Secondary School Improvements Supported

10.52.26am GMT Thu 30th Oct 2003

Councillor Serge Lourie, Group Leader on Richmond upon Thames Borough Council

Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader, Serge Lourie has welcomed the recently submitted bid to the Department for Education for a massive investment in its secondary schools through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

Whilst the proposal has been developed by the Conservative administration, it has the full support of the Liberal Democrat Group on the Council as well as the two Liberal Democrat MPs, Vincent Cable and Jenny Tonge.

The project is also backed by Susan Kramer, the prospective Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Richmond Park, and Dee Doocey, the Greater London Assembly prospective candidate.

Speaking after he had signed the bid document, Serge Lourie said "This proposal is similar to the one developed by the Liberal Democrats when Teddington Councillor Stephen Knight was Executive Member with responsibility for education. The Liberal Democrat administration pioneered two successful PFI schemes including the one for primary schools that has just come on stream with several new and improved class rooms and two new schools."

"£85m will be pumped into the secondary sector. Secondary schools require £22 million of necessary repair work. This is a large part of the co called black hole of £50m discovered by the Tories."

"Whilst the original unsuccessful proposal put forward by the Tories envisaged a small sixth form in every secondary school, the present scheme is a collaboration that has the full support of the Tertiary and Adult colleges through a "14-19 Community Learning Federation". Post 16 education will continue to be supplied largely by the Tertiary College."

"The proposal will improve educational standards. It will raise attainment of pupils with special educational needs through investment at Strathmore School, Richmond House, Clarendon School and at the unit at Oldfield as well as providing a dedicated unit for pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. There will also be development at two schools as locations for "multi agency support for vulnerable children". In addition, a Learning Support Unit will be provided in every school to improve social inclusion. There will be enhanced day care for under fives, breakfast and homework clubs and internet cafés."

"All in all, officers of the Council have come up with a proposal that will revolutionise secondary education in Richmond upon Thames. All premises will comply with the Disability Discrimination Act and there will be enhanced training facilities for teachers and other staff. We are strongly supporting the proposal."

ENDS

Note for editors.

All eight secondary and two special schools are involved. There will be 210 more secondary places, including those in a new Catholic secondary school that will enable a lot of children educated in Catholic Primary schools to continue their education in the borough. There will also be new classes in two of the existing schools.

The proposal is innovative in that it will also improve radically Information and Communications Technology within the schools and will make it possible for the secondary sector in the borough to match the rankings of the primary schools which are the best in the country.

16+ education will be largely provided by the College although some classes may be given in the secondary schools. There will be improvements in libraries and sports facilities through partnerships.