Two of Southampton’s 14 secondary schools may no longer be rebuilt or refurbished if Conservative spending plans unveiled last week go ahead.  

The Government has pledged to rebuild or refurbish every secondary school in the country as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme. But the Conservatives have proposed cutting £4.55 billion from the programme, with the cuts targeted at 76 local authorities including Southampton.  

John Denham, Labour MP for Southampton Itchen, and Dr Alan Whitehead, Labour MP for Southampton Test, have pledged to fight the proposed Conservative cuts which will mean one in seven school building projects in Southampton will not go ahead. They have challenged local Tories to join him in standing up for our area and opposing the proposals.  

Alan Whitehead MP said: “Local parents and teachers will be shocked by this news. All secondary schools will be rebuilt or refurbished under Labour’s plans, but if the Tories get their way 2 schools in Southampton would not be rebuilt. And until the Conservatives confirm where their cuts will fall, every secondary school rebuilding project is at risk.”  

John Denham MP said: “Building Schools for the Future promised to rebuild or fully refurbish every secondary school, but this promise can only come true if Labour is re-elected. Our area will bear the brunt of cuts with one in seven schools losing out on this historic opportunity to be rebuilt or fully refurbished.  

“David Cameron’s proposals would deal a body blow to education in our city.  I will oppose these cuts every step of the way.  And I hope the Conservatives running the council will stand up to their leader and tell him that David Cameron can’t pay for his latest gimmick by taking money from Southampton schools.” 

Schools Secretary Ed Balls MP added:  

“I am disappointed that the Tories have said they would target their cuts at schools in areas like Southampton. I will be working with Alan Whitehead and John Denham to campaign against the Tory plans and ensure that under this Government every secondary school in Southampton is rebuilt."

In a letter to Southampton Conservative Councillor Peter Baillie (the Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Learning), the two Labour  MPs write:

As you know, your party’s leader David Cameron has launched a policy document entitled “Raising the bar and closing the gap” which commits them to spend £4.5 billion to create 220,000 additional and surplus secondary school places in “New Academies”. This cost is to be met by diverting fifteen percent of the total funds allocated to Building Schools for the Future over a nine-year period from 2008/9.  

This means that more than one in seven secondary school rebuilding projects from 2008/9 will no longer go ahead. The impact will be concentrated on local authorities like Southampton, which are in BSF waves 7 onwards. 

The consequences, we’re sure you agree, are disastrous for Southampton. The Building Schools for the Future programme aims to rebuild or refurbish every secondary school, ensuring high-quality learning environments for pupils.  

As portfolio holder for Children’s Services and Learning in Southampton, were you consulted over these proposals?  Are you aware of the consequences this policy has for our local authority? Which two schools will be  the unlucky ones? Will you join our campaign against these plans, and condemn the sheer waste involved in David Cameron’s plan? Will you be writing to local head teachers telling them of this decision? 

The parents of children, local teachers and governors in Southampton will be disappointed if their school is chosen by you as one of the two not rebuilt or fully refurbished. What advice can you give them on how to treat this ill-conceived policy? 

Notes:

1. The cuts fall on local authorities in waves 7 onwards of the BSF programme. A Research Note by Schools Minister Jim Knight explaining the impact of the cuts can be read here: http://www.jimknightmp.com/images/uploads/166444/3e8e4625-e028-9dc4-9dbc-a9fddce480f5.pdf .
2. Cuts to BSF were proposed in the Tory policy document ‘Raising the bar, closing the gap’. The £4.5 billion would be used to create 220,000 additional surplus places in “New Academies” – with no regard to replacing weak or underperforming schools.