So pleased to have come across the new National Education Union video here. Take a look.

Does your child go to school in Northampton North?

Past Labour Governments have not always delivered the best for local schools. There are real difficulties about the relationships between local council which still have the responsibility of providing enough school places and local academy schools working independently of each other. Many of our schools in Northampton are saddled with Private Finance Initiative arrangements which mean any changes required in the school as a result of changes in the curriculum of student needs have tear-jerkingly extortionate costs.

The private organisations that have been established as academy sponsors are increasingly finding the business of educating our children a not so profitable business. This is clear from the collapse of The Education Fellowship Trust (TEFT) academy chain which ran seven schools in Northamptonshire, including Thorplands and Blackthorn primary schools in Northampton was recently reported.

The David Ross Education Trust (DRET), which runs several Northampton primary schools and Malcolm Arnold Academy has stated that it intends to make staffing cuts worth £1million while increasing the charges it makes to its schools for administration services. It beggars belief that in this environment there has been a recent job advert issued by DRET for the post of ‘Director of Communications and Public Affairs’ (i.e. a spin doctor) at an annual salary of £70,000-90,000.

Both TEFT and DRET were among a number of local academy chains issued with ‘pre-warning’ letters by the Department for Education for unacceptably poor performance.

Essentially the education of our children is not a business opportunity for profiteers; it is a service the community provides to the young. It should not be source of profit, inflated salaries, tax write-downs and self-aggrandisement;

The academisation of schools and the creation of so-called free schools has undermined working conditions for teachers and support staff and contributed to a crisis in the sector, damaging our children’s education. With many in education stating that the system is at crisis point with the number of teachers leaving the profession. Schools should be fully-funded and accountable to the local parents through democratic processes.

If I am elected as an MP for Northampton North, I'll be fighting for your childrens local schools and to make sure your children have the opportunity to achieve their dreams.

Find out more about cuts to local schools in Northampton North. 

Figures obtained from the www.schoolcuts.org.uk. 

Look up your or your children’s school and check it out yourself. All you need is your postcode

All Saints CofE VA Primary School

-£38.5K Total loss by 2020                             -£101 Per-pupil loss                                        -1 Teachers lost

Blackthorn Primary School

-£166.1K Total loss by 2020                          -£462 Per-pupil loss                                        -3 Teachers lost

Boothville Primary School

-£86.9K Total loss by 2020                             -£146 Per-pupil loss                                        -2 Teachers lost

Cedar Road Primary School

-£24.9K Total loss by 2020                             -£59 Per-pupil loss                                           -1 Teacher lost

Green Oaks Primary Academy

-£44.3K Total loss by 2020                             -£208 Per-pupil loss                                        -1 Teacher lost

Headlands Primary School

-£51.1K Total loss by 2020                             -£121 Per-pupil loss                                        -1 Teacher lost

Kingsthorpe College

-£200.0K Total loss by 2020                          -£183 Per-pupil loss                                        -4 Teachers lost

Kingsthorpe Grove Primary School

-£116.0K Total loss by 2020                          -£264 Per-pupil loss                                        -2 Teacher lost

Kingsthorpe Village Primary School

-£6.2K Total loss by 2020                               -£26 Per-pupil loss

Lings Primary School

-£166.9K Total loss by 2020                          -£620 Per-pupil loss                                        -3 Teachers lost

Lumbertubs Primary School

-£85.9K Total loss by 2020                             -£425 Per-pupil loss                                        -2 Teachers lost

Malcolm Arnold Academy

-£453.3K Total loss by 2020                          -£389 Per-pupil loss                                        -8 Teachers lost

Northampton Academy

-£524.2K Total loss by 2020                          -£446 Per-pupil loss                                        -11 Teachers lost

Northampton School for Girls

-£557.3K Total loss by 2020                          -£398 Per-pupil loss                                        -11 Teachers lost

Rectory Farm Primary School

-£2.0K Total loss by 2020                               -£9 Per-pupil loss

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School

-£21.3K Total loss by 2020                             -£57 Per-pupil loss

Stimpson Avenue Academy

-£65.1K Total loss by 2020                             -£156 Per-pupil loss                                        -1 Teacher lost

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Sunnyside Primary Academy

-£25.6K Total loss by 2020                             -£89 Per-pupil loss                                           -1 Teacher lost

The Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School

-£59.5K Total loss by 2020                             -£162 Per-pupil loss                                        -1 Teacher lost

Thomas Becket Catholic School

-£13.8K Total loss by 2020                             -£25 Per-pupil loss

Thorplands Primary School

-£87.7K Total loss by 2020                             -£425 Per-pupil loss                                        -2 Teachers lost

Weston Favell CofE Primary School

-£49.7K Total loss by 2020                             -£117 Per-pupil loss                                        -1 Teacher lost

Teachers lost

Woodvale Primary Academy

-£145.7K Total loss by 2020                          -£350 Per-pupil loss                                        -3 Teachers lost