War over future of Gilesgate and Belmont schools

Nov 24 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

CONTROVERSIAL plans to close two schools and open an academy are continuing to cause a political war of words.

Now an MP who has publicly supported the scheme wants to find out what parents and pupils think about it.

Durham’s Labour MP Roberta Blackman-Woods has been an outspoken advocate for the closure of Gilesgate and Belmont schools in the city and the formation of a new Durham University-sponsored academy, despite widespread local opposition to the scheme.

The issue of sponsored academies in County Durham has been contentious ever since outgoing education director Keith Mitchell accused the Government in 2006 of “the most blatant political and financial blackmail” in pushing the authority into building three privately sponsored schools, in Durham, Consett and Stanley.

He claimed the Government had threatened to withdraw £400m to build new schools across the county unless the county council submitted plans for three city academies.

While the council strenuously denied it was held to ransom by the Government, the three academies were already being planned. Dr Blackman-Woods announced that she wanted to find out what local people thought about the proposal for an academy in her own constituency, and launched her own survey.

But Coun Carol Woods, Liberal Democrat councillor for Durham City, accused the county council and the local MP of ignoring the wishes of governors, parents and pupils in Belmont and Gilesgate.

She said: “A year ago the county council met overwhelming opposition when it consulted with parents, teachers, governors and pupils in both schools on plans to replace them with an academy.

“At a meeting I attended in Belmont, 200 people were unanimously against replacing Belmont School Community Art College with an academy.

“The council cannot justify continuing with the closures in the face of such clear opposition. Why ask the view of those affected if you plan to ignore what they say?”

But Dr Blackman-Woods accused Coun Woods of “spinning this development as ‘school closures’ rather than the investment to bring about better results that it is, purely to promote her own political ambitions.”

She said: “She is left alone leading a rump of disaffected protesters, isolated in her party and her community and utterly wrong on the best approach to improve education opportunities in Durham.

“I consider that the academy is a way of allowing our children to fulfil their true potential. I want to know if residents agree and to find out what people think. Therefore, I would be really grateful if residents would fill in the survey, informing me of their views on education and the academy plans.”