11+ Report slaps Wicks

The late 11+ fiasco report was finally published today, but has yet to be linked on the Medway Council website for full public review.

The report is several days late and was due to be published last week. Another delay it would seem by the Tories

For the sake of public transparency and accountability the Administration need to publish this report in all its details and in the full public domain.

Grammar school parents and pupils have been let down by the Conservative portfolio holder and the narrow clique that support him.

Hiding the report in the background when there is demonstrable public interest is not best served. Details of junior staff can be redacted if there are any conflicts of interest but some form of public document needs to be produced.

I have not had a chance to read the report; so I can not possibly comment on its content but from leaked snippets it would appear to be pretty damning on Cllr Les Wicks and his political leadership.

What I would say is that it took 13 days for Les Wicks to apologise; which is an outrageous delay, and most importantly, after he and colleaugues blamed the schools themselves.

In addition this fiasco is but one in a litany of failures on schools.

The Labour Group were rightly disappointed at last week’s Council meeting (still not published) to see that Cllr Les Wicks was unwilling to accept responsibility for his actions

This despite the litany of errors that fall within his remit:

• The 11+ exam fiasco at the Chatham Grammar School for Boys and the Rainham School for Girls where Medway Conservatives blamed the school for internal Council failures
• The botched Primary School re-organisation programme which used incorrect pupil statistics to close local primary schools, including the closure of Ridge Meadow and proposed closures of St Peter’s, Rochester and St John’s, Chatham
• The £350,000 bill to cancel photocopier contracts across schools
• The £1.8m overspend on the Walderslade School
• The £1.25m overspend on the Woodlands School
• Failure to back the Educational Maintenance Allowance for 16-18 year olds
• The cancellation of the School improvements at Luton School and the cuts to Building School budget from £5m to now cover maintenance only
• Medway being ranked close to the bottom of the Level 4 league table, with only 67% of pupils across the area gaining the level required

In any other job, that amount of error and incompetence would surely lead to dismissal.

Once I get hold of the report I will publish it online with permission

Update

The Council have not published a full report and have opted for a 'management document' which is effectively a summary of outcomes. It appears that Tories are unhappy to reveal the truth or reveal any reasons why we continue to see, year on year, cock-ups with the 11+ test.

So much for democracy.