Are you in or have children in Abbeyfield, Northampton Academy, Northampton International Academy, Northampton School for Girls, Duston School and Thomas Becket Catholic School

At the Northamptonshire County Council Cabinet meeting on 9^th April 2019 a decision is being taken to spend nearly £2 million on additional school places.

An additional 30 places will be in each of Abbeyfield, Lings Academy, Duston School and Thomas of Becket. There will be an additional 20 places in Northampton School for Girls and an additional 60 places will be hosted in Northampton International Academy.

The Council accepts that creating more school places in this way is not good value for money and will not create the best environment for all the places. Northampton International School will go from being a ten form entry (ten classes 28-30 of new students coming into the school every year) to an eyewatering 12 form entry school.

Of course, the need for additional places in Northampton has been predicted for over five years. It is generally accepted that the town requires an additional two secondary schools. However, because the decisions were not taken at the right time in the last few years, the Council is having to take this expensive and poor solution. This is all the more critical since the council has only just got it’s finances under control after effectively declaring itself bankrupt twice last year.

So who’s fault is it? What Education portfolio holder failed to ensure the very basic issue of enough school places in Northampton was addressed an action which is a statutory requirement for the Council?

Would it be a surprise to find out the Councillor who failed to act to ensure that there were enough places for every child to be educated in the town is the Councillor who is now leading the Council.

As Councillors are no longer allowed to speak in Cabinet meeting unless appointed by their group, I submitted a question about the failure to consult over the Equality Impact Assessment that is meant to inform the decision. You can find the question and response (which doesn’t seem to address the question) here.

It seems incredible that such a serious decision affecting so many schools all of which are independent of the council can be taken without any consultation on the impact of equality. Over the last few years there has been the promotion of the myth that the paucity of school places is as a result of immigration. This is a clear illustration that the paucity of school places is as a result of poor management of public services and poor policy making.

Care at Night Night, Pay us Right

Austerity means difficult decisions and tough choices. With local authorities having faced massive cuts from government, many of these tough choices are being passed on to community and voluntary sector organisations who have had contracts with local councils. In general, these contracts provide essential services to some of the most vulnerable in our communities.

Care support workers employed by the Alternative Futures Group (AFG) in the north west of England face the same experience in different conditions. UNISON members have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action in a ballot over the employer’s decision to cut back on sleep-in top-up payments. However, whilst enforcing these wage cuts AFG has has made wage cut despite no cuts in the resourcing that they get from those that purchase their service.

With many workers set of lose thousands in their pay over their employers decisions to not pay the national minimum wage for sleep-ins, UNISON members have shown their strength of feeling by voting 87% in favour of striking, in a turnout that met the threshold for lawful industrial action to take place. 

You can read more about the dispute here. 

You can donate to the campaign here.

You can send a message of support by tweeting @AfgPay

UNISON Members need a leadership 

• That will put our members’ interest at the top of the UNISON agenda

• That will use the full force of UNISON resources to stand up for our members and

     services against cuts, privatisation and attacks on our NHS

• That will leave no branch to fight alone

If you are a UNISON member, find out more about voting for a union leadership that support you click here.

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