Sandwell School Results Confusion

I see the National school tables have been released showing individual School and Borough ranking positions across England.

The measurement is simple, the more students with A to C grades you get the further up the table your school and Borough go.

Somehow confusion seems to reign, granted GCSE results have moved up a few places and we congratulate them for that improvement, as a raft of new Coalition policies come filtering through.

But we must not lose sight of the whole picture, at “A” level the borough has slipped down the table and we just can’t allow slippage, both cohorts must show continual improvement.

Sadly it’s “A” level results the Universities use to see if students can gain access to higher education and its Math’s, English and a Science subject at L1 – L2 or L3  they need to compete against other students from other Authorities for jobs and uni places.  

Below is a table showing Sandwell’s comparative position in the Tables including Maths & Eng  

GCSE Tables for England 2011 inc Eng & Maths
Ranking	Council Authority
1	Top
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75	Average
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138	Sandwell                                 2011
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147	Sandwell                                 2010
148
149
150
151	Lowest Ranking

Sandwell has moved up a few places for GCSE’s but sadly is still in the bottom half of the national league tables 

“A” level Tables for England 2011
Ranking	Council Authority
1	Top
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75	Average
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145	Sandwell                             2010
146	Sandwell                             2011
147
148
149
150
151	Lowest Ranking

 

It was also quoted in the local press that these results were “Fantastic” that’s one adjective I would not use! as worse still Sandwell is still stubbornly down the bottom of the tables and these results can affect a person’s whole life

Sandwell Tory said ,

Another year goes by with Sandwell schools in the bottom quartile. The quicker we get Free schools and Academies with the changed curriculum the better.

Dudley is ranked 49 out of 151 Authorities for A levels

Wolverhampton is now ranked 77 nationally out of 151 Authorities

Source

http://www.expressandstar.com/education/2012/01/26/mixed-results-in-midlands-school-league-tables/

http://www.education.gov.uk/a00202531/secperftables12

On a lighter note our congratulations go to

Wood Green High School & Sandwell Academy

 

Sandwell’s Housing

I read in the morning national press that a new push is to be made on housing, some of you may know this has been in Sandwell's local press for the last few years, as Sandwell bulldozed block after block of 9 story homes, which are now coming back into fashion.


The simple problem is lack of homes, both council and affordable private.

But some other boroughs have taken a very brave approach to housing, which seems to be paying off.

They have involved the HCA, residents and developers in their plans which involves parks and open spaces mixed in with retail developments, at the same time another borough as now refused to demolish any older properties deciding instead to refurbish, bringing the housing stock up to very high environmental standards and I wish these authorities every success. 

But back to Sandwell, some of its previous housing plans go back over 10 years

Take a look and see if you notice anything ?

We start with Claypit Lane and what was Wattle Road the Claypit lane homes were built in the 1930’s, consisting of 2 & 3 bedroom semi detached homes the rest of them still stand on the opposite side of the road.

Wattle Road was built in the late 1950’s and finished in the early 1960’s again 3 & 4 bedroom homes

Then we move to the top of Claypit Lane a number of maisonettes all built in the late 1960’s to replace old terraced homes  

Next we move to Hill Top

Flats located in New Street

Followed by a 9 story block of flats in Dial Lane with a small block of maisonettes alongside

Then to Hateley Heath row after row of maisonettes

Sadly all gone

More photo's to come soon  

Council Earners

A very strange item popped up in the press this week, concerning the council wage bill according to data released by the Tax payer alliance

  

Council Staff Paid more than £50,000
	2009/10	2010/11
Sandwell	£6,767,500	£11.462,500

Sandwell Tory said

What can you say ?

Humiliated

Hello I’m back after a wonderful holiday, but have things changed while I’ve been away?

I see the French have now lost their AAA credit rating and French internal borrowing rates will shortly be going up and it follows the costs to your average French family to purchase cars, fridges or homes will also go up.

Listening to the media however tells another tune, the French have hardly made any cuts in public spending, continuing their “ Let’s spend other people’s money” approach to life.               

I wonder this could be because French elections are just around the corner? or it could be they are still following the UK’s Labour policy phrase of “The cuts are too Fast and too deep”?.

Strangely enough Labour have now stopped that phrase, I’ve not heard it for weeks now, and it was only a few weeks ago the French were lecturing the UK that we would lose our AAA rating first.

Sadly the French have followed what was in the best part, Labours policy of Borrow more and spend more, very similar to Greece and Portugal and what the money markets will do if the French socialist party wins is any guess, but I fear Europe's inability to repair their internal finances will affect the UK.

But Labour has a new cunning policy??

Wait for it ,

It’s to agree with the Coalition policies but still say we are doing it wrong, only today a senior Labour minister has come out and said

 "However difficult this is for me, for some of my colleagues and for our wider supporters, we cannot make any commitments now that the next Labour government will reverse tax rises or spending cuts, and we will not.

 Pay restraint in the public sector in this parliament would have been necessary whoever was in government.      

and to top it all just a few weeks ago Sandwell Labour were “approving” a new academy school even though they do not have the authority to do so.

Sandwell Tory said

It’s so nice to be copied but please don’t lecture us how to repair the mess Labour left behind.

We repaired the British economy in 1951, 1970 & 1978/9  following a Labour administrations and we will do it again.

Come on Labour show us your plan ??  or have the two Eds have decided that the best plan to win back credibility is to copy the Coalition, but to not cut quite so fast?

Sandwell Labour now wants free schools

I don’t think Labour quite get it, the coalition Government introduced free schools and new academies to be independent of local Authorities

What does Sandwell Labour do ? It has a little meeting and backs plans for a proposed Girls school academy in Oldbury

One minor little problem, just a tiny little problem,  they have no authority to approve or turn down the request, that sits with the secretary of state and is based on plans submitted for approval.

Once again free schools and academies are outside the control of local authorities        

Sandwell Tory said

Sandwell has sadly been at the bottom of national school league tables for more years than I can remember, Perhaps Sandwell Labour are finally agreeing with us that Free schools and Academies are the best way forward in Sandwell   

Take a look

http://www.halesowennews.co.uk/news/9429558.Sandwell_Conservatives_ridicule_Labour_over_Oldbury_free_school_vote/

Sandwell Education gets better

We are only in power for less than 2 years but already education achievement in Sandwell is improving but that is still not enough, we are also looking in great detail about more Free schools and new Academies aimed at dragging up achievement rates even higher, but most of all we welcome the news of the proposed Girls School and the other Free Schools and Academies in the borough following the announcements made on other pages in this blog.

Sandwell Tory said

Sandwell’s School achievements will get better still and bring with it higher paid jobs as soon as we can implement the new curriculum's, so watch these pages there's even more announcements to come       

Labour’s giving it all away

The latest You Gov poll tells it all, Almost 60% of the sample says David Cameron was right to veto the EU treaty and the majority of people trust him has a leader.

perhaps it somthing to do with the mess Labour left us with and their only policy so far is to

spend too much too quickly, ( borrowed of course )

a wonderful policy were we cure a debt crisis by having a bigger debt   

What more can you say ?    

Euro mania part 2

The Euro crisis in a few words

Germany is bailing out most of the Euro countries with money this is placing massive strains on Germany's economy.

Labour signed up to help them financially a few days after the General Election

(Remember when Brown would not go?)

We told Europe some months ago there would be no more money from the UK 

There was a major capitalisation last week with rumours of Euro banks in problems

Germany and France may lose their AAA rating which will make their borrowing rates go up 

( just like Greece, Italy, Portugal & Ireland )

2 weeks ago Ireland had a budget in which VAT went up to 23% and all benefits were cut, worst still it now seems Ireland sent its budget to Germany for approval before it told its people

  

Now we come to the UK

London is the biggest finance centre in the world, dealing with stocks, money and commodities from all nations

It produces about 10% of the UK's GDP we make money from most other countries in the world 

It keeps about 1 Million people in work and jobs

Europe wanted a chunk of our finance market (With the taxes and controls that go with it)

We said No way, Europe didn't like it

Even now the money markets do not seem to have any confidence in Europe's ability to put its finance in order and borrowing rates for some Euro countries went up again Friday making some debts un-payable

Labours comments are to be expected

Red Ed's been on TV saying we have done it wrong, this is coming from the Labour team who

Spent all the money?

Labour gave away our EU rebate , hard won by Maggie?

Perhaps Labour want us to give away money and jobs like they did ???

But let’s look at possible threats

Ireland has to ask German approval for its budget, how many other countries have to ask for German approval we just don’t know

It now transpires the Germans & French had already got a plan for the Euro without any UK involvement

There are stories of the Germans & French ganging up to force the UK into a corner

And what for?   The Euro is a currency that has gobbled up billions in £ & $ but what has this spending got them, Greece, Spain and now Italy are considered financial basket cases.

But there’s more

A quick look at the international news (Google it yourself) shows unanimously

Europe is being classed as a financial mess.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/11/business/awakening-in-the-glow-of-a-bloomberg-terminal.html?_r=1&ref=world

All last week, the musings of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and other European leaders put the markets on edge.

This is a short time line of what happened on the 8^th & 9^th December 2011 from the NY Times  take a look your self

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/business/global/european-debt-crisis-tracker.html?ref=europeansovereigndebtcrisis

8^th Dec. Mariano Rajoy, Spain's incoming prime minister, stated support for the Euro zone.

9^th Dec. Portugal’s economy figures released,  its Economy shrank again .

9^th Dec. Yields on Italian bonds rose to almost 7% the second time in a month.

9^th Dec. Former Prime Minister George Papandreou said the European Union had done “too little too late”.

9^th Dec. Chancellor Angela Merkel said the summit meeting will result in increased credibility for the euro zone.

Yet only a little time later in the day

9^th Dec. Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the three largest banks in France.

What a stoke of confidence in France?

Sandwell Tory said

What is Germany’s problem? It simply seems there are a number of countries which should not be in the Euro and they are bank rolling these basket cases and want UK money to throw down the hole of despair.

Anyone could get an agreement with Europe by giving our jobs and money away, but we will continue to stand up for our people’s jobs and are putting Britain first.

This mess is not over yet

Someone, much, much better than I will ever be, once said

Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

  

See also

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2011/1209/Germany-s-Merkel-Will-she-save-the-euro-or-seal-its-demise

Or from Australia

http://www.smh.com.au/business/world-business/eu-pushes-ahead-with-fiscal-union-uk-isolated-20111210-1ooam.html