Southampton City Council education boss Clive Webster.
SOUTHAMPTON could get £150m of Government money to transform its secondary school buildings by this summer.
The multi-million-pound cash offer comes weeks after the city was declared bottom of the class for its truancy levels and teen pregnancy rates - both the worst in the south.
Its results at GCSE, and in national tests for 11 and 14-year-olds, continue to fall well below the national average.
Now education bosses hope that the prospect of better buildings will help to improve results.
The Government minister responsible for schools Andrew Adonis has written to Southampton City Council to say a national programme to rebuild and refurbish secondary schools could be brought forward by three years to start this summer in Southampton.
Pressure
The minister's letter follows local and national pressure from Southampton Itchen MP John Denham who has repeatedly highlighted how Southampton schools have failed to improve as rapidly as schools elsewhere in the country.
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However, the awarding of any grants under the Building Schools for the Future Scheme is dependent on the council submitting a report by April on how it will improve standards.
Mr Denham said: "The minister's letter is a huge boost to the city and its parents. But it is also a stark challenge to the city to do better for our children.
"I hope the new leadership of the city council will take up the challenge and seize this opportunity after several years of drift."
Southampton City Council education boss Clive Webster said the council was in a good position to make its bid following the learning futures consultation last year, resulting in the closure of four city schools and creation of two academies. He said: "We expect competition to be fierce from other local authorities. The steps we have made so far, painful though many of them were, put us in a strong position."
Mr Webster said the creation of two academies, the expansion of Redbridge and Bitterne Park, and Bellemoor and Regent's Park becoming mixed, would all improve parental and pupil choice.
"I am optimistic that some of the measures over the past 18 months to two years will begin to bear fruit in the forthcoming year. I am optimistic, but not complacent, that standards will improve."
Councillor Matt Stevens, city council education Cabinet member, said "With an ambitious vision for the future, the Government's programme will offer the best opportunity to improve learning, teaching and the health and welfare of communities in Southampton."
It's not the quality of the school build that is the deciding factor in whether a school is any good, other factors have to be figured in, such as the area, the quality of the teaching staff...that's where the schools are falling down, you could pump as much PFI money in as you like on a building, but it means diddly squat.
It's not the quality of the school build that is the deciding factor in whether a school is any good, other factors have to be figured in, such as the area, the quality of the teaching staff...that's where the schools are falling down, you could pump as much PFI money in as you like on a building, but it means diddly squat.
Posted by: Duh, Southampton on 9:27pm Wed 26 Mar 08
It's all about discipline!
Which our teachers can't teach through fear of being sacked etc.
The sooner our teachers can smack the knuckles of cheeky kids with a ruler (like I used to get) the better.
The difference these days is, It's the kids that do the smacking to the teachers.
It's all about discipline!
Which our teachers can't teach through fear of being sacked etc.
The sooner our teachers can smack the knuckles of cheeky kids with a ruler (like I used to get) the better.
The difference these days is, It's the kids that do the smacking to the teachers.
[quote][bold]paul b[/bold] wrote:
I wish they could keep children whos parents claim benefits out of the way of the kids that work hard, they are so disruptive[/quote] Oh dear,You sound like a neglected middle child, by the way the word you were trying to spell is whose, not whos,maybe your education might have been better if your parents had lived off benefits.
paul b wrote:
I wish they could keep children whos parents claim benefits out of the way of the kids that work hard, they are so disruptive
Oh dear,You sound like a neglected middle child, by the way the word you were trying to spell is whose, not whos,maybe your education might have been better if your parents had lived off benefits.
Posted by: Red Rooster, Bitterne on 11:56pm Wed 26 Mar 08
[quote][bold]Daz[/bold] wrote:
It's not the quality of the school build that is the deciding factor in whether a school is any good, other factors have to be figured in, such as the area, the quality of the teaching staff...that's where the schools are falling down, you could pump as much PFI money in as you like on a building, but it means diddly squat.[/quote] I agree more could be done about quality of teaching staff, but what exactly are you saying should be done about 'the area?' Close all schools in deprived areas of Southampton and bus everyone over to Shirley? Actually that might not be a bad idea...
Daz wrote:
It's not the quality of the school build that is the deciding factor in whether a school is any good, other factors have to be figured in, such as the area, the quality of the teaching staff...that's where the schools are falling down, you could pump as much PFI money in as you like on a building, but it means diddly squat.
I agree more could be done about quality of teaching staff, but what exactly are you saying should be done about 'the area?' Close all schools in deprived areas of Southampton and bus everyone over to Shirley? Actually that might not be a bad idea...
[quote][bold]Red Rooster[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]Daz[/bold] wrote: It\'s not the quality of the school build that is the deciding factor in whether a school is any good, other factors have to be figured in, such as the area, the quality of the teaching staff...that\'s where the schools are falling down, you could pump as much PFI money in as you like on a building, but it means diddly squat.[/quote] I agree more could be done about quality of teaching staff, but what exactly are you saying should be done about \'the area?\' Close all schools in deprived areas of Southampton and bus everyone over to Shirley? Actually that might not be a bad idea...[/quote] Well, Shirley has many problems too, I just think that it's a social thing, or as a wise sage once said to me "you can give a donkey a million dollars.....but he's still gonna be an ****".
Red Rooster wrote:
Daz wrote: It\'s not the quality of the school build that is the deciding factor in whether a school is any good, other factors have to be figured in, such as the area, the quality of the teaching staff...that\'s where the schools are falling down, you could pump as much PFI money in as you like on a building, but it means diddly squat.
I agree more could be done about quality of teaching staff, but what exactly are you saying should be done about \'the area?\' Close all schools in deprived areas of Southampton and bus everyone over to Shirley? Actually that might not be a bad idea...
Well, Shirley has many problems too, I just think that it's a social thing, or as a wise sage once said to me "you can give a donkey a million dollars.....but he's still gonna be an ****".
Posted by: Thomas Downes, Bitterne on 7:55am Thu 27 Mar 08
More buildings and equipment will change nothing. You need an old school ethic of discipline and respect. I'll be sending mine to private school or educating them at home.
More buildings and equipment will change nothing. You need an old school ethic of discipline and respect. I'll be sending mine to private school or educating them at home.
Posted by: live local, southampton on 8:43am Thu 27 Mar 08
If the article is to be believed then perhaps the first change should be the sacking of Clive Webster as the person supposedly leading educational reform in the city. It seems that he is simply not up to the job; to actually go to the press saying in effect we have made such a mess of education in the city the government will have to throw money at us to get better. It is hardly a shining indictment of his leader ship and vision! In most businesses when another company has to step in to help the company it is normal practice for the directors to be replaced. Likewise with football clubs if the teams fail to perform normally the first person shown the door is the manager!
In this case there are two further groups that need to look carefully at the input. Firstly the city councilors who seem unable to make any reasonable plans but are happy to discuss lasers, letting people rent a bridge to name it, spend money to get someone to design a Spitfire memorial (which needs to look like a Spitfire, so it is not rocket science to come up with a design) Perhaps all the city councilor need to resign any political allegiance and instead look to improve the city. Certainly city councilors who have opted to send their children to private education should be kept away from any decisions regarding education provision and planning as their actions are a much clearer statement of their views on any changes and their belief in the provision of local education.
Finally the parents of children in the city need to shoulder the blame for allowing schools to get into their current state, instead of running for cover they should have got involved in the running of the school and demanded improvements, why are so many families happy to live in the city, but then feel too scared to send their children to the local school, if perhaps they all attended the local school then of course it attainment would improve and the parent could be actively involved in the school by means of the PTA or the governing body to help drive effective change.
If the article is to be believed then perhaps the first change should be the sacking of Clive Webster as the person supposedly leading educational reform in the city. It seems that he is simply not up to the job; to actually go to the press saying in effect we have made such a mess of education in the city the government will have to throw money at us to get better. It is hardly a shining indictment of his leader ship and vision! In most businesses when another company has to step in to help the company it is normal practice for the directors to be replaced. Likewise with football clubs if the teams fail to perform normally the first person shown the door is the manager!
In this case there are two further groups that need to look carefully at the input. Firstly the city councilors who seem unable to make any reasonable plans but are happy to discuss lasers, letting people rent a bridge to name it, spend money to get someone to design a Spitfire memorial (which needs to look like a Spitfire, so it is not rocket science to come up with a design) Perhaps all the city councilor need to resign any political allegiance and instead look to improve the city. Certainly city councilors who have opted to send their children to private education should be kept away from any decisions regarding education provision and planning as their actions are a much clearer statement of their views on any changes and their belief in the provision of local education.
Finally the parents of children in the city need to shoulder the blame for allowing schools to get into their current state, instead of running for cover they should have got involved in the running of the school and demanded improvements, why are so many families happy to live in the city, but then feel too scared to send their children to the local school, if perhaps they all attended the local school then of course it attainment would improve and the parent could be actively involved in the school by means of the PTA or the governing body to help drive effective change.
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