In response to growing fears about the Government’s plan to turn schools into academies and the impact they will have on our area, three Shropshire Councillors have invited Pank Patel*, the Government’s Schools Champion, to visit a number of schools in the rural west of the County.
Heather Kidd said : “The wish is for all schools to be ‘Academies’ free from local authority control by 2020. The Government view is also that no school of 50 pupils or less can become an Academy. This would puts at risk almost every school in South West Shropshire .
Schools are vital parts of rural communities providing local jobs and bringing money into shops and Post Offices. This closure of small schools owing to Academisation and freezing of budgets by the Government is yet another nail in the coffin of our rural villages. I am appalled that there is so little understanding of rural areas whose school invariably provide excellent education.
“The Government view is that schools on one site need to have around 120 pupils. Children in the 300 square miles of our part of Shropshire may well end up being educated in towns such as Bishops Castle, Ludlow and Pontesbury . 4 year olds could be forced to travel for well over an hour to get to school on the current circuitous picking up routes.”
Clun Councillor Nigel Hartin added: ” The Government obviously haven’t thought through the impact this measure will have on rural areas throughout England. In Shropshire it could be devastating. It is critical that we get across this message hence our invite to Mr Patel. We are keen to take him round a number of village schools to show him the excellent standards of teaching that they deliver.”
The Councillors have written to Mr Patel requesting an urgent visit to the County.
Notes
Biography
Pank Patel started in his role on 1 September 2014. Before his appointment, Pank was the Headteacher of Wood Green Academy in Wednesbury. Earlier in his career he also:
Regional Schools Commissioner for West Midlands
The Regional Schools Commissioner for the West Midlands is responsible for making decisions about the academies and free schools in local authorities throughout the region.
More information on regional schools commissioners can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/schools-commissioners-group