Leader's "surprise" at scale of school plan

2:24pm Tuesday 15th January 2008

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HEREFORDSHIRE Council leader Roger Phillips has spoken of his surprise at the scale of school closures and mergers proposed in a draft plan for the future of education in the county.

In an interview with the Hereford Times, Councillor Phillips conceded that the plan currently had no political support within the council and clearly needed more financial and statistical analysis before it was in a statisfactory state for debate.

The hard talking had, said Coun Phillips, to be done at Westminster. If central government funded Herefordshire schools to the same level as the average unitary council, the need for such a far-reaching plan was not so strong, he said.

He also said that the 18 month time-frame to implement the plan - if it was approved - was unrealistic.

Herefordshire schools are currently the third lowest finded in the country. The draft plan proposes a number for closure or merger with both pupil numbers - and subsequently the funding schools get from Whitehall - projected to fall.

The proposals are already up against a big fight back from communities across the county.

Coun Phillips was told about the proposed changes just before news was broken to head teachers, governors and councillors.

Acknowledging the huge show of opposition against the plan, Coun Phillips wants to take Herefordshire's case for more schools cash straight to Westminster - with the backing of both the county's MPs.

"If our schools received the same level of funding per pupil as the average unitary council, we would receive an additional £7.5 million a year based on current pupil numbers," said Coun Phillips.