Making clear the situation regarding schools changes once again

I was concerned to see the article in last week's Beds on Sunday which suggested that a change to a two-tier schools system across the Borough is being pushed forward by the Council. It is not. When the Building Schools for the Future money was cut, that signalled the end for the Council's previously agreed reorganisation as it was dependent on that funding. I have made very clear since that there are just two exceptions to this: the changes in the case of Woodside Middle School due to the school being placed in special measures; and the new Bedford Academy and its feeder schools, as the Academy wishes to become an 11-19 secondary school and will receive the funds required for this change from government. It is absolutely vital that parents, students, teachers and schools have certainty on the way forward, so I will continue to state as plainly as possible that this is the situation.

A Conservative Mayoral Hopeful was quoted in the story stirring up the idea that there is 'confusion and chaos.' However, with the situation not having changed since clear decisions were made in the wake of the loss of the BSF funding two months ago, I hope this is simply a case of the Conservatives not keeping up with important news and not a deliberate attempt to unsettle parents and school communities for political purposes.

See today's Beds on Sunday for a letter I have sent clarifying the situation again following last week's story.