.

Before you accuse me of being a Labour supporter, I should make clear I am not entitled to vote in Denham's constituency at the next general election so I'm not canvassing for him! Plus I voted for the Lib Dems last time out...

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RealTalkSouthampton, Southampton says...
1:19am Fri 18 Dec 09

imagine if all the people commenting above replaced the council cabinet.
where would we be?
- in exactly the same position.
why you must ask. Because everybody is pointing the finger at some body else. i feel it is time people put there energy into solving these problems, instead of having a rant and then hiding under a rock. We need to get involved more in every aspect of our communities and then look at best practises where councils etc have turned there education systems around. then we could at lease move forward as a group and have pride in the fact that we helped improve the city we live in rather than waiting for somebody else.

The moral of the story is actions speak louder than words. that includes all of us.

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Condor Man, Southampton says...
7:28am Fri 18 Dec 09

The problems lie not with the councillors or MP's but the totally incompetnent LEA and it's boss Clive Webster. I can't understand how this man justifies such a huge salary when so many kids are failing. Schools like Chamberlayne and Woodlands are an utter disgrace- alongside the appalling Bassett Green and Thornhill Primaries. The LEA has spent millions on improving buildings but not enough on providing adequate educational standards.

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Donald2000, Southampton says...
7:46am Fri 18 Dec 09

Idris Dragon wrote:
Donald2000 wrote: I would like to know what Denham knows about education. Oh and by the way, these expenses fiddlers should back off and keep their mouths closed. Goodbye, Mr Denham.
I would like to know how you can say that. It is an ill-informed and porous viewpoint. Well. He was in charge of Higher Education for a while and was on Southampton City Council for ages. That and he has a degree, so he is not stupid and was SUSU president (tbh the last real president they had...) He didn't fiddle. The torygraph went after the cabinet and found nothing of note in Denhams expenses. Not an angel, but a **** sight better than the vast majority of tories. Keep his mouth shut? He is MP for Southampton Itchen. His job means that he needs to look after his constituents. I think this is where he does need to have a say. Personally, I think he SHOULD speak out; surely pressure from a government minister will carry more weight than in-fighting within Southampton City Council. Goodbye? I hope not, although I hate the 'new labour' ideals, John Denham is a very good MP and is a very respectable cabinet member. He threw away his career for his morals in 2003 by resigning over the Iraq war and should be respected. Not slandered by ignorant stereotypical smears. Before you accuse me of being a Labour supporter, I should make clear I am not entitled to vote in Denham's constituency at the next general election so I'm not canvassing for him! Plus I voted for the Lib Dems last time out...
Your faith in our politicians is very touching. One can only hope that you dont live to regret it.

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Devils Never Cry, says...
8:21pm Wed 23 Dec 09

Rudd Gillett wrote:
Portsmouth worst than ours! What a surprise hahhahhahahahhhah
Grow up. Portsmouth is better than Southampton in every aspect you troll.

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Communities secretary John Denham MP John Denham


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