Education

Pupils across Stoke-on-Trent are celebrating after schools reported record-breaking GCSE results. The provisional figures show the number of children this year achieving 5 or more grade A* to C’s across the city, including English and Maths, is now 47.9 per cent, an increase of 8.5 per cent over last year. A total of 76 per cent of students passed 5 or more exams, without English and Maths, an increase of 8.1 per cent on 2009.

The Building Schools for the Future [BSF]controversy has rumbled on and on in Stoke-on-Trent for some 6 years. It should have been a good, good news story, a win win for every family in the 6 Towns. But from the moment that the then Elected Mayor and Serco decided to stand in front of secondary pupils, their parents, their teachers and their headteachers and tell them what they were getting instead of asking them what they want, it all went belly-up! The Elected Mayors Board and Serco described

Today Youngsters from across the City came to Longton High City Learning Centre to pitch their ideas to Local Entrepreneurs in the hope of securing funding to take their ideas further. The Students who attend a range of high schools from all over Stoke-on-Trent have all been attending workshops run by the Altogether Company. Pitsnpots ran a story on The Altogether Company Last week and today saw the youngsters reach an important milestone in their project to develop their own small business.

Stoke-on-Trent Central MP Tristram Hunt [Lab] is for the debate over Academy type schools to move from their governance to what is actually taught in them. In a letter to the Guardian Newspaper, Tristram highlights his concerns over the teaching of Science in academies being significantly lower than in council controlled schools. Stoke-on-Trent escaped the government cuts in the BSF programme and as a result 5 academy type schools will be built across the city.

Central government has officially confirmed the end of intervention for children and young people’s services in Stoke-on-Trent. In a letter to the leader of the city council, Councillor Mohammed Pervez, under secretary of state for children and families, Tim Loughton MP, says: [quote]“There is clear commitment to and motivation for continual improvement in Stoke at officer level and I was also pleased to hear of the political support for the children’s services improvement agenda.”

Westfield Children’s Centre and Nursery School in Longton has transformed their existing outdoor play facilities into a new natural play area. The play space, designed and built by local environmental and regeneration charity Groundwork Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire is made of all naturally occurring materials and includes features such as play hills, tunnels, dens as well as state-of-the-art sensory equipment.

Newly-elected Stoke-on-Trent MP Tristram Hunt explains why continued government investment in education and skills is so vital for 'cities in transition' [quote]Struggling cities‚ challenging cities‚ cities in transition‚ these are today's buzz words for the public policy of managing change in industrial cities.

The Secretary Of State for Education Michael Gove MP this afternoon announced sweeping cuts to the BSF program. In his statement to the house this evening Michael Gove confirmed what was widely expected, that any projects which are not at 'Financial Close' are suspended until after a review of the BSF program has been undertaken. Financial Close is the point where building has started or is due to start imminently.