Oops I Did It Again...

Schools Secretary Ed Balls has apologised for the 'bumpy start' at Carlisle's Richard Rose Central Academy.
Whoopy doo!
It's still failing so what good his admission that he and his department got it wrong?

Mr Balls also pledged - during a trip to Cumbria - to visit the city academy to see for himself the efforts being made to turn around the failing school.
Earlier this year the Harraby-based school became only the second academy in the country to fail an inspection by education watchdog Ofsted and be plunged into special measures.
Inspectors are set to carry out their second check-up on the school after half term. It is part of the close monitoring dictated by special measures.

Mike Gibbons and Russ Wallace were drafted in to replace the former chief executive and head in February when the damning Ofsted inspection report was first published.
Mr Balls said: "The indication is that things are really improving and the new leadership we brought in is making a big difference.
From villain to hero in one short sentence. Wonder if this line was dreamt up by Mr Woodcock he who is replacing Mr Hutton?

"We got set for 200 academies this September and of course it is going to be the case where one doesn't really work and things would happen, some mistakes would be made.
My god. What sort of statement is this?
One which shows how really out of tune with reality this man is. 'I'm sorry Carlisle. It had to go wrong in one town. Pity it was Carlisle but there you go!'

"[In Carlisle] parents were concerned and leadership was poor. We changed the leadership and the sponsors knew that change had to happen. All indications are that things are on the right track now, there are big improvements.
"I'm really sorry that it was a bit of a bumpy ride at the start but now I hope that we're set for the future. We will give it all our backing as we will for any school."

Mr Balls acknowledged that Cumbria's overall GCSE pass rate continues to improve, adding there was evidence that the rate of improvement is faster in some academies. He also said radical changes - such as its flagship academy programme - are sometimes needed to help tackle a history of underachievement in some parts.
None of these Academies are Cumbrian and nor is he able to actually name them which says an awful lot about Eduardo doesn't it?

He added: "I would love to come and visit and I will make that we come and see what is going on at the Richard Rose academy."
Bet he doesn't though.

The Schools Secretary has also called on Cumbria County Council to submit its detailed plans on how it would spend up to £100 million revamping west Cumbrian secondary schools.
Good grief thats £200 million the government is blowing on Cumbria. Kier gets the lions share of the academy programme and I wouldn't bet against them getting the lions share of of the other £100 million be spread around the remaining LA run secondary schools. Back door bailouts in all but name.

A new school for Workington is one possibility and Netherhall School in Maryport could be transformed with a £23 million investment too. The local authority is expected to hold a consultation on the initial possibilities next year.
Why bother. They already know the answers just as they did in Carlisle, Egremont and Barrow.

The cash is earmarked under the Building Schools for the Future programme for improving secondary schools across the country. But there are fears the future of the scheme could be threatened by public spending cuts and the need to tackle the country's national debt.
Mr Balls said: "We want every school to get a good refurbishment and I know the local authority will submit its detailed bid early in the new year.

"We're talking about tens of millions of pounds that could make a huge difference to the schools around here and so it helps to get this right. BSF would be a massive investment here. Tony Cunningham [Workington MP] has been pressing me for a while but the local authority must take the lead so schools here get the buildings they need."
The truth is UNLESS Moira got a few Academies into reality there wouldn't be any BSF money for Cumbria. She has picked on Cumbria's 3 large urban areas as they have the most compliant populations.
Country folk fight to protect what they have the majority of townies hold their hands up and say 'it's not my responsibility as long as it doesn't affect ME get on with it' and so she gets away with the wholesale destruction of Cumbrian secondary education just to get BSF money.

But he warned that the Government was entering a 'difficult' period when it comes to public funding yet re-emphasised his drive to push through further waves of the national secondary school improvement programme.
A 'difficult' period is a euphemism for 'the cash ain't there chaps, sorry'.

It's obvious to all, except this government, that things are tough financially for this country courtesy of some disastrous sound bite politicking to try and ride the storm of recession. No-one really knows how bad it is but it's fair to say the country is cash strapped. Even Balls gargantuan DCSF is having to make £2 billion in savings and that's only the figure in the public domain. What the figure in reality is is anyone's guess.