School Petition for Commons

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 9th Apr 2008

A Petition organised by campaigners seeking to save Alderman Blaxill Secondary School from closure will be presented to the House of Commons this evening by Colchester MP Bob Russell.

Signed by nearly 500 people, it represents the latest move at Parliamentary level to oppose proposals by Essex County Council to shut the school, on the town's Shrub End Estate, and the Thomas Lord Audley College at Monkwick and replace them with a 1,500-place Academy on the TLA site.

Liberal Democrat Mr Russell has already had a special Parliamentary debate in which he set out his opposition to the proposed closure, and last month during Education questions he directly challenged the Government not to support Conservative-controlled Essex County Council. Schools Minister Mr Jim Knight MP promised to meet Mr Russell to discuss the matter.

Mr Russell said this morning: "It is important that the fight to save Alderman Blaxill School is kept firmly in the public eye and at Parliamentary level I shall use every opportunity to remind Ministers that closing two schools in Colchester and building an Academy, which 80 per cent of respondents in the County Council's own consultation opposed, is not supported by the local communities whom I represent."

The Petition being presented to the House of Commons this evening is separate to one containing 1,767 names which was presented a few months ago to Essex County Council. The latest Petition was organised for specific presentation to Parliament for it calls on the Government to oppose the closure and instead provide additional resources to help the School.

Last month Mr Russell suggested to the Commons that the best way forward was for Alderman Blaxill, Thomas Lord Audley and The Stanway School to operate as "The Roman River Federation of Schools" under the executive Headship of Mr Jonathan Tippett who is currently in charge of all three schools.