Following the fiasco where the Schools Adjudicator went against Salford Council's plans to shut St George's… and following increasing recognition in the city that the Council can't add up when it comes to reorganising all the schools…what does it do?
Yep, it appoints four outside consultants to "advise the City Council on the future organisation of its schools" at a cost "no greater than £140,000".
The decision, still to be rubber stamped by the Lead Member for Children's Services, will stagger anyone who has been following the constant calamity which has seen potty plans for the merger of Moorside and Swinton High Schools to create a new school for 1350 pupils when the actual number on the register when it opens will be over 1650…and the new Wheatersfield Primary and Langworthy Primary being built too small for pupil numbers…plus the whole mess with the Catholic schools…it goes on and on and on…
The original plans for the future of Salford's schools were drawn up with the help of outside consultants Capita Symonds and Capita Children's Services. A Council Report from the time noted that it could save money by cutting school places… "the ability to generate additional local revenue by generating greater efficiencies through a well managed (sic) reduction in surplus places is a real possibility and a goal which we must strive for…"
Everything has been going so well that the Council obviously needs to chuck £140,000 at some more outside consultants. All of which begs the question as to what the Council's own highly paid Children's Services executives are doing all day. Well we know that one's suspended and one's retired, so what are the rest doing - picking their nose at the back of the class? Sneaking off behind the bike sheds for a fag? They're certainly wagging maths lessons...
You can keep your £140,000 – here's some advice for free…
* 1+1= 2
* 1+1=2
* 1+1=2
* 1+1=2
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