Friday, 31 January 2014
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
Sunday, 26 January 2014
Town End Folly still unresolved - Pontefract's Choke Points about to get worse
Following on from Mr Griffin's letter in the P&C Express 23rd January 2014, it looks like yet another plan for Pontefract has stalled. For the last 40 years most of the big decisions for Pontefract have been made by people that do not know or understand the town and whether it be those that proposed Town End lights in the first place or those like Cllr Denise Jeffrey who promised back in 2011 to resolve the chaos and congestion that this caused, we are still no further forward.
We still have unacceptably long queues, compromised air quality which exceeds national limits caused by standing traffic, and the looming problem of additional traffic as up to 4000 more houses are added around the edges of town.
The next potential "Folly" we need to be aware of is Cllr Box's much vaunted Northern Relief Road. Relief from what, may I ask? This will add to congestion by the railway bridge/motorway junction on Park Road as it cuts off towards Skinner Lane, which, in itself, is not really suitable to take extra traffic. Costing taxpayers up to £4.1 million, this road was originally intended primarily as access to the Prince of Wales site The plan was then undermined by Wakefield planners who are allowing Harwood Estates to give traffic from the first 540 homes direct access to Park Road from the old colliery road by the roundabout meaning that there will now be two new junctions and two new choke points.
The next potential "Folly" we need to be aware of is Cllr Box's much vaunted Northern Relief Road. Relief from what, may I ask? This will add to congestion by the railway bridge/motorway junction on Park Road as it cuts off towards Skinner Lane, which, in itself, is not really suitable to take extra traffic. Costing taxpayers up to £4.1 million, this road was originally intended primarily as access to the Prince of Wales site The plan was then undermined by Wakefield planners who are allowing Harwood Estates to give traffic from the first 540 homes direct access to Park Road from the old colliery road by the roundabout meaning that there will now be two new junctions and two new choke points.
See for yourself, plans will be on show from next week at Ladybalk Working Mens Club on the 30th, St Giles Church on the 31st, and in Pontefract Town Hall for a week from the 3rd of February. Come and see the next batch of traffic lights to be installed in Pontefract.
Over recent years there have been promises of improved infrastructure for Pontefract but we still have rat runs, pollution, congestion, potholes and uneven footpaths. We need to see meaningful improvements and where there is additional housing, good sustainable development to make the town more viable, hopefully the powers that be are listening.
Cllr Geoff Walsh
Over recent years there have been promises of improved infrastructure for Pontefract but we still have rat runs, pollution, congestion, potholes and uneven footpaths. We need to see meaningful improvements and where there is additional housing, good sustainable development to make the town more viable, hopefully the powers that be are listening.
Cllr Geoff Walsh
Pontefract South
Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Saturday, 18 January 2014
Europe must reform or decline.
 "It's quite simple: Europe must reform or decline. Already, we have secured some important changes:
These changes are a good beginning, but they are not nearly enough. We need to be much, much bolder. So we'll work to change the EU and Britain's relationship with it - and then place the decision in the hands of the British people with an in-out referendum by the end of 2017. Only our long-term plan can fix our relationship with Europe, and ensure Europe reforms in a way that delivers growth, jobs and financial security for the British people. And only the Conservatives will give the British people their say on our future in Europe in an in-out referendum. Labour and the Lib Dems won't give you a referendum, and UKIP can't." George Osbourne |
Can things change across the Wakefield District?
In 2012, the majority of people in Wakefield District did not vote in
the Local Elections. Of the 257,119 people who could have voted. 180,259 chose
not to do so, we see a controlling group that has held power since 1974
and a majority who do not see the point of voting. Under the present
system there is an election in three out of every four years with,
effectively, the potential for only one third of the council to change each
time. People do not see the power or point of their vote and do not engage with
the process. We need to see that chance for change. With colleagues, I am
working on a proposal that could help change this situation and unlock
democracy for the people of the district. If you want to help please get in
touch........ Let me know what do you think?
Keeping in touch Chequerfield, Baghill and Willow Park – Ward Census Update
With much needed council improvements of the highway and footpaths at the Circle in Chequerfield, we need to see WDH coming up with schemes to regenerate the area and to support existing shop keepers and attract new and different shops to meet the needs of residents. The tendency to insist on a 5yr or extended lease makes it difficult for new small retail businesses to make the leap of faith to invest in Chequerfield. WDH need to consider trialing shorter licenses that will allow people to try.
Whilst there are a number of estates in the district whose roads have been receiving much needed attention, potholes in Chequerfield and Baghill are a particular problem that needs resolution.
The team at Pomfret Woodlands Nursery have been going from strength to strength and the Childrens Centre has also been making good progress. All the more reason to ensure that the proposed bringing back into use of the former Chequerfield infant school as the district support centre needs to be managed carefully and with absolutely no corners cut.
Refurbishment and upgrading of houses on Rookhill Road has been a real benefit for a number of existing residents, that with completion of much of the improvement work on Eastbourne gives a good result for many.
St Mary’s Centre has a number of new initiatives and one of the busiest and most effective Job Clubs in the area plus a number of schemes and courses that allow people to build their skills and qualifications. The new internet resource centre there is also proving popular with many. Call in have a coffee and find out what is on offer.
The Neighbourhood policing team have started a new series of PACT meetings at St Mary’s Centre and are also working with partners to challenge some of the unacceptable ASB and Youth nuisance behavior that occurs in some parts. As the summer draws on we will need to see useful and enjoyable activities to keep youngsters engaged.
The Air Cadets in Pontefract are recruiting 13-16yr olds on Tues 4th Feb, 7.15pm at the TA Centre on Wakefield Road. The squadron takes part in a wide range of activities, including flying, gliding, shooting, adventure training, sports, and learning about a range of aviation subjects. They also undertake first aid qualifications, communication and leadership training. The squadron is holding a recruitment night on Tuesday 4th February, starting at 7.15pm, which is open to anyone aged 13-16yrs.
For more information call 01977 707984 or ‘like’ their facebook page. The squadron parades every Tuesday and Friday evening 7-9pm.
For more information call 01977 707984 or ‘like’ their facebook page. The squadron parades every Tuesday and Friday evening 7-9pm.
There is a Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme running at St Giles in Pontefract.
Ward Census - Please get in touch
Ward Census
Over the autumn and through into spring, I have been and will be conducting a census across the ward to confirm peoples local priorities for the next 12 months. If you receive a questionnaire please give examples of council services that you value and examples where you would like to see something done better or suggestions of issues or items you feel need attention.
Over the autumn and through into spring, I have been and will be conducting a census across the ward to confirm peoples local priorities for the next 12 months. If you receive a questionnaire please give examples of council services that you value and examples where you would like to see something done better or suggestions of issues or items you feel need attention.
I will be
calling, knocking on peoples doors, conducting drop in sessions and Q&A
sessions with individuals, groups and associations and am happy to visit you by appointment if
that would help.
OR If you have a specific issue you wish to discuss please
call 01977 801091 email: geoff.walsh.npc@gmail.com
or visit http://geoffwalsh.blogspot.co.uk/
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
So who are disadvantaged when Wakefield Council's School improvement plans fall short?
In November 2012 Wakefield was ranked 147th of 150 local education authorities by OFSTED in providing schools classed as good or outstanding in the primary school sector for the youngsters of this district.
Twelve months later the OFSTED inspectors called again and their report has just been released. "This inspection was carried out because of concerns about the achievement and progress of pupils in primary and secondary schools and the quality of education and training for young people aged 16 to 18 years.
In addition, the proportion of schools in Wakefield judged to be good or better at their last Ofsted inspection is well-below national averages and not improving rapidly enough."
"There is a strategy for improvement which focuses on providing appropriate levels of support to meet the needs of individual institutions. However, this has not led to an improvement in the proportion of schools which are good or better. Figures up to September 2013 show that 35%, or over 9,000 pupils,
attend a primary school that is less than good. The figure for secondary schools is around 7,200 students. Overall, the proportions of good and better schools are below the national and regional averages, despite some very recent improvement. Improvement over time has been at a slower pace than across the country."
(Source OFSTED report published 6th January 2014)
We also see that standards in reading writing and mathematics are too low in Key Stages 1 and 2 leaving youngsters to face remediation or catch up as they move on into secondary schools, setting the barrier higher for them and reducing their life chances.
OFSTED's key conclusion?
"The local authority arrangements for supporting school improvement are ineffective."
This Labour controlled Council has had its own very personal approach to education and school improvement over the forty years since it came into existence. Whilst many young people will have excelled during that time it looks as if a sizeable group will not have had the best opportunities that they could have.
The Cabinet's decision in 2006 to move away from a Director of Education from an education background and make a Director of Family Services from a social care background responsible for education, really did not help. According to many in the education sector this resulted in a loss of specialist focus, responsiveness and, in some cases, a different set of priorities. Whilst this decision was steadfastly defended by the Leader it is hard to see how it has helped educational performance and excellence.
It is only recently, and reluctantly, that the council has rowed back from that approach with the appointment of a Corporate Director for Children and Young People in August 2013. That was clearly a step in the right direction but we must now see the improvements across the Local Education Authority and within schools so that more young people can live up to their potential and our communities can thrive and prosper.
How will we know what progress has been made? Well for one thing OFSTED will be back in 9 months or so. Watch this space!
Geoff
To see the detailed conclusions visit the OFSTED web site here
Or to see the pdf file click here.
Twelve months later the OFSTED inspectors called again and their report has just been released. "This inspection was carried out because of concerns about the achievement and progress of pupils in primary and secondary schools and the quality of education and training for young people aged 16 to 18 years.
In addition, the proportion of schools in Wakefield judged to be good or better at their last Ofsted inspection is well-below national averages and not improving rapidly enough."
"There is a strategy for improvement which focuses on providing appropriate levels of support to meet the needs of individual institutions. However, this has not led to an improvement in the proportion of schools which are good or better. Figures up to September 2013 show that 35%, or over 9,000 pupils,
attend a primary school that is less than good. The figure for secondary schools is around 7,200 students. Overall, the proportions of good and better schools are below the national and regional averages, despite some very recent improvement. Improvement over time has been at a slower pace than across the country."
(Source OFSTED report published 6th January 2014)
We also see that standards in reading writing and mathematics are too low in Key Stages 1 and 2 leaving youngsters to face remediation or catch up as they move on into secondary schools, setting the barrier higher for them and reducing their life chances.
OFSTED's key conclusion?
"The local authority arrangements for supporting school improvement are ineffective."
This Labour controlled Council has had its own very personal approach to education and school improvement over the forty years since it came into existence. Whilst many young people will have excelled during that time it looks as if a sizeable group will not have had the best opportunities that they could have.
The Cabinet's decision in 2006 to move away from a Director of Education from an education background and make a Director of Family Services from a social care background responsible for education, really did not help. According to many in the education sector this resulted in a loss of specialist focus, responsiveness and, in some cases, a different set of priorities. Whilst this decision was steadfastly defended by the Leader it is hard to see how it has helped educational performance and excellence.
It is only recently, and reluctantly, that the council has rowed back from that approach with the appointment of a Corporate Director for Children and Young People in August 2013. That was clearly a step in the right direction but we must now see the improvements across the Local Education Authority and within schools so that more young people can live up to their potential and our communities can thrive and prosper.
How will we know what progress has been made? Well for one thing OFSTED will be back in 9 months or so. Watch this space!
Geoff
To see the detailed conclusions visit the OFSTED web site here
Or to see the pdf file click here.
OFSTED Report - Findings and Areas for improvement..
Summary findings
The proportion of pupils attending schools which are good or better is too low.
Despite some improvements in attainment, particularly in Key Stage 4, the
performance of pupils at Key Stage 1 and 2 remains well below national
averages in reading, writing and mathematics. The gap between local and
national performance is not closing quickly enough.
The gap in achievement between disadvantaged groups and advantaged
pupils remains too great and, in some phases, such as the Early Years
Foundation Stage and Key Stage 2, this gap is increasing.
Despite the relatively high number of school improvement officers in
Wakefield, arrangements to support improvement lack coherence:
partnerships with a range of providers lack effective coordination.
Systems are over-complicated; some partners lack the capacity to meet the
demand for help. This reduces the support and challenge for primary school
leadership, where it is most needed.
There are examples of school-to-school support working effectively; however,
the role of good and better schools in providing challenge as part of a
coordinated strategy is not consistently understood by headteachers and
governors.
The Schools Forum has not assessed the impact of improvement programmes
systematically and cannot demonstrate how much improvement has been
achieved or whether the considerable investment has provided value for
money.
Wakefield and its partners have some clear areas of strength. These include:
reducing the proportion of young people who are not in education,
employment or training increasing the numbers continuing in education beyond the age of 16
the good quality of outcome data which schools receive
the improving level of support and challenge provided for governors.
Areas for improvement
In order to improve schools:
the lack of clarity around commissioning and deploying support should be
addressed
arrangements for evaluation and quality assurance should be clarified so that
the effectiveness of actions can be accurately judged
improving and strengthening primary leadership needs to be a key priority in
planning and resource allocation
the Schools Forum should develop clearer processes for monitoring and
evaluating the impact of funded programmes.
The local authority arrangements for school improvement require reinspection
within nine to 12 months.
The proportion of pupils attending schools which are good or better is too low.
Despite some improvements in attainment, particularly in Key Stage 4, the
performance of pupils at Key Stage 1 and 2 remains well below national
averages in reading, writing and mathematics. The gap between local and
national performance is not closing quickly enough.
The gap in achievement between disadvantaged groups and advantaged
pupils remains too great and, in some phases, such as the Early Years
Foundation Stage and Key Stage 2, this gap is increasing.
Despite the relatively high number of school improvement officers in
Wakefield, arrangements to support improvement lack coherence:
partnerships with a range of providers lack effective coordination.
Systems are over-complicated; some partners lack the capacity to meet the
demand for help. This reduces the support and challenge for primary school
leadership, where it is most needed.
There are examples of school-to-school support working effectively; however,
the role of good and better schools in providing challenge as part of a
coordinated strategy is not consistently understood by headteachers and
governors.
The Schools Forum has not assessed the impact of improvement programmes
systematically and cannot demonstrate how much improvement has been
achieved or whether the considerable investment has provided value for
money.
Wakefield and its partners have some clear areas of strength. These include:
reducing the proportion of young people who are not in education,
employment or training increasing the numbers continuing in education beyond the age of 16
the good quality of outcome data which schools receive
the improving level of support and challenge provided for governors.
Areas for improvement
In order to improve schools:
the lack of clarity around commissioning and deploying support should be
addressed
arrangements for evaluation and quality assurance should be clarified so that
the effectiveness of actions can be accurately judged
improving and strengthening primary leadership needs to be a key priority in
planning and resource allocation
the Schools Forum should develop clearer processes for monitoring and
evaluating the impact of funded programmes.
The local authority arrangements for school improvement require reinspection
within nine to 12 months.
OFSTED verdict on Wakefield Council support for improving Wakefield children's education - CONTEXT
Context
The authority’s schools are organised into a two-tier system of primary and secondary phases. Currently, there are 144 state-funded schools, around a third of which are academies. Of the academies, 11 (eight primary and three secondary) are sponsor-led and 36 are academy convertors, with almost two thirds being in the primary sector.
In 2011, the Wakefield school improvement service was reorganised to deliver cross-phase support and challenge. It includes 10 advisers, including a seconded advisory headteacher, who focus on school improvement, led by a service manager. Three posts are currently unfilled, with these positions covered using interim staff and a seconded lead headteacher. This team implements the authority’s policy for monitoring, challenging and supporting schools and leads the priority improvement programmes and cross-phase partnerships. A further team supports post-16 and early years provision.
All but one of the 18 secondary schools is an academy. Most of the secondary schools and just over a quarter of the primary schools haveconverted to academy status since February 2011.
The Corporate Director for Children and Young People took up his post in August 2013. A complete review of the model for the future delivery of school improvement is under way, with a report and recommendations planned for publication in April 2014.
Monday, 6 January 2014
OFSTED verdict on Council support for improving Wakefield children's education
Letter to the Wakefield Council Corporate Director for Children and Young People
Inspection of local authority arrangements for supporting school improvement under section 136(1) (b) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006
Following the recent inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectors on 18 to 22 November 2013, I am writing on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.
We are grateful to you for your cooperation, and to your staff, the Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People, contracted partners, headteachers and governors who gave up their time to meet with us.
This inspection was carried out because of concerns about the achievement and progress of pupils in primary and secondary schools and the quality of education and training for young people aged 16 to 18 years. In addition, the proportion of schools in Wakefield judged to be good or better at their last Ofsted inspection is well-below national averages and not improving rapidly enough.
The local authority arrangements for supporting school improvement are ineffective.
To see the detailed conclusions visit the OFSTED web site here
Or to see the pdf file click here.
Inspection of local authority arrangements for supporting school improvement under section 136(1) (b) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006
Following the recent inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectors on 18 to 22 November 2013, I am writing on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.
We are grateful to you for your cooperation, and to your staff, the Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People, contracted partners, headteachers and governors who gave up their time to meet with us.
This inspection was carried out because of concerns about the achievement and progress of pupils in primary and secondary schools and the quality of education and training for young people aged 16 to 18 years. In addition, the proportion of schools in Wakefield judged to be good or better at their last Ofsted inspection is well-below national averages and not improving rapidly enough.
The local authority arrangements for supporting school improvement are ineffective.
To see the detailed conclusions visit the OFSTED web site here
Or to see the pdf file click here.
Thursday, 2 January 2014
Key National Messages for the year we face..
There can only be one New Year’s Resolution for Britain: to stick to the long-term plan that is turning our country around. Specifically, our economic plan builds a stronger, more competitive economy and secures a better future for Britain by:
1. Reducing the deficit so we deal with our debts, safeguard our economy for the long term and keep mortgage rates low.
2. Cutting income taxes and freezing fuel duty to help hardworking people be more financially secure.
3. Creating more jobs by backing small business and enterprise with better infrastructure and lower jobs taxes.
4. Capping welfare and reducing immigration so our economy delivers for people who want to work hard and play by the rules.
5. Delivering the best schools and skills for young people so the next generation can succeed in the global race.
Wednesday, 1 January 2014
David Cameron's Happy New Year Message
This New Year, there can be only one resolution for Britain: to carry on working through the long-term plan to secure our country's future.
Our plan is working, but we need to re-double our efforts to secure a better future for everyone. Click here to watch my New Year's message on Facebook.
Thank you for everything you've done to support our plan in the past year. Every campaign you've joined, every pound you've donated, every conversation you've had with your friends and family about what we're doing - they've all made a huge difference.
And your support will be even more vital in 2014, as we look to carry on building a strong economy and securing a better future for our country and our children.
In the meantime, I'd like to wish you and your family a very happy New Year.
Best wishes,
David Cameron
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Promoted by Alan Mabbutt on behalf of the Conservative Party, both at 30 Millbank, London, SW1P 4DP
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