Sadly too late for Barrow but it looks like Labour is having to trim
it's Academy ambitions which will not go down
well with the construction companies and their shareholders. However
market forces and Gordon's multiple 'bail outs' of banks and other
industries has left Britain almost bankrupt. This should of course be
enough to rid our country of this mad government not that I have much
faith in it's likely successor but at least a new broom will sweep
clean for a year or two and some different thinking is long overdue.
This ailing government is signalling to it's beloved evangelical,
religious, business and educationalist sponsor groups that there is
going to have to be a 'better value' reduction in the money it is able
to splash on 21st century new builds.
Here's some articles which highlight what is likely to happen
BBC News
Telegraph
The Press Association
Personally I think this squeeze on the finances and the change of government will impact on all the Academies that come into being this September including Furness Academy Limited. None of these Academies new builds are anything more than a 'commitment' at present and so it is very easy to 'modify' their visions to allow for 'better value'. Incidentally this tag 'better value' speaks volumes as it is now clear what a lot of people have been arguing all along expensive new builds are TOO expensive and waste taxpayers money.
Here in Barrow, as in Carlisle and Egremeont, it has been argued quite that much smaller sums spent on the existing school system would have been better for all concerned including the public purse. Lets not forget that out of £31,000,000 being spent on Richard Rose in Carlisle £27,000,000 is being spent on a new building!
That leaves less than £4,000,000 being spent on the school infrastructure as they are facing huge Portacabin rental costs and buses for another 24 months.
Indeed had the £31,000,000 been spread across Carlisle's secondary schools they would all have seen massive increases in results as they money would have been spent where it is needed most.
But of course Moira, the council, the DCSF and Messrs Tinkler and Scowcroft wouldn't have had a 'landmark' building to show for their efforts.
There is a distinct possibility that the two site Furness Academy Limited will have it's 'better value' calculation done which could result in a single 1200 seat school on Parkview as it would be more 'cost effective in the current fiscal climate'. This remains Moira's preferred option and if she can find a way to make it reality she will believe you me. It's very hard to argue against such a cost based decision and the 'main man' who forced the change to a two site Academy leaves his political career behind in May next year and his 'influence' goes with him.
Such a decision would be a 'win win' for Moira as she would be able to co-locate the primary Academy she is planning alongside the secondary Academy and she would then have the huge Thorncliffe site available for sale to a 'preferred bidder' developer. The sale of the Thorncliffe site would cover any payout this council has to make to it's female employees due because of years of 'underpaying' them so is a very neat solution.
Of course there is all the land freed up by the other three Cumbrian Academy new builds as well and if the gods are smiling on Moira and her council they can get these sold off just as the market in land is rising again. The sums of money involved are colossal. The government is using Academies as a way of putting hard cash into the existing council pockets by the back door without giving the councils any of the rises in grant/business rates they are asking for which of course they cannot do as Britain is in a recession and it isn't politically acceptable to be openly increasing public spending.
The bigger picture of what is done in our country by those in political power and those in financial power, they are NOT the same people, shows the whole system is racked with dubious 'goings on' and 'vested interest'. Those in power, both sorts, divide and conquer by keeping everything 'local'.
By now everyone will have seen the plan for a 200 mph rail link between London and Glasgow which goes through Cumbria. It has no stops in Cumbria but the Evening Mail says its going to be the making of Cumbria whilst the Carlisle paper the News and Star says it will not benefit Cumbria because the link only passes through the county!
In a microcosm this is how the story is spun to confuse the population. This confusion is rife across the land. Despite the wonderful internet rendering such spin pointless most folk in the UK prefer 'not to notice' which means that the powers that be get to get away with what they do.
It's going to be an interesting 12 months which is looking like it's going to be a roller coaster ride. I sincerely hope that the Academy pupils are not affected adversely by the machinations of professionals, governments. politicians and evangelicals as they all vie for power. Barrovians as a breed are apathetic but usually resilient an admirable quality which manifests itself in the youth of the town more than the adults, I'm glad to say.
Here's some articles which highlight what is likely to happen
BBC News
Telegraph
The Press Association
Personally I think this squeeze on the finances and the change of government will impact on all the Academies that come into being this September including Furness Academy Limited. None of these Academies new builds are anything more than a 'commitment' at present and so it is very easy to 'modify' their visions to allow for 'better value'. Incidentally this tag 'better value' speaks volumes as it is now clear what a lot of people have been arguing all along expensive new builds are TOO expensive and waste taxpayers money.
Here in Barrow, as in Carlisle and Egremeont, it has been argued quite that much smaller sums spent on the existing school system would have been better for all concerned including the public purse. Lets not forget that out of £31,000,000 being spent on Richard Rose in Carlisle £27,000,000 is being spent on a new building!
That leaves less than £4,000,000 being spent on the school infrastructure as they are facing huge Portacabin rental costs and buses for another 24 months.
Indeed had the £31,000,000 been spread across Carlisle's secondary schools they would all have seen massive increases in results as they money would have been spent where it is needed most.
But of course Moira, the council, the DCSF and Messrs Tinkler and Scowcroft wouldn't have had a 'landmark' building to show for their efforts.
There is a distinct possibility that the two site Furness Academy Limited will have it's 'better value' calculation done which could result in a single 1200 seat school on Parkview as it would be more 'cost effective in the current fiscal climate'. This remains Moira's preferred option and if she can find a way to make it reality she will believe you me. It's very hard to argue against such a cost based decision and the 'main man' who forced the change to a two site Academy leaves his political career behind in May next year and his 'influence' goes with him.
Such a decision would be a 'win win' for Moira as she would be able to co-locate the primary Academy she is planning alongside the secondary Academy and she would then have the huge Thorncliffe site available for sale to a 'preferred bidder' developer. The sale of the Thorncliffe site would cover any payout this council has to make to it's female employees due because of years of 'underpaying' them so is a very neat solution.
Of course there is all the land freed up by the other three Cumbrian Academy new builds as well and if the gods are smiling on Moira and her council they can get these sold off just as the market in land is rising again. The sums of money involved are colossal. The government is using Academies as a way of putting hard cash into the existing council pockets by the back door without giving the councils any of the rises in grant/business rates they are asking for which of course they cannot do as Britain is in a recession and it isn't politically acceptable to be openly increasing public spending.
The bigger picture of what is done in our country by those in political power and those in financial power, they are NOT the same people, shows the whole system is racked with dubious 'goings on' and 'vested interest'. Those in power, both sorts, divide and conquer by keeping everything 'local'.
By now everyone will have seen the plan for a 200 mph rail link between London and Glasgow which goes through Cumbria. It has no stops in Cumbria but the Evening Mail says its going to be the making of Cumbria whilst the Carlisle paper the News and Star says it will not benefit Cumbria because the link only passes through the county!
In a microcosm this is how the story is spun to confuse the population. This confusion is rife across the land. Despite the wonderful internet rendering such spin pointless most folk in the UK prefer 'not to notice' which means that the powers that be get to get away with what they do.
It's going to be an interesting 12 months which is looking like it's going to be a roller coaster ride. I sincerely hope that the Academy pupils are not affected adversely by the machinations of professionals, governments. politicians and evangelicals as they all vie for power. Barrovians as a breed are apathetic but usually resilient an admirable quality which manifests itself in the youth of the town more than the adults, I'm glad to say.
Yes - Furness Academy could remain an amalgamation of three schools on two sites with no/insufficient new buildings.
But it's rebranding has served its purpose as another academy towards the Blair/Brown target. It has also let Cumbria CC and Co off the hook for failing to invest in education in Barrow for years. Nice,as well, for the sponsors to get a captive audience to fill their places and to make money from providing diploma courses.
It has also relaunched Doug's career when it was dead in the water and enabled Trinity to get rid of him without too much fuss.
And where did the pupils come in all these priorities ??
WE WANT TONY TO BE PRINCIPAL OF FURNESS ACADEMY AND THEN OUR KIDS MAY GET A FAIR CRACK OF THE WHIP AND A WORLD CLASS EDUCATION REGARDLESS TO ANY NEW STATE OF THE ART BUILDINGS THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. BARROW YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN NOTICE TO ALL THE ANTI ACADEMY CAMPAIGNERS - THEY WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG.