Secret deal for schools
THE private firm running children's services and education in Stoke-on-Trent is in secret talks to extend its contract for an extra year.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council was forced to appoint Serco in May 2007 following a series of damning reports on its education and child protection services.
The firm employs children and young people's services director Ged Rowney and four deputy directors.
The three-year, £5.2 million contract is due to expire in April next year, but the council's executive has agreed to negotiate a 12-month extension.
The issue was discussed behind closed doors at an executive and members' board (EMB) meeting on Wednesday.
Afterwards, deputy elected mayor councillor Mohammed Pervez confirmed that the authority is looking to keep Serco in place for another year.
It is understood that the EMB also had the option of taking children's services back into council control when the contract runs out, or going out to tender.
But Mr Pervez, below, said members chose to delay any changes for a year in the interests of continuity and stability.
He cited improvements in the city's GCSE results, with a 2.1 per cent increase last year in pupils gaining five or more A* to C grades, including English and maths. Other factors include a drop in the number of schools failing Ofsted inspections, with just two city schools currently in special measures, and a turnaround in child protection work.
Mr Pervez said: "The offer to discuss a contract extension ensures that the hard work that has been done for the past two years has the opportunity to continue."
"We feel that Serco has made good progress in helping to improve the standards of education and welfare for the children of Stoke-on-Trent."
But City Independent councillor Terry Follows, who spearheaded the recent political fight to save Trentham High School from closure, condemned the EMB's decision to discuss extending Serco's contract. He said: "I don't think the contract should be extended; it should go out to tender when it expires. The way in which Serco has handled the Building Schools for the Future programme has been a complete mess.
"The EMB talks about the need for continuity and stability, but Serco replaced two of its five officers midway through the contract. How is that providing continuity?
"We're told that Serco has raised our city's educational performance over the past two years, but it was so poor it couldn't have gone anywhere else but upwards.
"If we have made improvements in education then I feel it is due to the hard work of headteachers and staff, not because of Serco."
Stoke-on-Trent South MP Rob Flello said: "I'm not sure what Serco have brought to the city except upset and concern and perhaps a new definition of the word 'consultation'."
8 Comments
by David, Fenton
Monday, May 04 2009, 2:35AM
“IF YOU ARE WONDERING IF THERE IS; a plan of DECADENCE for DECADENTS for them to become DECADENT?
Think of this; If our childs education is controlled to stay below the national average, could that make them feel decadent and affect their development?
There was certainly a plan for BSF within this city and we will be fools if we think its over, because weve got the religious debate to come. Now that will be fun!
OPEN & TRANSPARENT THEY CERTAINLY ARE, BUT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
Is the BNP the way forward, or are we going to find some independants prepared to represent our community?
I dont know.
Apark4Stoke
@LUZ”
by KP, Trentahm
Sunday, May 03 2009, 1:40PM
“SERCO have improved examination pass rates by 2.1% last year in Stoke on Trent states Mr Pervez. By what percent did those rates rise nationally? lets have both figures available so that true comparisons can be made.”
by Karen Pate, Trentham
Saturday, May 02 2009, 7:43PM
“Mr Pervez states the fact that the city's GCSE results including maths and English rose by 2.1% last year through SERCO's involvement. To put this in context could Mr Pervez also state what the increase was nationally so that we are more able to judge whether they have actually made any difference. To quote such statistics out of context is totally unacceptable.
The place to decide whether SERCO should be given more of local tax payers money is the full council chamber. Lets stop all this secret negotiating once and for all. If SERCO has done such a fabulous job then they should not be afraid to let their performance be publically scrutinised. Then again given their inability to acurately project pupil numbers in the city perhaps a secret deal is the only way that they will be able to secure a contract extension.”
by Bob, Stoke
Saturday, May 02 2009, 4:40PM
“Please remeber that the improvement to the grades is based on the exams taken in May/June 2008 - which was only one month into the Serco contract. This improvement had nothing to do with Serco. Have Serco also been consulted over running the council, as they did in Walsall, should it be necessary (maybe that is the question that should be asked).”
by Julie Frost, Trentham
Saturday, May 02 2009, 4:30PM
“I seem to recall Mark Meredith saying, under his leadership, the council would operate in an 'open and transparent' manner. It is even more of an insult to the people of this city that the discussion point in these 'secret' meetings is to extend the contract of an organisation which has done a great deal of harm, and at our expense. Their (highly expensive) contract should have been terminated the day it was necessary for Jim Knight to personally intervene in their ill-conceived BSF plans. The sooner 5 June comes, and the EMB goes, the better!”
by Janice, Werrington
Saturday, May 02 2009, 1:12PM
“Is it April 1st? Is this a joke?”
by Nicky, pitsnpots.co.uk
Saturday, May 02 2009, 10:51AM
“SERCO - out - now!
And while we're about it - Pervez - out - too!
I agree with Terry Follows and Rob Flello.
Besides, given that SERCO is going to be running Ofsted inspections in the Midlands, isn't it questionable that they should be in charge of the schools as well? That way they could be perceived to be spinning good ofsted outcomes to present their 'management' of education as good.”
by David, Fenton
Saturday, May 02 2009, 10:28AM
“MORE SECRET DEALS?
Its all this council seem to be doing and keeping us all guessing regarding their outcome. But This was inevitable because of the delays caused regarding BSF by our councils incompetance and for keeping the city in dark in the first place. When are they going to learn?
A PLAN OF ACTION; Our councillors havnt got a clue and the sooner we have citizens prepared to represent the people for our future generations and not for GREED? The sooner this city will prosper!
There has got to be a plan of action for this city and Im sure its a plan of DECADENCE for DECADENTS to make us DECADENT.
But what do I know?
Apark4Stoke
@LUZ”