Parent Power In Action
Welcome to Standards-Not-Tiers on the
It's all about standards - not tiers!
Please see our links to the new DCSF Children's Plan and the new Option 5 as voted in by the Conservative led Isle of Wight Council on the 19th March 2008
And click here to go to the Council's proposals for Formal Consultation or here for the Councils overview
On the 10th June 2008 SNT attended the National Association for Small Schools Seminar at the House of Commons
Click here for our report on the seminar which shows what might be possible on the Isle of Wight
What to Do Next
Updated 5th July 2008
The announcement by the Conservative's that they intend to make the educational reforms the key issue at the next election is a cynical and highly political move designed to frighten people into voting Conservative in 2009. We believe that most people do not want to endure any further uncertainty over the schools reforms and that the Tory announcement has been made in the vein hope that these people will vote for them simply to ensure that we can have closure to this situation. In this way the Conservative's are using the education farce to shield themselves from the fallout over all the other problems that they face including criticism over their handling of tourism, the ferries, Undercliff Drive and standards board inquiries, amongst other many other issues that Islanders are unhappy about
The electorate are not stupid and they have long memories too.
All the indications are that they will not vote Conservative or LibDem in 2009.
At the next election Standards-Not-Tiers will support Independent Candidates who share our vision for education .
We will not seek to overturn the basic move to a two tier system as we want to avoid causing any further disruption or uncertainty for schools and parents. Please click here for clarification of this statement.
We will be supporting the development of a system of community based small schools across the Island that will provide each area with a school or schools, that meet the requirements of the local community. This would allow the Isle of Wight to benefit from the most forward thinking educational ideas available.
Small school are proven to work and their use can provide answers to many of the problems that are faced by society today.
Issues such as environment, energy use and transport, health and discipline, crime and disorder, social inclusion and most crucially from an educational standards perspective, parental inclusion are all clearly addressed through the use of small schools. Our research has shown that GCSE results are on average much better in secondary schools with smaller year groups and Key Stage test result are better in smaller primary schools too.
To help inform our thinking we have joined HSE - Human Scale Education and the National Association of Small Schools
During the formal consultation and in the aftermath of school closure notices being served, NASS are offering assistance to any schools facing closure on the Isle of Wight. You can contact Mervyn Benford of the NASS by email Click HERE or c/o everychildmatter@btconnect.com
The NASS have vast experience of defending small schools - we need to make use of their generous offer to help.
Don't Delay!
Join us and help promote democracy in education
AND
without this campaign the outcome of the current reorganisation would have been far worse
It's all about standards - not tiers!How we got to where we are - the recent history
Standards-Not-Tiers was formed following a 4S consultation meeting at
It quickly grew and the membership is now island-wide.
Following a short but very intense campaign in 2005, the
On the 6th of May 2005 an announcement was made by Andy Sutton, Leader of the newly elected Council that the 3-Tier Middle School system would be retained. Wholesale reorganisation would not be carried out.
There followed a tense period of 4 weeks prior to a vote of the newly elected Cabinet.
On the 6th June 2005 they voted unanimously to overturn the decision of the previous Liberal Democratic and Independent Council to accept the recommendations of the Four S Report and instead keep the 3-Tier system.
Standards-Not Tiers resolved to remain a potential critic of the Education System, where in our opinion it fails to deliver satisfactory results or fails to take the views of parents into account.
Our independence from the Education System gives us a unique opportunity to apply pressure that cannot be applied from within. This is an important element of a free and democratic system and will demonstrate to ordinary parents that the Educational Establishment is willing to listen to their view point and where this does not happen the group will be able to act accordingly.
On the 17th July 2006 representatives of Standards-Not-Tiers met with Ian Sandbrook, the then temporary Director of Children's Services and Patrick Joyce, the Cabinet Member for Children's Services to discuss the way forward. At that meeting we were informed of the LSC's proposals to create a limited place sixth form college to compliment the existing high school provision. We were assured that this would not compromise the existing provision and that the high school sixth forms were safe.
The Learning & Skills Council force change
In August 2006 the LSC (Learning & Skills Council) made a new proposal to the Isle of Wight Council. This offered a massive rebuilding programme for the Isle of Wight College to enable it to host a single site sixth form college to replace all high school sixth forms. A consultation process was then begun and all stakeholders were invited to put forward their views. Presentations by stakeholders to the Committee took place during November.
Standards-Not-Tiers in common with most participants in the consultation were opposed to the proposal. Please click here for our submission to the consultative committee in respect of the LSC's first proposal for a limited place 6th Form Facility at the IW College. Please click here for the transcript of our presentation to the Policy Committee on the 10th November 2006, rejecting the LSC's new proposal to close all High School 6th Forms and replace them with a single facility at the IW College.
The proposal was then rejected by the Isle of Wight Council.
The consequences of a Learning & Skills Council victory
If these proposals had gone ahead the Isle of Wight would have been forced to close its high school sixth forms and then with only a three year intake the high schools would have been unviable. The decision would then have been to either close some high schools to increase numbers in the remaining schools or to close all 17 middle schools and some small primary schools and re-organise the education system to two tiers. Wholesale re-organisation would have meant a long period of readjustment.
Click here to see what happened in Northampton - Reorganised in February 2002 and still struggling to cope with rebuilding and temporary class rooms more than 5 years on. We understand that 196 support staff, 78 teachers and 8 headteachers lost their jobs with just over 800 staff having to be redeployed. 17 schools closed and they have used PFI (private finance initiative) money to build new schools rather than the Pathfinder project money being used for Cowes High.
In January 2007, Director of Childrens Services, Steve Beynon, made a new proposal designed to adapt our three tier system to address its main shortcomings and put the Isle of Wight at the forefront of national education policy with the introduction of the new 14 - 19 agenda.
We believe that the consequence of not adopting a meaningful strategy that is able to demonstrate to the LSC and the DfES that we are addressing the problems identified, will lead to the LSC bringing their proposals back to the table and this time they will use their statutory powers to force change and that this will almost certainly lead to wholesale re-organisation.
Why Moving Year 9 Could Make Things Worse
The following table shows the 2006 Key Stage 3 and GCSE results for 4 local Authorities listed according to their Key Stage 3 results - best ones first. As you can see Leicestershire has the best KS3 but the second from worst GCSE results. No prizes for who is last. But just look at Northumberland! Three Tiers and the best GCSE results! We have to be careful, moving year 9 could be a disaster. Changing tiers a folly.
Donations
Please make out your cheque to "Standards Not Tiers" and send it to:
Standards-Not-Tiers
33 Dudley Road
Ventnor
Isle of Wight
PO38 1EH
For over the counter or direct payments: HSBC Bank, Ventnor Branch, Sort Code: 40:45:09 Account Number: 61400487
Thank you!
Councillors Who Intend to Vote for School Closures
| Ward: Wootton | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr George Brown | ||||||
| Ward: Cowes Medina | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr Ivan Bulwer | ||||||
| Ward: Binstead | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr William Robert Burt | ||||||
| Ward: Shalfleet and Yarmouth | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr George W. Cameron | ||||||
| Ward: Totland | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mrs Dawn Cousins | ||||||
| Ward: Fairlee | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr Michael John Cunningham | ||||||
| Ward: Newport South | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr John Effemey | ||||||
| Ward: Cowes Castle West | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr Jonathan Seaver Fitzgerald-Bond | ||||||
| Ward: Ventnor East | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr Charles Hancock | ||||||
| Ward: Osborne | Political Group: Independent | ||||||
| Mr John Vere Hobart | ||||||
| Ward: Gurnard | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr Peter Andrew Humber | ||||||
| Ward: Newport North | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr Tim Hunter-Henderson | ||||||
| Ward: Lake South | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Gill Kennett | ||||||
| Ward: Freshwater Afton | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr Roger Mazillius | ||||||
| Ward: Northwood | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mrs Erica Oulton | ||||||
| Ward: Central Rural | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Lady Pigot | ||||||
| Ward: Bembridge North | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr David Pugh | ||||||
| Ward: Shanklin Central | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Susan Jane Scoccia | ||||||
| Ward: Ventnor West | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr Andy Sutton | ||||||
| Ward: Freshwater Norton | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr Albert Taylor | ||||||
| Ward: Ryde North West | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mrs Diana Tuson - JP (Justice of the Peace) | ||||||
| Ward: Seaview & Nettlestone | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Margaret Webster | ||||||
| Ward: East Cowes North | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr Alan Wells | ||||||
| Ward: Cowes Castle East | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr Colin West | ||||||
| Ward: Brighstone and Calbourne | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Mr David Whittaker | ||||||
| Ward: Carisbrooke East | Political Group: None | ||||||
| Mr David G. Williams | ||||||
| Ward: Shanklin North | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
| Jilly Wood | ||||||
| Ward: Wroxall and Godshill | Political Group: Conservative | ||||||
What YOU Can Do
What can you do?
We urge anyone who is against the plans to close between 27 and 41 schools on the Isle of Wight to write to their local county councillor and tell them that you will not vote for them at the next election.
If you voted for them last time, make it clear that you did so because they said they would keep the existing system and not close schools. Remember too that LibDem plans in 2005 would have resulted in 27 - 32 school closures, so they are no better! That is why we are fielding candidates to fill the gap.
Don't swallow their lies! Vote them out. And Please please please - dont be selfish about this - just because your town or village is safe does not mean you should go along with the plans. Island life will change for ever if they get away with this.
Although the election is still 18 months away, school closures will be happening at that time and any Tory councillor, or other councillors that are likely to vote in favour should be worried for their seats!
Our Response to the 2008 Proposals
Following the release of the formal consultation documents by the Isle of Wight Council on the 15th January 2008 Standards-Not-Tiers made this response:
The Isle of Wight Council’s consultation proposals for the reorganisation of schools on the Island is driven principally by financial and religious considerations and makes absolutely no sense whatsoever for those living in rural areas that are set to lose their local schools. Advocates of both three or two tier systems will find these proposals difficult to swallow.
Destruction of Rural Communities. The extraordinarily high level of school closures will, no matter what option is foisted upon us, will lead to the destruction of many, mostly south and west Wight communities. This is exactly the plan we predicted that the Liberal Democrat led reforms of 2005 would have led to and it is completely unacceptable.
Undemocratic. Councillor’s Wells and Pugh are guilty of a betrayal of thousands of parents and grand-parents who helped to bring about a Tory landslide in the 2005 elections – largely on the basis that these voters did not agree with the Lib-Dem decision to re-organise our system and abolish middle schools and many small primary schools
Bad for Poor Families. Under these plans the current link between many village pre-schools and their primary school will be lost. Walking your child to school will no longer be possible as many more children will have to be bussed to their primary school from age 4. For many parents on low incomes or state benefits, this will make it very difficult if their child is ill whilst at school as they will be reliant on public transport to bring their child home. And this is the same Council that has indicated an unwillingness to continue the current financial support for public transport.
Fewer Local Schools Will Lead to Less Parental Engagement. By removing children at an even younger age from their local communities parents will be less likely to become involved with school activities, PTA's, Governorship and attending parents evenings or simply meeting the teacher each day in the classroom or playground at dropping off and picking up times. This will most heavily impact on those children whose parents rely on public transport, the poorest in our communities. These are often the very people we need to engage most in becoming more involved with their children's education. It is a fact that a major influence on a child's success at school is a result of parental involvement and engagement in that childs education.
Environmentally Corrupt. So much for an “Eco-Island”. There will be a massive increase in the use of cars for the school run contrary to the objectives the School Travel Plan which is to reduce car use. This means that any measures introduced by the STP will be negated by the impact of school closures. So much for the STP’s stated aim of offering “real benefits to the school, the pupils, parents and the wider community”.
Religiously Discriminatory. Perhaps most worrying, is that under option 1, for the South and West Wight, there will be no standard high school provision whatsoever. Carisbrooke will become a so called “faith school” leaving South or West Wight parents who do not want their child to attend this school no option but to apply for out of area places at Cowes, Ryde or Sandown high schools.
Whilst option one is the least worst option in terms of impact, we continue to oppose all options because they:
- Force a religious high school on the parents of the South and West Wight.
- Discriminate against the rural communities that give the
- Force many more children to have to travel from age 4.
- Make life impossible for poor families who rely on public transport.
- Do little to improve standards – we advocate soft change that addresses the problems not massive reorganisation that creates more problems.
For more information contact Chris Welsford, Chairman, Standards-Not-Tiers, 07854744062
Year 9
Year 9 Moves
We urge the Council to look more closely at the proposal it has made to move year 9 into middle schools. We have serious concerns that, although there is strong statistical evidence showing that Key Stage 3 results could be drastically improved by this change, the effect could prove to be extremely detrimental to GCSE results. More information is required on how the new single trust and governance arrangements will counter the experience of Leicestershire County Council in operating a year 9 in middle schools system.
Although there are examples in Leicestershire of excellent GCSE results Leicestershire has decided that the effect in the majority of cases on their GCSE results is not satisfactory. It is possible that our alternative strategy, proposed in option 1 might be able to overcome these problems but we need information and evidence before we can wholeheartedly accept this recommendation.
We also believe that there are significant issues that need to be addressed in relation to the 14-19 Agenda, upon which all of the current thinking is based.
We draw the attention of the Council to the following evidence:
MOVING YEAR 9 - WHY IT WON'T IMPROVE GCSE'S
Campaign for Proper Consultation
Campaign for Proper Consultation
We are calling on the Isle of Wight Council to ensure that their forthcoming consultation is fully informative, giving all respondents an opportunity to provide their informed views of the options that are being offered. We want our county to follow the example of Leicestershire in providing a good consultation process.
We need a dedicated Consultation Website and a process that allows all viewpoints to be expressed and feedback accounted for.
Click here to sign the Petition for a Proper Consultation - the one thing that has managed to unite all the parents protest groups!
Our Alternative Proposals
Our Alternative Proposal
Ideally we want to see option 1, without the change to year 9 put forward as an alternative to the current options. This should include the ideas that we have formulated for Key Stage Team working as included in the Which Way Forward for Island Education document published by the Council in March.
We urge the Council to reconsider and add at least the option for the existing system to remain structurally the same but to implement the "soft-re-organisation" that we have always called for.
Please investigate these pages thoroughly. Please be as informed as possible before you accept or reject the Council's proposals.
