I visited Kings Heath Boys School last week which has just had a fine Ofsted report reflecting real progress achieved under four years of the current Head’s leadership. It’s only by providing good schools that we can equip our children and grandchildren for the future. There’s always been a link between poor areas and schoolContinue reading Time To Put Children First
It’s hard to imagine now that the mantra of Tony Blair’s government was once, ‘Education, Education, Education’. A recent survey reveals that two thirds of schools in England are facing budget deficits which will lead to staff cuts and reductions in other services, including mental health support. Too many of our children aren’t getting theContinue reading Shadow Education Secretary Bridget sets out mantra
The Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak – Steve McCabe MP – critiqued the Government’s forthcoming legislative agenda for failing to address the key issues affecting the West Midlands. Speaking in last Monday’s Queen’s Speech debate in the House of Commons, the Birmingham MP highlighted the absence of a number of key topics from the programme including the lack of a plan toContinue reading Birmingham MP brands Queen’s Speech a ‘Missed Opportunity’
The Queen’s Speech sets out government plans for the next 12 months. My constituents tell me the issues of greatest concern are: cost of living; energy prices; childcare costs; elderly care; lack of neighbourhood police; education. There’s no action on childcare costs despite its impact on employment and family budgets and no plan for energyContinue reading Vital issues are ignored
There were high expectations for the recent Education White Papers, but it’s been a bit of a damp squib. Many hoped the current Secretary of State could set a clear course for the future unlike his predecessor, the recently knighted Gavin Williamson of the algorithm and exams fiasco. The main ambition appears to be toContinue reading Plans don’t make grade
What do you think about plans to teach Latin at 40 state schools? There are about 3,500 secondary schools in England so I wonder how they’ll be chosen. I read of this idea just as I’d been looking through Labour research on rising class sizes. If we can’t reduce class sizes or find the cashContinue reading Teaching Latin in our schools is not a priority
For many years now, I’ve written to local children as they complete their last days at junior school. Around 1,400 children in Selly Oak constituency experience the change of transferring to the ‘big school’ each year. Where I grew up, we had two secondary schools: one for children of the Roman Catholic faith and anotherContinue reading Daunting step to ‘big school’
Steve McCabe MP (Birmingham Selly Oak) has said we must make this Queen’s Speech work for the West Midlands and improve it where possible but ultimately says it lacks the urgency needed to tackle the issues facing his constituents. Commenting on the Queen’s Speech on 11 May, Steve McCabe MP said: “On Health, we’ll neverContinue reading Birmingham MP says ‘Queens Speech Lacks Urgency’
It’s that time of year again as Steve McCabe, MP for Birmingham Selly Oak, launches his annual Christmas card competition for local primary schools. Steve is once again asking local children to design a Christmas card about what Christmas means to them. This year the competition, which is sponsored by Oakton Estate Agents and DavisonsContinue reading IT’S (ALMOST) THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR AS LOCAL MP LAUNCHES HIS ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CARD COMPETITION
A week is certainly a long time in politics. Last week the PM claimed the A level results were robust and dependable and his Education Secretary, the one who looks and acts like Private Pike, insisted there’d be no U-turn. This week they’ve abandoned the fancy algorithm which marked down bright children, at state schools, and favoured those who attended private schools. How did this happen? It didn’t come out of the blue; we’ve known since February that there was a problem and yet the government waited until after theContinue reading Too Little, too late for many
