Cuts to school support put GCSE progress at risk (Twickenham & Richmond Liberal Democrats)

Cuts to school support put GCSE progress at risk

September 4, 2010 12:11 PM

homer • [Sep 03]: RICHMOND Council's Conservative Cabinet is set to cut vital training and support for the borough's schools teachers aimed at helping them to improve teaching standards in English and maths. This support has helped boost the borough's secondary school performance from 56 % achieving 5+ A*-C grades when the Lib Dems took control four years ago to the 79 % achieving this level this summer.

The cuts also hit support and guidance for teachers in improving behaviour and attendance and in primary schools, training and support for teachers in how to improve the teaching of literacy and numeracy.

Cllr Malcolm Eady, Liberal Democrat education spokesperson, said: "These cuts put at risk the great advances that have been made over recent years in secondary school performance. Support for schools and exam performance are linked. The Liberal Democrats put an extra £1 million into working with schools to improve teaching standards during the last four years. The percentage of students achieving 5 A*-C GCSE results during this time increased from 56 % in 2006 to 79 % this summer. By contrast, during the previous period under the Tories, results only increased from 51 % to 56 % achieving 5+ A*-C.

"The Conservative's approach is that if Government cuts a grant, then they will automatically cut the service to which that grant related. Overall, the council's budget is still in surplus and there is money available to protect services. If supporting our schools was actually a Conservative priority, then money would be made available to counter these Government cuts; obviously it is not."

Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats: