What does 2009 hold for Education in Merseyside?

2009 sees the continued roll-out of the Building Schools for the Future programme in Merseyside, we also find what else is happening in 2009.

2009 will see the continued development of schools in the Building Schools for the Future programme in Merseyside. Liverpool and Sefton will see completion of new schools, whilst Knowsley will see the opening of several Centres of Learning in the Knowsley £150 million programme. This programme includes the replacement of 10 existing secondary schools with seven new learning centres, the first of which opens in January 2009. 2009 also promises to see a continued improvement of exam results in all areas building on previous results. All in all – each political party is of the same opinion  that educational standards are on the rise and 2009 promises to be a good year for Merseyside.

The exciting challenge in Knowsley in the next twelve months is to continue delivering on our promises of transforming education through our Building Schools for the Future programme. We have already opened the first of our new Centres for Learning, Christ the King in North Huyton, and in the course of the coming year, four more will follow throughout different parts of the borough. All of them will be brand new state-of -the-art buildings with flexible spaces to accommodate different learning needs and styles
We will also be developing our strategy for primary schools, and again seeking to ensure that infant and junior children get the benefit of better buildings more suited to the needs of the generations coming up. We know our children have a plethora of talents, academic, sporting and cultural, and we are laying foundations for them to harness these talents to make a positive contribution throughout their lives.

Graeme Wright – Labour

As Conservative spokesperson for Children’s Services, I am continually impressed with the standard the department consistently attains, and with the energy and vision of Bryn Marsh, the Director of Children’s Services.
A fantastic new Sixth Form College is being built in South Sefton and will be open for business from September next year. Building work will begin on the new Litherland High School in 2009. It will be the first Sefton school to be completed under the Building Schools for the Future OSP programme and will add to the ‘learning campus’‚ developing in Litherland. The year 2009 will also see the completion of the new All Saints Catholic Primary School and Rimrose Hope Primary Schools.

Debi Jones – Conservative

We expect 2009 to start very well for Liverpool schools and pupils.  Early in the New Year we expect the newly published data for 2008 attainment to show that Liverpool schools now out perform the national average attainment at 5A*-Cs GCSE. This is a huge achievement for our pupils and schools particularly given that Liverpool provides education for some of the most disadvantaged pupils in the country. Key stage 2 results will also reflect the highest attainment levels ever for pupils leaving primary schools. We will seek to build further upon these achievements.
2009 will also see us finalise our acceptance into the Government’s Building Schools for the Future programme and the Primary Capital Challenge programme. The BSF Wave 2 programme is already underway and will see significant investment in buildings at Alsop, Gateacre, Hope, Cardinal Heenan, Broughton Hall, West Derby, Ernest Cookson and King David High Schools.

Keith Turner -Lib Dems

The economy has entered choppy waters, a huge tax giveaway is going to be followed by huge cuts in spending. Britain has been spending on its credit card and the bills now have to be met. Education budgets will face pressure for savings like never before in 2009 and 2010. Liverpool is committed to inclusion. That means having as many children with SEN (Special Educational Needs) in mainstream provision. Under the Every Child Matters programme, we should be tailoring provision to meet the needs of our children.
Education must be about the individual rather than churning out a “one size fits all” system that might have been useful training for factory work in the early 20th century, but is wholly inadequate to the world we live in today. It’s time to liberate teachers and let them get on with the job of teaching and enable every child to get on with the job of learning at their own pace.

Peter Cranie – Green Party