What I have managed to do is with SCC officers develop a newsletter attached to the County Council website and develop a vision statement for the portfolio, which I hope to write more about over the coming weeks. 

Cllr Jeremy Pembroke, Conservative Leader of Suffolk County Council, has announced his new Cabinet for the ensuing year, following the retirement of Cllr Sue Sida Lockett.

Cllr Lisa Chambers will be entering the Cabinet as Portfolio Holder for Economic and Cultural Development where she will be assisted by Cllr Wendy Mawer.

Lisa’s portfolio includes responsibility for economic development, sports and Olympics, University Campus Suffolk, tourism, community and cultural services, the countywide arts and museums partnership development, the archealogy service and the Suffolk Records offices.

Lisa is married to Neil and they have two young children. Lisa and Neil have lived in Red Lodge for the last 12 years, Lisa moved to the village from Newmarket where she grew up, Suffolk born and bred!  She have represented the villages of Red Lodge and Herringswell on the District Council for the last four years, and have just been returned to Forest Heath District Council uncontested. 

Lisa has been the assistant to the Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People over the last year and is looking forward to a different challenge over the next couple of years.

As parents, we know how much children depend on a stable, caring family home life. Unfortunately, some children can’t rely on their own family, and are being looked after by Suffolk County Council. Usually, these children will live with a foster carer, either for a few weeks, or perhaps for much longer. But there aren’t enough people in Suffolk coming forward as carers, so some local children are very much losing out.

As a mother myself, I so respect the work that Suffolk’s foster carers do for children who, through no fault of their own, can’t stay with their own family. I can’t think of anything more valuable for our community, now and far into the future, than helping to look after a needy child. It’s a chance to make a big positive difference to someone’s life – how often do we get that chance? Please do think about whether you could offer your help. You will be paid the going rate, and have great support from council staff. Do phone us for a chat, or have a look at all the information on our website. It could be the best thing you will ever do!

There are about 700 children looked after by Suffolk County Council and around 300 local foster carers.  Many more carers are still needed from all the communities in Suffolk to make sure that children in our care have the best chance of being looked after by local foster carers.   Foster carers can be married or not, have children at home or not, we need all sorts! Talk to us if you’re not sure its for you.

The shortage of foster carers means that children may not always be able to live near enough to their local area to be able to go to the same school, or that their brothers and sisters have to live with another foster family which is not nearby. These situations make it much harder for children to cope with being in care.  We are looking to recruit more foster carers to join the Suffolk Fostering Service to make sure these children get all the support, care and attention that they need and deserve.

To find out more about becoming a foster carer please call 0800 328 2148 or log on to www.suffolkfostering.com

So far, a total of £944,999.50 has been paid by Crest Nicholson to Forest Heath and Suffolk County Council.

Some examples of how this money is spent:

The money pays for a development monitoring officer, this is something the public don’t see but is vital to provide the local Councils with a member of staff to monitor the large legal document that is required for a development of this size, some 1250 homes (see earlier blog on development in the village). 

Tracey Robertson is our new community development officer in the village and am I pleased to see her!  Again she has been paid for by the S106.

There are many road improvements to the area, including long awaited improvements to the Herringswell cross roads, and the Bell crossroads in Kentford.  The infrastructure benefits reach further than the village its self and probably residents are not even aware the developer contributions are paying for this work.

There isa small contribution towards public art and I am hoping this can be developed into a project for the young people of Red Lodge to take part in, something that will be a visable structure for the community.  If anyone has any ideas of projects that have worked in other places I would love to know about them, I feel it is important the village “owns” this piece of art work and that can only happen it they are able to take part and make it happen.

The next major contribution will be for education and our village school becomes a step closer, I look forward to writing about this over the coming weeks, we have waited so many years for this to happen.  While out canvassing in my first election (some four years ago) I can remember a middle aged lady asking me when the school will be built, as it was promised when her children were very small and they had just moved to the area, her children are now out working and in their 20′s! 

Shortly the developers should be producing plans of the village centre for approval at the working group and planning committee.  The developers hope to have the playing fields ready and open for the community by the end of 2007, it would be good to hear peoples views on the proposed village centre and playing fields over the coming weeks.

Firebreak Courses – these five-day courses are run by the Suffolk fire and rescue service for youngsters who are referred by the Youth Offending Service or by special advisors in schools.  The course offers a mixture of social support and basic physical fire service training. I have just sponsored two young people from Newmarket to attend one of these courses through my locality budget. 

Locality Budget – This is a list of some of the things I have supported this last financial year with my budget. 

• Newmarket in Bloom

• The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal

• Little Buds Pre-School

• Xchange Newmarket community church centre

• NOMADS

• Studlands Park (play equipment)

• Footway in Moulton

• Red Lodge Church

• Herringswell village of the year project

• St Felix School, visit to Endeavour House to hold School Council meeting.

• Newmarket Community Resource Unit

School Organisation Review – As I am sure you are all aware the County Council voted on the 22^nd March to move to stage two of the Education Review with a preferred option of an all two-tier system of education in Suffolk.  It is important for us all to remember this is not just about education in the three-tier areas but about raising the standard of education throughout the whole of Suffolk.  It is our intention now to proceed carefully with the next stage of this review,  a detailed implementation plan for stage two of the review will be taken to SCC Cabinet meeting on 10^th May 2007.  One of our immediate priorities will be to develop a staff support programme in all areas with three-tier schools, to ensure schools can continue to take forward improvement plans and start preparations for change.  I will be able to give the Council further updates during the coming months. 

Youth opportunity/youth capital funds – There has been a poor response so far from the young people of Forest Heath for this funding.  There is approximately £32,000 allocated to our area for young people.  Young people must apply and bid for the money and a panel of young people (with training and support) consider the bids put forward.  If anyone is aware of a local group of young people that would benefit from some extra money please ask them to contact Nicola King at FHDC or myself for further details. 

• Newmarket in Bloom
• The Royal British Legion
• Little Buds Pre-School
• NOMADS
• Studlands Park Sports and Social Club
• Moulton Parish Council
• St Christopher’s Church – Red Lodge 
• Herringswell Parish Council
• Red Lodge Millennium Centre
• Xchange – Newmarket Comunity Church
• St Felix Middle School
• West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village Trust
• Suffolk Fire and Rescue
• Newmarket CRU
• Dalham Parish Council

If anyone has a local project and they are looking for funding please write to me and I may be able to support with my locality budget or help to find alternative funding.

I was educated in Newmarket in the three-tier system. Now my children attend local schools in that same system.  My views put to the Panel were not simply those of a local councillor representing her community, but also as a mother, a mother concerned for the future education of her children and future generations of Suffolk children. 

I am totally convinced by the evidence we must continue with the process efficiently and prudently and not seek to delay the decision just because the issues are difficult. Our decision is a huge one. It is beholden upon us all to take it on the evidence and facts alone and not upon emotion, either personal or imposed. 

This debate for me is not simply two-tier verses three tier – but essentially is about raising educational standards in ALL our schools for ALL our children across the county.
Suffolk’s children surely deserve the best possible start in life. We can help deliver that – but only if we change. 

Living close to the Cambridgeshire boarder I have many friends whose children attend school a two-tier system. Parents who consciously opt for this system by personal choice rather than the 3 tier provided by Suffolk. They certainly do not complain their children suffer by remaining in primary school for an extra two years. Their children have a broad curriculum and pastoral care equal to any that is offered in our three-tier system.   

One factor sticks out to me above all others: -

There is not a single subject where the three-tier schools exceed the performance of two-tier schools at GCSE despite specialist subjects being taught for two extra years in the three-tier system.  The lower performance in three-tier schools at age 11 is never completely made good for all pupils.Each and every one of us here today has experienced personally the fear and trepidation of changing school. Maybe even worse is seeing those fears replayed in our own children.  I can remember at 9 and 13 feeling worried about the huge step into the unknown of a new school.  

Only last September I saw my own daughter experience the same feelings. It is never easy however well you think you have prepared them. Why do we make them do it twice? Why create the worry and disruption twice?  

It does not matter at what age the point of transition takes place. A child will always experience these feelings.  By reducing the points of transition you are reducing the anxieties and fears, but probably more importantly there is evidence of a dip in performance for some children at each point of transfer. 

A lot has been said over the last few weeks that we are disregarding “Every Child Matters” by proceeding with this.  

Not so, for me the very reason we are doing this is that every child does matter!  Every child deserves the very best opportunity that we can give them. Are we doing justice or maximising our children’s chances by remaining with the status quo?  It’s very clear that NO requests have been received from the 2 tier area opting to introduce middle schools. 

In the recent white paper Higher Standards and Better Schools for All.  The document sets out the government’s plans to radically improve the school system.  With every child receiving an excellent education whatever their background and wherever they live, with every school a good school, and every pupil achieving and reaching their potential.   

Again, the facts clearly show we are NOT delivering on this promise. We are not excellent and we must change. 

Thats what we are trying to achieve here today, we are not disregarding “Every Child Matters” we are ensuring its delivery to every child in Suffolk. 

Lets grasp this opportunity today to improve the education for ALL children in Suffolk. 

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:

1. Establish a common age of transfer

2. Ensure the viability of schools

3. Improve or replace inappropriate buildings

4. Remove surplus places

5. 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.