HIS TIME as portfolio holder for Education was not one covered in glory. One remembers cllr Mike Revell’s performance on national television during the “Chafford schools for Chafford parents” in 2007 which was an unmitigated PR disaster.
But Mike does like a challenge (he was an outstanding portfolio holder for the environment) and so has taken it upon himself to find out why Thurrock Council have decided to take back £1.2 million from the Ockendon Academy.
Why the shadow portfolio holder, cllr Sue MacPherson wasn’t asking the questions is a moot point but perhaps the very astute Ms MacPherson can spot a minefield, swamp or hornets net a little bit better than the bespectacled 76-year-old retired optometrist.
Last night at the full council meeting, cllr Revell asked the question to portfolio holder Diana Hale.
Cllr Hale responded: “We are following national guidelines ensuring schools’ revenue balances and have to ensure they are not carrying forward an excessive balance.
“That money should not be sitting in a bank. It needs to be for the benefit of all the children of all the schools.
“Any excessive balance is returned to the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). The Schools Forum determines how the DSG is spent.
Cllr Hale then reminded cllr Revell of the importance of the Schools Forum and referred to the previous Tory portfolio holders attendance records.
Cllr Hale said: “Cllr MacPherson attended six out of fourteen meetings and you attended five out of thirteen meetings.
“If you don’t attend these meeting then you are in danger of not having a total grasp of the facts and feelings relating to these issues.”
Cllr Revell then asked why it took so long for building work to be completed at the school perhaps forgetting that while his party was in power there was a major investigation by Price Waterhouse Cooper into the procurement process in relation to the school and the fact that the builders Haymills went into administration.
Ockendon Academy headteacher Mrs Barbara King has not responded to a request for an interview.
If this money was infact revenue as stated in this report why was the school saving it up for capital works. This is day to day costs and not building costs.
But the biggest question has to be why had the tory portfolio holder – Sue McPherson allowed this to happen? no wonder she is sitting very quiet and leaving Mike Revell to take the flak she should have insisted that it was returned to the dedicated schools grant and redistributed to schools across Thurrock. This money could have gone to schools that were willing to spend it on educating children and improving SATS standards across the board.
This saving for a rainy day/building project happened over 5 years and both Revell and Mcpherson allowed it to go on.
Barbara King thought she could squirrel this money away to build her academy classrooms even though academies sit outside of Thurrock council control. Well done to those that found the anomolies and demanded the money back.
As usual poor attendance at meetings by the Tory councillors.
Sting, surely the biggest question has nothing to do with Cllr McPherson but rather with why it’s become an issue now and not before? Apparently the money has been
showing in the School’s figures for a number of years and each time it has been reviewed by the Council it has been deemed acceptable. Is it true that its only been an issue since the school went for Acedemy status? If that is true then it’s yet another politically motivated decision. Surely there is nothing wrong with a school wanting to save money for additional improvements?
Tory administration overlooked it….. yes Sue Mcpherson and Cllr Revell before her.
Labour administration picked the anomolies up and have since been trying to put it straight.
All Schools have to use their budgets wisely, they get the money from the Government and the majority of this will go to payroll.
Some of this budget will be used for improvements, and maintenance of the premises all one BIG pot of money is given to the school for the school to use how they wish.
On this occasion the school saved so it could extend the school and build new facilities, the money from the government can be used for this. It allows for the school to take even more children from the community which it serves
The issue is that the elected councillors and those that work within the LA are allowed to say one thing, and then change there minds. Clearly unacceptable, and they are doing it to all of the schools, and have done for years.
The government has given all schools a way out, and this is by becoming an academy, but still the LA screws it over.
Sting, so because it was an alleged Tory error picked up by the Labour administration it is right to take the money off the school that has been careful with its funds and redistribute it to other schools? Once again, what is wrong with the school saving money for improvements? Are you against the school trying to improve its facilities or are you just point scoring off the Tories? Oh, and before you jump up and down, I said ‘alleged’ earlier because it isn’t clear to me that the school is at fault in any way and it isn’t clear that the Council did anything wrong previously.
I don’t understand your position, the money will be used to improve Ockendon Academy which, in turn, will benefit the kids of Ockendon and the wider area. How can you moan about that?
RobF4: Thanks for this. If this is correct then i am sorry for the posts about this and i am sure your money will get reinstated..
But if as stated in the original article it was cearly specified only to be used for revenue and day to day costs then i stand by my posts. As you know revenue and capital pots are very very different.
I am not here ot offend and i have friends whos children attend the school but we must all live by rules and it looks like these lines have been muddied over the years.
I sincerely hope it is sorted soon for both sides sake.