The timetable for a new secondary school is now back on track after the Leader of the Council and I held urgent talks with the Education Minister, Lord Adonis. 

The need for a new school has been long fought for by local parents.   Boys’ provision is a particular issue (as a local parent, I declare my interest).  

In December last year the Education Minister wrote to local campaigners saying a new Academy would open in September 2009 in permanent accommodation. He went on to state that that ‘the government has agreed to fund temporary accommodation so that the Boy’s academy can open in September 2007, prior to the completion of its new buildings in 2009.’   Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats claimed varying degrees of credit. (Since Labour run the country and the Lib Dems run the council, I suppose that’s fair enough).  Labour went on to claim that the Council was delaying things which really got up my nose because there was no truth in that whatsoever .  In fact, the delay was waiting for the Government to give us the go ahead – as revealed in a parliamentary answer in Hansard.   

All parties – Council, Government and  the sponsor, Lord Harris –  had agreed that the preferred temporary site was the Homestall Road Sports Ground.  But because of major works announced by Thames Water, this site is now seen as unsuitable. 

 I was very concerned to learn a few weeks ago that at a recent meeting, Harris Academies had suggested that no suitable temporary site could be found and the idea of opening in 2007 would have to be shelved. 

So, the Leader of the Council, Nick Stanton, and I met with the Education Minister, Lord Adonis, along with the local MP, representatives of the parents’ campaign group (EDEN) and the Harris Academy team to discuss options.  Nick and I insisted that the Council has made a number of sites available that could and should be progressed as sites for a temporary school. We were able to persuade the Minister that there are still two options for temporary accommodation that  should be explored further  - one is the Waverley lower school site, the other is the Bredinghurst site on Stuart Road.

Since then, the Bredinghurst site has emerged as the clear choice which is now being progressed as a matter of urgency.   We are continuing to press for a formal agreement and  an announcement to made as soon as possible.

So we’re back on track. We in Southwark have embraced the academies programme - no one would thank us for citing ideological objections and failing to deliver for local children.   But I can’t help thinking that it is the very nature of the new structures promoted by the Government, inevitably resulting as they do in a diminution of local accountability, that result in the need for such meetings in the first place.