Statement of support from Tim Yeo, MP

"I would like everyone here this evening to know that the idea of a new secondary school in Clare has my full support. I believe this would best serve the interests of the town and the surrounding villages and is clearly preferable to bussing eleven year old boys and girls to schools in Haverhill.
"I am delighted that Suffolk County Council has accepted, in Option Three, that a new secondary school in Clare is a real possibility. Our task now is to make this their preferred option. They clearly recognise the considerable merits of this proposal or they would not have seen fit to suggest it at all.
"As someone who believes that maximum local choice in education is one of the best ways of improving our education system i am instinctively in favour of the three schools option. And if the local community get behind the idea they have my full backing. " TIM YEO MP

Schools face downsizing revolution - The Observer

A report by the Observer this week highlights the problems faced by schools with such large numbers of pupils. It reads:-

Sprawling comprehensives with more than 1,500 pupils could be replaced with a series of smaller schools in an attempt to improve examination results. Andrew Adonis, the Schools Minister, said that in the United States cities such as New York had transformed test results, behaviour and attendance by cutting down the size of schools.

'I am keen to look, with an open mind, at all proposals to raise standards in schools,' he added. 'Small schools have been successful in the US and they may have a part to play here in the future, if credible proposals are forthcoming.'

The move comes as a new report, to be published on Wednesday, calls for an end to super-size comprehensives, arguing that they leave pupils overwhelmed and lost in a 'sea of anonymity'.

Full story at http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2208999,00.html

Petitioning in Clare!

Wow what a day!

After a morning spent campaigning in the town it was amazing to see how much support we have and how strongly you all feel about keeping education in Clare. We received more than 200 signatures in one morning from local residents, many of which, may not have children of school age but still understand how important the school is to our town. It really was great talking to you all and feeling such a strong sense of community. Thank you so much to everyone for your wonderful comments and to Colin and the team at Tuckerman's for the much needed hot coffee!

Don't worry if you haven't signed our petition yet. We will be back in town over the next few weeks and will be taking it along to all the public meetings. We will also be sending it round to the local schools and leaving copies in some of the shops in town, so please make sure you sign your support. Together we can make a difference!

Tim Yeo on the plans to end middle schools

Read what Conservative MP for South Suffolk, Mr Tim Yeo has to say about the proposed changes to the school system in Suffolk

http://www.timyeo.org.uk/record.jsp?type=article&ID=29