Labour Isn't working

Back in the 1970's a new poster was issued for the election 

it showed what unemployment was like under a Labour Government this was at a time of major strikes and high inflation Labour lost the election

Strangely enough 30years later, following another period of Labour Government we have a similar fate 

High unemployment High Inflation

Deja Vu

   

Government funds Sandwell Social Housing

After years of Sandwell bulldozing properties and leaving the land fallow for decades
(see previous blog posts) the Government has given Sandwell £10 Million to kick off a rebuilding programme

The HCA (Homes and Communities Agency) wants 80,000 new social home built with some being for sale
as part of this Sandwell is being funded to build 450 new homes in the first wave giving about 2 - 3000 homes
by 2015


Sandwell Tory said

Its funny Labour were in office for 13 years with little social housing being built
we're in Government for less than 2 years and 1000's are being built but there's more to do
we have to get the school achievements improved next

To park, or not to park, that is the question:

At Last!

I see in the press Sandwell have dropped their plans for parking restrictions to be implemented by the Albion Ground; I feel that if this plan had been implemented, it would have had a serious impact on the loyal Albion fans, which with their team bring in such well earned kudos and revenue into the borough.

This news came in the same week as a number of traders have been voicing concern that the lack of car parking in West Bromwich is affecting their trade, allied to the fact the new Police station has no car park for its staff and the new college has only a handful of parking places.

What is Sandwell’s problem with the car?

Mean while we are still waiting to see if the West Brom Building Society moves its head office out of the borough

What is going on in Sandwell??

wisdom, care, and guidance

I see Providence Place opened this week and I truly hope it’s a success, as our borough seriously needs the jobs, one problem still to be corrected however are the jobs that it brings with it.

The multinational is offering salaries of up to £22,500 a year, yet a recruitment company handling the jobs has stated that the standard of applications to the company, has been weak.

Apparently 1,500 people had enquired about, registered an interest and about 50 started on

Sandwell Tory said

I do hope there’s no link between local school achievement and these jobs, from other postings they are after people with Math’s & English GCSE level qualifications, strangely enough that's just what the Coalition Government want as well.   

let’s wait and see what the councils scrutiny department find out

Source

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2012/01/07/bt-struggles-to-fill-200-jobs-at-black-country-call-centre/

Another Free School starts to rise

Some people must have been reading my last posting as I read this week of a new proposal for an academy school in Smethwick.

I applaud them and wish them every success, as the group hope the school will be a multi cultural school, but based on a Sikh ethos, I also see that they wish to grow the school over a few years to around 700 students from all walks of the community.

It now seems people are fed up with the typical promises of better education next year, that Labour have churned out every year for about the last decade only to find out months later that Sandwell is still at the bottom of national league tables, so they are voting with their feet setting up new schools.

I hope that it will raise educational standards by raising achievement and students aspirations

How to become an Academy

I just thought that this information may well come in handy for local people to read  

Become an Academy

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/academies/b00201463/becoming-an-academy-top-tips-from-academy-heads

Supporting Schools

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/academies/b00201463/becoming-an-academy---top-tips-from-academy-heads/supporting-weaker-schools

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