Southend’s Primary Schools – continuous improvement

It has been said, usually by the same few opposition councillors to be fair, by those who like to put down our town that our schools are doing badly, getting worse or we are falling asleep at the helm. Well they would, wouldn’t they?

I stand up, in turn, and say that that is a load of ‘old tosh’ (my favourite saying!). Well I would, wouldn’t I?

So how about some facts to back up what I say? That our town’s primary schools have improved and are offering a better standard of education (measured by attainment) than ever before.

There is still room for more improvement – I particularly want to work with improving maths in our local primary schools (Shout out to Rachel Riley: want to help us?). Our primary school staff & headteachers, the local authority and I will continue to work for improvement and not use these statistics to justify any future lack of progress. BUT, just for a moment, let us pause and review what has been achieved:

Key Stage 2		2009	2012
Number of KS2 Pupils on Roll		1841	1886
% Better than Level 4 English		83.1	83.7
% Better than Level 4 Mathematics		82.7	81.8
% L4+ Maths & English combined		74.5	76.7
% L5+ Maths & English combined		20.4	26.4
% Two levels of progress English		77.1	84.2
% Two levels of progress Mathematics		79.4	83.0

 

Since 2009, the percentage of pupils attaining a combined Level 4 (Key Stage Two result) in English and Maths has increased by 2% with an impressive 6% increase in the percentage attaining a combined Level 5. Over the same time period, the percentage of pupils making two levels of progress in English has increased by 7.1% and in Maths by 3.6%.

Pupils eligible for Free School Meals are doing better each year too. In 2010, 80.6% made two levels of progress in English compared with 85.8% in 2012 and in mathematics, 74.3% made two levels of progress in 2010 compared with 78.5% in 2012.

The Deanes School – Advice to Southend parents

My Blog posts are like buses at the moment, but it has been a busy day today (yesterday now). Some comments to parents of Deanes pupils:

 

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council is currently considering its response to proposals to close The Deanes School, Thundersley on 31st August 2016.

Essex County Council has just launched a formal consultation into the plans.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Executive Councillor for Children and Learning, Councillor James Courtenay said: “We will be studying the consultation document very carefully to assess the impact for Southend children before making any formal response to these proposals

“We have already met with the lead member and senior officer at Essex County Council and will be having further meetings during the consultation process.

“I appreciate that this is a worrying time for parents and students currently at The Deanes School as well as for those who are due to start at the school in September 2013.

“We can reassure parents and pupils that we are working to ensure there are sufficient local school places across the Southend/Castle Point area both now and for the future.

“It is also imperative that if the final decision is to close the school, suitable alternative local school places are identified for all Southend children currently attending The Deanes School and we will be discussing this with Essex County Council.

“We invite any Southend parent who wishes to explore current alternative options for a child currently attending The Deanes School or who has been offered a place for their child from September 2013 to contact our Pupil Access team on 01702 215546 but I would urge caution in making any firm alternative plans until the outcome of the consultation is known.

“I encourage all affected parents and students to make their own personal response to the consultation.

“In addition to help inform Southend-on –Sea Borough Council’s formal response to the consultation we will be collating all views expressed to us on this issue.

“Pupils, parents/guardians or members of the public are welcome to email us their views to jacquiecrawley@southend.gov,uk or write to:

Jacquie Crawley
Department for People
Southend-on- Sea Borough Council
Civic Centre
Victoria Avenue
Southend -on- Sea
Essex
SS11 6ER

Children’s Centres: listening to residents

There has been a lot of press coverage over the past couple of months, perhaps slightly longer, with regards to children’s centres. I have, as many of my fellow councillors have pointed out, not said very much. There is a reason for that – I didn’t make up my mind about how best to do things until:

a. I listened to those most in the know – that is parents, providers and the council’s professional officers;

b. I looked at what could be done to mitigate the impact of the necessary cuts; and

c. After I consulted with other members of the council, so I could take their views into account.

Now finally I can speak, and give me informed view. Earlier this afternoon I authorised the release of the press statement below.

I am sad to see the funding come out of children’s centres (particularly the one dearest to my heart – Darlinghurt (Leigh), as it is in the ward I represent). I know there will be a lot of arguing to come, and my opposition colleagues will say that this is all wrong and one who may even repeat his comment “I know in my gut this isn’t where to cut from”. However, holding public office does bring with it responsibilities and one of these is the need to balance the books. If only the said opposition councillor could have said “…but I suggest you do it from x, y or z” – instead of which he said “I don’t know where to cut from….”. The joys of opposition, sadly not enjoyed when you form the Administration.

———-

 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council recently consulted residents on the way forward with children’s centres and the outcome of this and other feedback will be considered next Tuesday 18th June when the Council’s Cabinet meets.

The main elements of the proposal were to leave five children’s centres untouched and to merge six centres: Friars and Shoebury, Blenheim and Leigh, and Temple Sutton and Hamstel, into three bases – Friars, Blenheim and Temple Sutton with some increased funding to those centres.

Based on the findings of the consultation, a report to the Cabinet will recommend merging Friars with Shoebury and Blenheim with Leigh – with a decision on Temple Sutton and Hamstel delayed until September 2013 following a further period of public consultation.

With regard to the delay of the central of the three proposed mergers James Courtenay, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Executive Councillor for Children and Learning, said:

“We spoke with our children centre providers and put together a set of proposals.

“These were designed to maximise the children’s centre offer that can be delivered by making the most of the centres we have, as well as using buildings freed up to help us roll out more two-year-old free nursery care across Southend, despite a reduction in funding . 

“I am grateful to those who participated in the consultation. The Council has listened to the feedback from parents, residents, centre staff and councillors and there was concern, particularly expressed by parents,  that the proposed merger between Temple Sutton and Hamstel could be done in a better way.

“I am happy to take those ideas on board and for the Council to review its proposals and re-consult parents and residents, coming back to decide how to deliver the remaining saving at its September Cabinet.

“Whilst in an ideal world I would not want to lose this level of funding from children’s centres across the town, these are tough times and the Council passed its budget in March, which necessitated a reduction in funding of £224,000 to children’s centres, to balance the books.

“I am also pleased to announce that I will be recommending to Cabinet that further assurances are put in place to ensure that children’s centre services are delivered from a range of venues, not just the site on which they are based. This will, in many cases, mean that some services can be accessed at a nearer venue than where parents and children currently go.”

Notes to journalists:

The Council’s Cabinet will consider recommendations that:

• Leigh and Blenheim Children’s Centres are merged into one Children’s Centre based at the Blenheim site
• Friars and Shoebury Children’s Centres are merged into one Children’s Centre based at the Friars site. 
• Further consultation will be undertaken regarding Hamstel and Temple Sutton Children’s Centres.
• no changes are recommended to any other Children’s Centre.

The full details will be available from tomorrow, Tuesday 11^th June, when the Cabinet papers are published online at www.southend.gov.uk.These include the results of the consultation.

ENDS

 

Fun Day – Southend Foster Families Council

I was pleased to open the Southend Foster Families Council (SFFC) Fun Day at the Skylark Hotel earlier today.

They have a new Chairman who is very energetic and along with fellow members they really are making efforts to re-energising the council as a good support network for foster carers and for kids to be able to get together and go on extra trips and outings.

It was also the launch of Southend Council’s efforts for Foster Care Fortnight, with our stand set up and enquiries came flowing in, with interest in both fostering and adoption. The start of a busy fortnight for our recruitment team I hope!

Two embarrassing things:

1. I decided to be unable to read, so completely fluffed what I wanted to say, so much so that I put it back into my pocket and engaged brain – got a bit better then! Still even the best mess up sometimes.

2. When playing on one of the stalls, you need to be careful what challenges you accept from journalists! The wire loop game is NOT my forte… and the journalist completed it. Oops!

If you are interested in becoming a foster carer, please come along to one of the council’s recruitment events over the next two weeks:

• Tuesday 14^th May – 10am until 12 noon at Blenheim Children’s Centre, School Way,      Leigh.

• Wednesday 15^th May – 10am until 12noon at The Royals Shopping Centre.

• Thursday 16^th May – 10am until 4pm Reception area, ground floor of Southend      Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue.

• Tuesday 21^st May – 10am until 12noon and 6pm until 8pm – The Cliffs Pavilion.

• Wednesday 22^nd May -10am until 2pm Leigh Community Centre / Metal Café, Elm Road, Leigh.

• Saturday 25^th May – 9:30am until 5:30pm at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre, Garon Park, Southend.

or contact the team on 01702 212938.

St. Cedd’s Church Fate

After my monthly surgery at the West Area Housing Offices on Mendip Road ( 10:30 to 12 midday on the first Saturday of every month), sorry for the shameless ‘plug’… I popped next door to St Cedd’s Church where I was pleased to have tea, biscuits,  play the tombola (winning TWO packets of biscuits, buy a little homemade greetings card, buy my mum and a little boy I know a book each, insisting I over paid for each of the last three items and still come out with change from a fiver! Not bad eh?

All the stalls were being run for different charities such as domestic abuse help, lifeboats and  local hospices. Lots of hard work being put in by the residents of Blenheim and the surrounding area.

Jack Petchey Awards

I was pleased to present awards to scores of our young people on Thursday evening,  at the Palace Theatre. This was the Jack Petchey awards, for youngsters 11-25 who are giving something back to their community.

To listen to some of the citations made me really proud of how many young people we have in Southend who really do make an effort to contribute back to society, be it with peer support,  helping out in old people’s homes,  organising events etc etc.

The standard of entertainment put on was good too, by different groups of school children. A couple of pictures in this post.

Margaret Thatcher

“If it is once again one against forty-eight, then I am very sorry for the forty-eight”. Margaret Thatcher 1925-2013

Alter the numbers a little bit and the quote would work well in the council chamber in Southend!

She was an inspiration to me. Lots of people enter politics to try and change things for the better, many fail, some succeed in a small way, few manage it like Margaret Thatcher did.

I entered politics not to be liked (having been a football referee and a policeman before I entered politics I think I must be allergic to being liked!), but to try and change things for the better.

I was searching through the many quotes to use Thatcher’s words, and whilst I think there may be a slight over emphasis here (as I think bringing people with you on a journey is important where it can be done without compromising your beliefs) I think the following gives food for thought:

“Consensus: “The process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values, and policies in search of something in which no one believes, but to which no one objects; the process of avoiding the very issues that have to be solved, merely because you cannot get agreement on the way ahead.” What great cause would have been fought and won under the banner: ‘I stand for consensus?’”

If it all goes wrong, you take the blame. So if it does go wrong, you might as well have done it the way you think was right!

R.I.P. The greatest peacetime prime minister the UK ever had.

“Southend Prisoners” raising money for Southend YMCA

I’m supporting the “Southend Prisoners” team, who are ‘escaping’ from Chelmsford prisoner in a couple of weeks time, rasing money for the Southend YMCA and the Essex Girls and Boys club.

If you can afford to donate anything go here: http://www.justgiving.com/teams/essexjailbreak

YMCA – Music event

Last night, I was feeling dreadful, dosed up to the eyeballs with drugs (over the counter of course!), I thought twice about attending the Southend YMCA event. Fortunately I dragged myself down there to be impressed, as always, not only by the work that they do, but the resourceful nature and raw talent of some of the youngsters they help out.

First, whilst waiting for the music to start, I met with Aaron Jones who runs Fikay Fashion, he started his business barely a year ago, and has been using one of the Eco-hubs based at old St John’s Stables in Westcliff-on-Sea. His business seems to be going from strength to strength with numerous distributers all over the world! A true inspiration to all young people – he started his business using a few hundred quid he had left of his student overdraft!

Then came the turn of Jack Shannon, a quiet 17 year old who says he can sing a bit…. well WOW. He should be shouting from the rooftops, he performed for us, with just a guitar for backing and was – to use a word I rarely use – awesome.

Jack will be auditioning for the X-Factor at some point this year, and if Simon Cowell’s judges don’t say yes….. well I won’t provide them with a taxpayer funded cup of tea when they come to Southend!

The budget and my response to Lib Dem attempt to raise council tax more!

My response given in the budget debate on 28^th February, to some of the points made about the Administration’s proposed budget. It does focus somewhat on Children and Learning, but that is hardly surprising, however the first point affects all of us, the Lib Dem proposed an additional council tax rise, their leader stated that it was okay to do so as it wasn’t an election year(!), and the Leigh Town Council rise for some residents of Blenheim:

 

“I do hope that the residents of Blenheim Park will remember Councillor Longley’s suggestions that as it is not an election year we should tax our residents to the hilt! I am sure he won’t be making that comment when he or his Liberal colleague is facing an election.

I am supporting the lowest possible council tax rise to provide our vital services in every year not just when I am up for an election.

Perhaps Councillor Longley has been in too many meetings with Leigh Town Council, who I and some of my colleagues (including opposition councillors), are disappointed with for their 68% rise in the Leigh Town Council elements of council tax. When looked at over the past 4 years, when this council’s tax has gone up by 4.75% the Leigh Town Council precept has increased by 102%. But it isn’t obviously just Councillor Longley and Leigh Town Council that believe in maximum taxation, but Councillors Terry and Gilbert as well. I believe in minimal taxation, whilst delivering our vital services to those who most need it. I believe the proposed budget does this.

Moving onto the school uniform grant, I do not think it is unreasonable to ask schools who are receiving an increase of 37% in the pupil premium to £900 a year, per pupil – 67,777 next year, receiving a total of £6.1m to help out their pupils, to pick up the entire £13,000 budget. I will be writing to all schools asking them to assist pupils who need a uniform grant to do so out of the pupil premium.

We have difficult decisions ahead with Children’s Centres, we need to offer not only our residents, parents and children, but also the staff and management of these centres stability – we do this through offering a sustainable budget and structure. To suggest increasing their budgets (as the Labour group did) is going back to the old Labour government approach of reckless, unaffordable spending. We have not identified specific ways of saving this money as of yet – to do so would mean that the proposed consultation of parents, providers and members (councillors) would not be a true review of how we can provide sustainable Children’s Centres for the future. The proposal before you to put back in a part year saving of £55,000 is a sticking plaster at best, not providing sustainable Children’s Centres for the long term. I point out this Council’s improvement in Corporate Performance Indicator 9.1 (ensuring that those children from the 30% most deprived areas in Southend are accessing a children’s centre) and renew my commitment to that target for as long as I am a councillor – to improve the most deprived children’s access to Children’s Centres.

Moving to Cllr Woodley’s proposal for this Council to increase the rent for our hardworking, but low paid residents by another 1 or 2%. Those who are receiving Housing benefit in full will be protected, but those on low/middle incomes will be asked for an average of over 6% or 7% extra for their rent. In these economic times this is not something I can support.”

Cllr Woodley made a proposal to increase the rents we charge our tenants in our council houses. The way the system works this money would have been reinvested into the “street scene” or parking. Basically improving the housing that we have and the immediate surrounding area to them. Whilst this is laudable, I really could not support increasing the rent for residents of the Mendip Estate or Suffolk/Surrey Avenue area, by even more – how are they supposed to afford it?