Green Councillors continue fight to improve Abbeydale Grange

29th July 2009

Green Cllr Rob Murphy spoke at today's Full Council meeting. In attempt to get the administration to keep their promise to look at realistic options to keep the school going.

He said "Closure would be an admission of failure on behalf of the liberal
democrat administration" and that "parents in Sheffield want every school to be a good school."

The full transcript of his speech is below.

This debate is not just about Abbeydale Grange. It's about the future of
education in Sheffield and it's about the promises of the new Liberal Democrat administration to listen to local people.

The problem here is a familiar one. Abbeydale is currently suffering from low
attainment and low parental preference.

Poor exam results are not something unique to this school. 6 of our city's
secondary schools have GCSE results below the national minimum level.

And linked to exam results is parental preference.
Do parents really want to send their children across the city to a good school? No! They want there local school to be a good school. They want EVERY SCHOOL A GOOD SCHOOL.

So what is the solution? Parents know what they want BETTER ATTAINMENT, the school has made changes and is improving. This has been confirmed by the OFSTED inspection this month and the recent local authority review quoted in our amendment.

Parents want BETTER BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES and the money £14M is there and waiting to be spent.

And parents want POST 16 EDUCATION (or a 6th form to you and me). The council report says the area has plenty of 6th form provision... but this in
over-subscribed schools.

So... we know what parents want... And we know the school is improving thanks to the hard work of teachers, parents and pupils.

So Councillor Sangar it's time the council kept it's side of the bargain.
But what has the administration done?

It's rejected ALL the preferred options of the advisory group of local
stakeholders. And offered HARD FEDERATION OR CLOSURE

Hard Federation (in other words a merger) is the Liberal Democrat's preferred option. Not the Advisory Board's option, not the council officer's option and not the government's option.

It is suspected by many that this option is simply a smokescreen for closure.

Cllr. Sangar.. If you were SERIOUS you would have offered some real incentives for schools to take on the risk. You didn't.
You would know the name of the school in Wakefield and would have asked if they would consider federation. You haven't.

And Cllr. Sangar... If YOU ARE serious you would FORCE a school to become a federation partner.... If not your option is the empty promise we have all suspected.

Finally CLOSURE.. Closure is not an option it is an ADMISSION OF FAILURE by the Liberal Democrat administration.

Failure to listen to local stakeholders and parents.
Failure to provide a realistic, sustainable solution to the problems of
Abbeydale Grange.
And Failure to provide the leadership necessary to improve Sheffield's schools.

But all is not lost, the following consultation MUST consider the exam results
of this August, and it MUST consider the Advisory Groups suggestions to
properly investigate a COOPERATIVE TRUST and a 6th form.

Closing schools is not an option for the problems of Sheffield's education.

IF IT'S BROKEN FIX IT, DON'T THROW IT AWAY.
Make EVERY SCHOOL A GOOD SCHOOL
and DON'T TALK ABOUT 'REAL CONSULTATION', DO IT!

SPEECH ENDS