Local Tory councillors failed in their attempt to stop the council decision to invest £6 m in 3 of Cleckheaton’s schools. A public investigation of the decision on Tuesday ruled that the decision was done fairly and properly. The Tory challenge to the decision put the investment in jeopardy as the Government funding has to be […]

Many of our local schools are closed again today because of the very icy conditions and the forecast of the likelihood of more snow during the day. The list is on the Kirklees Council website: http://www2.kirklees.gov.uk/community/education-learning/schoolclosure/closurelist.aspx

The action of Conservative Councillors in Gomersal and Birkenshaw has caused yet another delay to the schools decisions  in Cleckheaton. On November 9th, the Council’s Cabinet made the decision to create primary schools in Cleckheaton, Scholes and Gomersal. The Council has £6 million this financial year to make those changes. The Cabinet decided that the the schools in […]

Kirklees Council met on November 9th and decided that middle schools in the Cleckheaton and Gomersal areas will be phased out. Children will go to primary schools and at age 11 got to Whitcliffe Mount High School. The Council has decided to invest £6 million to make new primary schools in Cleckheaton. There will be […]

I have a copy of the letter from the Department of Education about the Birkenshaw “free” school. This is what it says about consultation: “Proposers are required, by law, to consult with the appropriate persons before a new school can be set up. We fully expect local authorities to be an integral part of the consultation […]

The Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, has said that any plans for a so-called free school in Birkenshaw must have fewer than 800 pupils. Birkenshaw parents have been told that their plans for a school on the site can go to the next stage of planning but it MUST be smaller than the one they […]

Next Tuesday November 9th there is a meeting of the Kirklees Council Cabinet in Huddersfield Town Hall. On the agenda is a report recommending that the proposed re-organisation of schools in the Cleckheaton area to create primary schools and 11 – 16 secondary school should go ahead. Council officers are proposing that £6 million altogether be […]

Every head teacher of a school in the Whitcliffe Mount pyramid has signed a letter to the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove to express their grave concerns at the prospect of a “free” school at Birkenshaw. The letter says: “A free school in Birkenshaw may satisfy a tiny minority of parents but is […]

The Lib Dems debated the Conservative policy of so-called free schools and academies at their national conference in September. Over 1,000 Lib Dems attended the well-argued debate. I was able to make a speech. I described the grave concerns that local residents had with the proposal for a so-called Free school in Birkenshaw. The proposal was already proving divisive; the application […]

Whitcliffe Mount opened as a school on 15 September 1910. Exactly 100 years later the school closed its year of celebrations with a special centenary presentation event attended by students from every form, all the staff, governors, Old Whitcliffians, Rotary, and local residents. Rotary in Cleckheaton have a close relationship with the school. Their president […]