Counting at the Town Hall

In early January 2010 Adele Beeson, Independent candidate for Hyde Park and Woodhouse, inner-city Leeds, officially confirmed that she was standing for Council. On February 18 2010, out of a count of 2200 voters she got 150 votes. Labour won with 1054 votes, and with rather more than five weeks experience and campaigning behind them. All the candidates declared their support for City of Leeds School, so we can also declare that 2,200 people, in fact 100% of voters, voted for City of Leeds School to stay open. Of course, this is just a way of spinning it, but I think it makes sense. And, for those who like to count things, something of a result, I would say, which They need to take heed of.

Leafletting

We have been leafletting again. If it's not dark or raining this is by no means an unpleasant experience. I have developed a dog-in-house-fingers-out-fast-response, taking no chances with barks and bites. Most people are either receptive or polite about our campaign. There's still the entrenched "No way would I send my child to City!", and they seem to be supported by the Education Leeds spokesperson who said as much on the Radio Leeds breakfast Show last Wednesday [10 February].

I must say I had heard the rumours, then I went in to City as a peri, changed my mind overnight and sent both my younger children there. This doesn't mean to say it was perfect, but it was more than good enough, and better than the school that I had sent my two older children to.

When I worked at Foxwood, I asked head teacher, Bob Spooner why local parents made such an effort to bus their their kids out to John Smeaton, Boston Spa and the like. He said they don't want their children to mix with the rough sons and daughters of the criminals classes. I would say to say to these anxious Woodhouse and Hyde Park parents something sanctimonious like the "sins of the father" and so on. But the fact is that our school is full of the children of aspirational African and Eastern European parents. We have an A* English=as=an=Addtional-Language Department to help them without their problems impacting on the education of the native English speakers. and children of supportive parents are more likely to come out with 9 A-Cs than a drug habit. And they'll save enough money on busfares to go on more holidays.

However, if the truth is too inconvenient, I would say to those who don't want to have their minds changed: If City of Leeds is closed, the truancy and crime rate in the local area will increase, as will calls on mental health services.

City of Leeds School 2

The fight is hotting up.

City of Leeds School has now been threatened with closure or merger three or four times in the last decade. We think that it's not rocket science to note that a mix of students from relatively poorer families, some dysfunctional families, some ordinary families: either first, second or third generation Asian immigrant, or ex-Leeds Uni families, some children from local children's homes, some children excluded from the newly formed and highly contraversial academy, some children who arrived in Leeds from Europe or from Africa, and some from Africa via Europe, some foreign students struggling in English, some of them cheerfully trilingual, loads of children prefering City to their own local high school from all over Leeds - well you get the picture: it's a heady mix of students at different points in their lives, and their educational development.

Well, it's not rocket science to note that academic exam results will a, be variable and b, be irrelevant. So why judge the school by them?

It's an exciting, challenging and enjoyable place to work. So why does the government put so much pressure on Leeds Council to close it?

Every Child Matters! Hardly!