Bob Russell meets Education Minister over school closures in Colchester

5.20.04pm GMT Thu 29th Oct 2009

Bob Russell outside Alderman Blaxill, threatened with closure by the County Council

Colchester MP Bob Russell has had a top level meeting with Schools Minister Mr Vernon Coaker MP to press home the overwhelming opposition to proposals by Essex County Council to shut two of the town's secondary schools, Thomas Lord Audley at Monkwick and Alderman Blaxill at Shrub End.

And as a result of his representations, made at the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Mr Coaker has promised that he and officials will look at the facts and figures which Mr Russell said flatly contradict the County's projections for the future of secondary school provision in Colchester.

Afterwards Mr Russell said: "The campaign to save these two schools is far from over. The simple truth is that the County's figures do not match the reality of what is happening in Colchester - England's fastest growing Borough."

Mr Russell told Mr Coaker that none of Colchester's 60 Borough Councillors had previously voted to support the proposals put forward by the Tory-controlled County Council - and that responses to the County Council's own consultation process had shown that 96 per cent were against, which the Tories at County Hall had simply ignored.

The Town's Liberal Democrat MP said that while it was acknowledged there is currently spare capacity in the town's secondary school system, the rising birth-rate and huge new housing developments taking place would mean that this capacity would eventually be needed.

"I told Mr Coaker that there was minimal support in Colchester, not just from my constituents but also from those living elsewhere in the Borough in the neighbouring constituency of North Essex, to what the County Tories were proposing.

"I also pointed out that under the inspirational leadership of Mr Jonthan Tippett - who is Executive Head of The Stanway School, Alderman Blaxill and Thomas Lord Audley - these three schools had all been turned around. Stanway School's record and reputation is second to none locally. Last year, the fast-improving TLA recorded its best exam results in its history and exceeded the Government's target - and last month, the number of pupils entering the school was the highest for years, with the intake Year 7 the largest age-group in the School."

He added: "Quite simply, the County's figures do not add up when it comes to future planning for secondary school provision in Colchester. And do we really want, as a town, to see Philip Morant School expand to 2,500 places?"