Should schools be restructured?

Posted on February 5, 2006

A consultation on the structure of Bedfordshire County Council schools began on Monday [30-Jan].

The consultation excercise will ask whether moving to a different structure of schools could improve academic performance, or whether improvements should be made to the current three-tier structure of lower, middle and upper schools.

The county council is concerned that while standard of achievment by pupils in Bedfordshire is good between ages three to five, they are not as good as they should be as a pupil progresses through school.

Last August, the county council was reviewing its system with a view to bringing the county in line with other local authorities.

Councillor Peter Hollick is the cabinet member responsible for education at the county council.

He said: "It is important that everyone involved or connected to education in the county contributes to this debate.

"We do not have a preferred structure for Bedfordshire schools but doing nothing is not an option.

"If we keep the existing system we must be clear about the work that will be done to improve standards."

Public meetings will take place across the county in March and workshops have been organised for headteachers, governors and school staff and pupils will be consulted at their schools.

Peter Hollick added: "Whatever the final recommendation is, it will have one aim, to improve standards so that young people in Bedfordshire can fulfil their potential."

The county council will meet in July to decide on the best structure for Bedfordshire schools.

For more information about the consultation log onto www.fours.co.uk/bedfordshire

Source: Luton/Dunstable on Sunday, 5 February 2006