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Closure row hits Assembly


by Greg Lewis


The Welsh Assembly government (WAG) has been criticised for trying to “dodge its responsibility” over school closures after proposals were unveiled to hand power back to councils. Wales’s education minister,


Leighton Andrews, wants to see “only a handful” of decisions about school reorganisations being made by ministers in the Assembly government. Councils would then have the


final say in the majority of cases. Currently if one person objects


to a school closure or merger then final approval has to be given by the WAG. Under the new plans, school


reorganisations “would not come to Welsh ministers for determination after objections, unless, on


rare occasions, ministers felt it necessary to ‘call in’ the proposals for determination”. Rex Phillips, of the NASUWT


Cymru, feared the proposals would allow ministers to dodge responsibility for difficult decisions. He said it was a case of the


Assembly government “wanting to play Pontius Pilate”. He argued against changing the


system of dealing with objections: “I don’t think that needs to be tampered with at all. Any person should be able to object.” Iwan Guy, acting director of


the National Association of Head Teachers Cymru, said: “The cynic might say (Mr Andrews) is abdicating his responsibility.” But he admitted there were


problems with the present system. “We’ve had situations where schools with no pupils have not


been able to close because of objections from one person.” Mr Andrews said: “I don’t


believe it was ever intended that so many decisions should come to ministers. “(Having) looked at how the


school reorganisation works in other UK countries, I have been troubled by the fact that we are potentially keeping a tighter rein on local authorities than is the case in either England or Scotland. I find it difficult to justify this. “The point has also been


frequently made that in Wales a single objector, who may have no connection with a school, can cause a statutory proposal to be submitted to Welsh ministers and be subject to full scrutiny. “This cannot be a good use of


resources where it is apparent that all those with a genuine interest in the proposal are in favour.”


Pole position: Team Velocity at Williams F1 headquarters F1 winners celebrate


A group of six year 13 students who beat off competition from 200 teams across the country in a battle to design a model Formula One car has been rewarded with a visit to the Williams F1 headquarters in Oxfordshire. The team, from St John Payne


Catholic Comprehensive School in Essex, worked tirelessly for six months last year to create the car for the F1 in Schools contest, an educational programme that uses Formula One to get students aged nine to 19 interested in science, technology, engineering and maths. Each student was assigned a


different role and together they pre- pared a business plan, developed a budget and raised sponsorship for the challenge. To build the car, they had to


collaborate, design, analyse, manu- facture, test and race miniature gas- powered balsawood cars. The team, known as Velocity,


was crowned winners of the UK championships last year, before representing the UK at the interna- tional finals last September. As a reward, the youngsters were given an exclusive tour of


the Formula One team’s factory, looking at the car build workshop areas, pattern shop, the research and development department, and man- ufacturing and production areas – as well as the wind tunnel test facility. Patrick Delaney, a student and


the team’s manager, said: “It was an amazing day out for us. The work that goes into designing, build- ing and racing an F1 car is just immense. There are around 500 people all dedicated to putting the best car possible out on track for the F1 season and they work really hard all year round.” Mike Driscoll, community tech-


nology co-ordinator at the school, said the visit was a “fantastic oppor- tunity to see that cutting edge qual- ity of engineering”. Patrick added: “One aspect of


the visit which I can relate to is the teamwork that is shown by Williams F1. Teamwork played a really big part in Velocity’s suc- cess, as we all had to work together closely to make sure we had the best car and were the best team in the competition.” For more on the challenge, visit www.f1inschools.co.uk


Green thinking: Students from Okehampton College during a visit to a local primary school where they spoke about sustainability


Alcohol education in schools undermined by binge culture


Photo: Andy Aitchison/AshdenAwards


Energy club wows judges in 2010 Ashden Awards


Renewable energy systems, wind turbines, efficient lighting and heating, and a thriving energy club are just some of the meth- ods that Okehampton College in Devon uses to reduce its carbon footprint. Due to their efforts, the col-


St Jude’s Church, Dulwich Road Herne Hill, London SE24 0PB www.markallengroup.com


lege has been selected as a finalist in the 2010 Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy, which will be held on July 1 at the Royal Geographical Society in London and presented by Sir David Attenborough. The awards recognise insti-


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ISSN 1479-7704


tutions that have made carbon savings through renewable ener- gy or energy efficiency matters, whether they are schools, councils or trusts. Within the past year,


Okehampton College has reduced its energy consumption by 40 per cent, and is on course to save £20,000 on energy this year. It all started when the


school ran one of its “impact” days, where a topical theme is


discussed – in this case, energy efficiency. Eighteen months later, with funding from various organi- sations, including the EDF Green Fund, Community Sustainable Energy Programme, and Dartmoor Sustainable Energy Fund, the school has formed a thriving energy club that operates both inside and outside of the school walls. Students within the club are


encouraged to save energy where possible, and patrol the corridors putting a “red face” in rooms where lights have been left on and a “green face” for good energy sav- ing behaviour. Members also take frequent


surveys about the level of heating within the school, so that they are aware of where to reduce consump- tion. The school has also been work-


ing with 11 feeder primary schools by helping them carry out con- sumption surveys and installing solar panels. Part of the £20,000 will be invested into future plans, Keith


Webber, the school’s communi- ty technology co-ordinator told SecEd: “Our starting point is to get rid of waste and to get people to buy into the energy saving attitude. “We want to create more


renewable energy, wind turbines and hydro-electricity and imple- ment smart metering, to create better control over energy levels,” he added. The school also runs a food


initiative called “Growing Our Future” which is held in the grounds, whereby students help produce food for the canteen and compost all the food waste that the school produces. Mr Webber will be taking


eight students who have been heavily involved with the projects to the awards ceremony. He said: “They are absolutely


delighted to have been nominated.” • For more on all the Ashden Award nominees, visit www.ashdenawards.org


Public perceptions of binge drink- ing need to change if alcohol educa- tion in schools is to be effective, a charity has claimed. Drinkaware, which advises on


the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, claims that although introducing the topic of alcohol to youngsters at school and in the home can help them to make intel- ligent choices as they grow up, Britain’s drinking culture is under- mining these efforts. Chris Sorek, chief executive


of Drinkaware, said: “Ultimately, what is needed in order to reduce alcohol misuse in the UK is a cul- tural shift away from the accept- ability of drinking to excess. “While it is challenging, though


not impossible, to encourage this change in adults, introducing the topic and providing the facts about alcohol at an early age, both in schools and at home, will cultivate a new generation who have the con- fidence to make educated choices.” It comes as the National Institute


for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) claimed that sex, relation- ships and alcohol education in schools can be improved. In draft guidance, currently


undergoing public consultation, it said that improved teacher training and a more structured curriculum could help youngsters to gain a better understanding of the risks and consequences of their actions, the meaning of “consent”, and


2


their rights and responsibilities. Gillian Leng, NICE deputy chief executive, said: “Starting PSHE education early can help improve a child’s ability to develop and sustain friendships, and understand the importance of valuing and hav- ing respect for others, building the foundation for later teaching about important subjects such as alcohol and sexual relationships.” Professor Mark Bellis, director


of the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University, said the draft guidance identifies the impor- tance of “con- tinually build- ing up children’s understanding of alcohol”. He added:


“It makes clear that this is something best achieved through the involvement of well prepared teachers, parents and health profes- sionals.” For the consul-


tation, visit www. nice.org.uk and for Drinkaware resources, see www. drinkaware.co.uk/ talking-to-under- 18s/professionals/ resources


SecEd • June 24 2010


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