Concerned parents lobbying councillors, ‘fears for the future of schools’, action groups and public meetings. This is not Newmarket today but Woodbridge in the 1980s. The fact is that a successful transition from three-tier to two-tier education has already been achieved in Suffolk in recent memory.
The similarities between the mid-eighties and today are remarkable. The objectives of the Woodbridge review were to:
-
Establish a common age of transfer
-
Ensure the viability of schools
-
Improve or replace inappropriate buildings
-
Remove surplus places
-
Improve the quality of education
The reasons for change were again, very familiar. For example, recruitment of teachers was difficult and the viability of village first schools was under threat due to falling pupil numbers.
The change went a head and the worries of the anti-lobby proved to be unfounded. The phasing of the change was designed to minimise the number of moves children had to make. Rather than the predicted (by the anti lobby) fall, pupil performance improved dramatically (from 48% of pupils achieving 5 or more A* to C grades at GCSE in 1994 to 67% in 2006).
The vast majority of school staff was confirmed in post. Some took early retirement and others were redeployed to alternative schools. Finally, concerns about transport proved unnecessary as there was a reduction in the number of journeys required as children remained in their local rural primary school for two years longer.
Surely what Woodbridge could do 20 years ago, Newmarket can do better today.
