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Councillor supports parents in their quest for answersThe article below is from tonight's gazette. Thank goodness for Councillor Jon Bamborough - somebody with integrity, who also wants to know the truth. I thought the most telling sentence was the final one - "Blackpool Council declined to comment." What's new? I can't wait for the day that the Gazette runs a story, headlined, "BLACKPOOL BOROUGH COUNCIL ANSWERS QUESTIONS!
Now that WOULD be news.
Probe into cost of school 'saga'
A COUNCILLOR is demanding to know the cost of a year-long dispute at a Blackpool school.
Liberal Democrat councillor Jon Bamborough has called on education chiefs to reveal how much the Marton Primary School saga has cost council tax payers.
He believes the bill could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The school's assistant headteacher Beverley Alderson spent 11-months suspended on full pay before the matter was resolved on Thursday.
She was suspended pending an investigation into allegations, the nature of which have never been revealed.
An agreement was finally reached between the council, the school and Mrs Alderson's union, which means the suspension has been lifted, although she is not returning to Marton Primary.
Coun Bamborough said: "Now that the 'ongoing staff issues' have been resolved, perhaps the local education authority will begin to answer some of the dozens of questions posed by concerned parents of children at Marton School.
"One of the most important questions is how much this sorry affair has cost the local authority?
"I'm reliably informed from sources within the LEA the amount of money, plus the amount paid to the teachers is an astronomical amount in light of recent announcements of cuts in jobs and services within the LEA."
Mr Bamborough also criticised suggestions by the parties the resolution process was delayed by the activities of concerned parents at the school on Whernside.
Marton School Action Group was set up by parents after Mrs Alderson's suspension last July.
The suspension came after a less than flattering Ofsted report in June 2005 which said the school was underachieving and referred to 'division in leadership'.
Mr Bamborough, ward councillor for Anchorsholme and member of Blackpool Council's children and young people overview and scrutiny committee, added: "Are the council tax payers of Blackpool really supposed to believe a disciplinary process was held up for a year because of the musings of a few individuals?
"That doesn't say a lot for the highly paid teams of solicitors, senior officers, consultants, union officials, Acas and the Governors."
The settlement reached between the parties also included another member of staff who had been off sick in connection with the same issues at the school.
Blackpool Council declined to comment.
01 July 2006
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Pauline
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Another teacherI read the report too and I am glad for the sake of the school that someone like Mr Bamborough is asking questions about what has happened.
But he mentioned another teacher who was off sick who was involved with the settlement over the same issues.
So Mr Bamborough knows the issues but I don't think all the parents know the issues round the suspension. All I knew was Mr Lund's statement about a 'difference of opinion'.
So who is the other teacher ? What kind of illness was it ? I have looked through the forum and can't find any information on here about problems with another teacher.
Can anyone help ?
The only person I can think of is Mrs Reidy. I hope her illness is nothing to do with school. I know she never ever seemed to be off school when I was connected with Marton. She always seemed to have a big smile on her face and looked as though she really enjoyed her job. She had been there a long time so it will be very sad if she has had to stop teaching. She was certainly responsible for a lot of fabulous things like ERIC, and the wonderful stained glass windows, so Marton will be a much duller place without her.
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Alan Veale
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Mrs ReidyRegrettably, Pauline, I understand that the second teacher affected by this very sad affair WAS Mrs Reidy. I’m afraid I cannot give you any details about how she came to be a part of Mrs Alderson’s disciplinary, because I am not privy to such information. However, I can confirm that Mrs Reidy was signed off from teaching in February 2005 for “stress”. She has not been able to resume work since, and I very much suspect that the reason for the stress was largely down to the issues going on at school.
I too can endorse your opinions of Mrs Reidy, as my daughter Mollie was once in her class, and I know how highly she regarded her as a form teacher. We have all been very fulsome in our praise of Mrs Alderson (deservedly so), but at least this statement has made us aware that more than one teacher has had to suffer as a result of this head teacher’s actions. Many more are still going to school on a daily basis, gritting their teeth whenever they have any contact with Ruth Coupe, and I know several have started to re-think their position over how this woman is affecting their lives.
I can also confirm that, although the bulk of the Action Group are now more “distantly” connected with the school (because our children are no longer there!), we are nevertheless determined to fight on to see all those responsible for the school’s current poor state brought to justice. They have shown no consideration at all for the effect on these teacher’s lives, given no apology for their actions, and deserve all that they will get over the next two months.
Retribution can be a terrible thing…
Alan Veale
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