Wrong, Ed

Education & Excellence

Many parents in Reading have had a poor lot for far too long as far as education for their children is concerned.  An historic lack of strategic planning by the Labour-led Borough Council and a resulting shortage of places at the best schools has led to widespread parental dissatisfaction and many children forced to attend schools out of Reading.

Over a decade ago, on offer day, I remember how shocked I was not to be offered a place at either of my two local in-catchment primary schools for my son.  Both schools had good reputations, so my husband and I didn’t mind which we were offered, but to have no place whatsoever was alarming and unsettling.

After several anxious weeks, eventually our son was offered a place at our nearest local primary.  Naively we thought our school admissions problems were over.  However, after he started school the catchment areas were changed by the Council, so our younger child was unlikely to be able to go to her brother’s primary, even though we hadn’t moved house! 

Another parent and I then researched the town’s birth rate and proved the local schools north of the river were likely to continue to be oversubscribed every year.  We campaigned for siblings like my daughter to have protection and after some months, we were successful.  The Labour administration was forced to concede and correct this blatantly unfair admission rule.

My children in 2001

Generally however, even back in 2001 there was an annual problem of families in parts of the town failing to get places at their catchment school because of the Labour administration’s failure to deal with the evident lack of places.  It was also an era when too many Reading schools were failing to provide the quality of education expected by parents across the town.

My experience highlighted to me the importance of providing sufficient school places for children to be able to be with their older siblings in the same primary as each other, and of course for all schools to be offering a good standard of education. I became a Conservative Councillor because I was determined to do what I could to make this become a reality in Reading. 

It was the Conservatives on Reading Borough Council who supported my campaign back in 2001 and it is a Conservative-led Government which is now leading the way in allowing for more school places and for school improvement.  Where the Labour Council has failed to improve Reading’s schools and failed to build the new schools necessary to meet the demand, the Government’s reforms mean motivated and engaged parent groups, backed in some cases by specialist education providers, can address the shortfall.  This Government’s transformation of the education system is enabling the conversion of poorly-rated primaries into new academy primaries, the expansion of high performing existing schools and, where there is the demand, the opening of new free schools.

I believe a good education, which supports each child to reach their full potential and prepares them for adulthood, in a setting that best suits their individual needs, is what the vast majority of parents want and expect. 

From September 2013 teenagers will have the opportunity of going to the new East Reading University Technical College (UTC) where expertise from its IT and engineering sponsors will provide an up-to-the-minute education to complement the national curriculum.  Rob Wilson MP led the way in getting this exciting new type of school for Reading which elsewhere has engaged and energised students which the regular secondary system often fails to engage.

Also in September 2013 a new Free School for pupils with autism will open, filling a gap between main stream and special schools which will complement the Ofsted-rated “Outstanding” Avenue School Academy on the adjacent site.

In September 2014 the West Reading Education Network (WREN) Group is set to open a new secondary school in West Reading, with The Heights Group set to open a new primary school serving Caversham Heights.  Both are Free Schools which would not have been opened under any other Government; they will provide much needed capacity and are supported by a ground swell of parental and community support as well as their respective Conservative Members of Parliament.

Only the Conservatives have a track record of enabling parents to deliver choice and excellence in education. If you share our aspiration for a better education for all of our children in a school that suits their needs please join us in campaigning for more free schools and academies, free from the dead hand of Reading Labour Party’s control.

Conservatives condemn Labour's decision to close Arthur Clark Care Home

Arthur Clark Residential Care Home

Conservatives turned out in force for last night’s first ever meeting of the Adult Social Care, Children’s Services, and Education Committee in support of campaigners who packed the public gallery. As well as Sandra Vickers (Tilehurst), James Anderson (Kentwood) and me who sit on the committee, Cllrs Tim Harris (Church), Jeanette Skeats (Thames), David Stevens (Thames), Ed Hopper (Thames) and Richard Willis (Peppard) sat in the public gallery behind them with Reading East MP Rob Wilson. Cllr Hopper and Rob Wilson addressed the meeting as members of the public after passionate speeches from campaigner Colin Trinder and Rev Marion Pyke.

It was notable that neither Cllr Richard Davies (Caversham-Labour), or Labour’s Reading East Parliamentary Candidate spoke or even bothered to attend the meeting.

After over an hour and a half of questions, speeches and debate Labour’s Lead Councillor circulated a pre-prepared amended motion which made it clear that the decision to close both the Arthur Clark home and Albert Road Day Centre had already effectively been taken. I picked this up and pointed out that since the motion had been printed prior to the meeting the whole debate had been a waste of time as the Labour Group had already decided to close the two facilities.

Cllr Sandra Vickers spoke about how her own mother had visited Arthur Clark and told how she loved the home and the quality of care provided. Cllr James Anderson urged the Labour administration to consider this a matter for their hearts rather than their heads.

However, at the end of the debate, the Labour Councillors on the Committee voted for the motion to close Arthur Clark Home and Albert Road Day Centre. All other Councillors (apart from the Chairman who abstained) voted against the closure motion.

Cllr Ed Hopper said, “I am hugely disappointed by the decision to close the Arthur Clark Care Home which has been taken by Reading Borough Council’s Labour Administration tonight.

Over 3,600 people plus every Conservative Councillor, our MP Rob Wilson and all other opposition Councillors have all expressed their adamant opposition to this closure.

The consultation which RBC has undertaken is not worthy of the name, having ignored genuine opportunities to work with local residents and businesses to seek ways to keep this valuable Home open.”

Cllr Tim Harris said, “Once again the Labour Group has ignored the wishes of the thousands of local people who signed the petition and those who took time out to attend a second Council meeting to discuss the proposed closure. We asked the Labour administration to consider all options including discussions with possible private care providers but they chose to ignore this and the pleas from the public gallery.”

I said, “Labour is quite prepared to spend around £60m on providing new Civic Offices but they refuse to find less than £1m to undertake the maintenance backlog which has been identified at Arthur Clark home. Tonight’s meeting was a waste of time as Labour had already made their decision before the meeting even started. The consultation was a sham, just as the promised consultation on using the site for ‘extra-care’ housing for the elderly will probably prove to be.”  

Speaking after the meeting Conservative Councillors and Rob Wilson MP pledged to help the residents in any way possible to keep up the fight for the future of Arthur Clark home and Albert Road Day Centre.

D-Day for Arthur Clark Care Home

Conservatives at the Reading Borough Council meeting on Tuesday stood alongside local residents to call for the Labour administration to scrap plans to close the Arthur Clark care home in Albert Road, Caversham. Residents protested outside the Council chamber before the meeting and packed the meeting to present a petition and ask questions of the Labour Lead Councillor.

Cllr Ed Hopper with protestors before Council

Due to the large number of signatures on the petition a debate was generated at the start of the Council meeting. The Labour administration moved a weasel worded motion referring the concerns of the petitioners to the Council’s new Adult Social Care, Childrens’ Services and Education Committee which meets on Monday 1^st July.

Thames Ward Councillors Ed Hopper and David Stevens then moved and seconded an amendment which called on the administration to “cease all attempts to close Arthur Clark care home”. This was supported by all Councillors except for the Labour administration. Even the single Caversham Labour Councillor and Labour’s Reading East Parliamentary candidate voted against the amendment!

After lengthy debate, Labour voted down the Conservative amendment and used their majority to push through their motion.

Cllr Ed Hopper said, “I wanted to give the Council as a whole an opportunity to say that the Arthur Clark home should remain open rather than see the decision pushed off to a committee of which only a few Councillors are members. I was pleased that so many Councillors supported my amendment but disappointed that Labour used their majority to override the views of others Councillors and the large number of residents in the gallery”.

Cllr David Stevens said, “This is the first time ever that the public has presented a petition with enough signatures to trigger a debate. I am amazed therefore that the Labour Group was not willing to listen to the strength of feeling locally and invest in this care home rather than just close it down. We will keep up the fight to ensure that the views of local people are heard and heeded.”

At the end of the evening after the presentation of the petition, exhaustive debate, and numerous questions Cllr Ralph (Independent) moved a motion which many had expected him to withdraw. It was rather after the fact, as the Labour administration had made their position clear in the earlier debate, but in the spirit of cooperation Conservative Councillors had decided to support Cllr Ralph’s motion and voted against Labour’s inevitable amendment. In the most bizarre moment of the night Cllr Ralph then voted in favour of Labour’s amendment and against his own motion!

Conservative Group Leader Cllr Tim Harris said, “It was a long and heated debate but what matters in this is the effect closure would have on the many elderly residents and the removal of a facility which should be retained to serve future generations north of the Thames. Conservative Councillors will be using every available opportunity to urge the Labour administration to think again and fight for a future for this much loved home.”

You can watch the council meeting online on YouTube and see for yourself 'democracy' in action.

D-Day for the Arthur Clark care home is Monday, 1st July at 6.30 pm.  Members of the public are encouraged to attend and, if they give advance notification of their intention to film proceedings are permitted to do so.

Update  You can read GetReading's report in today's paper here.  If you have a view on the future of the Arthur Clark residential care home why don't you post a comment?

Public Meeting: Bus Update for North of the River Wednesday 19th June

My Conservative colleague and Peppard Ward councillor, Richard Willis, has organised a public meeting tomorrow night at 6.45 pm at the Milestone Centre, Northbrook Road, Caversham Park Village, about the bus services and the changes which will come once the new northern inter-change to Reading Station opens.

The CEO of Reading Buses, James Freeman, will explain the proposed changes after which he has kindly agreed to take questions from the floor.

Richard has also arranged for a senior Council Transport Officer to attend to speak on the planned new pedestrian/cycle bridge over the Thames. This bridge was something which he proposed when he was Lead Councillor and we began the work to include it in a bid to central Government for the funding. The bid was successful and will now be built in the next year or so.

All north of the river residents are welcome to attend the meeting but if they cannot I am happy to arrange for a summary of the briefing to be emailed to them following the meeting.

A Lot Going On

I apologise for not posting as regularly as I used to.  About 3 months ago I started working full time for Rob Wilson MP in his constituency office which has reduced my available time for this.  Fortunately though I am able to continue both my councillor role as well as the chairman of governors at The Avenue Special School.

Officers & councillors outside the Pavilion

For many years I've been on Reading Borough Council's Planning Committee and this morning, for about 1.5 hours, I joined other committee members on our monthly site visits.  Mapledurham Pavilion was our second stop.  One reason I'd asked for the visit was to show Labour councillors its dilapidated state.  They were visibly shocked.  I think two out of the three hadn't seen it before.  I showed them most of the inside as well whilst "Escape" (the parent & toddler group I used to run) started up its session.  But for the toddlers & mums, the hall would have been bleak too.

This reminds me that a week on Saturday, 22nd June, is the second Mapledurham Fete.  It starts at noon, carrying on all afternoon and metamorphosing into a music festival in the evening.  As last year, all monies raised will go towards regenerating the Pavilion, which could happen soon if the planning application goes through unhindered.  I'll be running a skittles stall again and hope lots of people will come and enjoy what I'm sure will be a great day supporting this excellent cause.

Getting back to this morning's visit, outside the Pavilion was a hive of activity with a multi-agency crack down led by the Police of various motoring offences.  They were: pulling over motorists for using a mobile phone, driving without a safety belt, speeding; checking for the illegal use of red diesel, ensuring anyone transporting metal had a licence, checking tyres, etc.  Also present were Council officers, independent observers & Neighbourhood Watch Group (NAG) members.  I don't yet know the stats, but was pleased to see such a big operation in action.  Sergeant Nigel Scarratt & PCSO Ian Chaston were there together with Police from further afield.

'The Heights' Free School gets the Go Ahead!

The Heights

I was thrilled to hear the wonderful news that The Heights primary free school has been given the Department for Education's backing to open in September 2014.

The school will serve the local area in the west of Caversham including all of Mapledurham Ward, Caversham Heights, for which I am the local councillor.

At last families in my Ward will have a realistic chance of getting a local primary school place.  Every year parents are disappointed because they are unable to get their child into their designated local school.  They have been forced into their cars to drive their children to schools on the other side of Caversham or even out of the Reading Borough.

I'm especially pleased for Ruth, Polly, Susan and the other parents who have worked so hard on the bid to get to this point.  Their dedication and commitment is inspirational and I look forward to helping them get the school up and running for next September.

My colleague Cllr Tim Harris, Leader of the Conservative Group said, "This is fabulous news and I congratulate the parents involved who have been supported throughout by Cllr Isobel Ballsdon and Reading East MP Rob Wilson.  They have embraced the opportunity provided by the Conservative-led Government's reforms and galvanised local support for their Free School bid.  They have achieved what the Labour Council over the last decade has failed to deliver: a new school for Caversham."

When more details are known I will post again, though do also check The Heights' website too!

Update: The WREN bid for a new secondary Free School to serve West Reading has also been successful!  For further information check their website:  Wren School

Further Update: You can watch ITV coverage of The Heights parent group, parents from the WREN group and others in an article filmed yesterday (22 May) after the announcement by following this link