Category Archives: Education

Dollis Hill councillors help secure bright future for adult English language students

Posted on July 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Classes which help local residents who speak other languages to improve their English and take a bigger role in the community will continue at Crest Academy – after Dollis Hill Liberal Democrat councillors Javaid Ashraf and Alison Hopkins worked with The Crest Academies to secure premises for their lessons.

The classes, known as Seeking Skills, are run by Sameera Kashif and Nazima Qureshi who both live in Dollis Hill. They have been successfully teaching English to local women who do not speak English since 2007.

Over 250 students have taken and passed Cambridge Examining Board English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) qualifications. But teachers and students feared they might have to find a new home when Crest Academy needed the old building they were based in for other purposes.

Councillor Javaid Ashraf and Councillor Alison Hopkins with Sameera Kashif and Nazima Qureshi

Dollis Hill Liberal Democrat councillors Javaid Ashraf and Alison Hopkins have welcomed the fact that Sameera Kashif and Nazima Qureshi can continue running English as a Second Language classes at The Crent Academies

Dollis Hill Liberal Democrat councillors Javaid Ashraf and Alison Hopkins approached Phil Hearne, the new executive principal of The Crest Academies. Following a successful meeting, he confirmed that the classes could continue on the Crest Academy site.

Dollis Hill Liberal Democrat councillor Alison Hopkins said:

I am so pleased the classes can continue. I’m old enough to remember when simply being female was a barrier to opportunity. For these women it’s language that has put them at a disadvantage.

It is inspiring to see how driven the students are to learn English well, so that they can play a full part of the community they live in. Students told me that thanks to the classes they can now help their children with homework, talk to doctors and carry out everyday tasks we take for granted.

Dollis Hill Liberal Democrat councillor Javaid Ashraf added:

Alison Hopkins and I were deeply impressed with the standard of the classes and the enthusiasm of the students. I want to thank Academy Principal Phil Hearne for recognising their importance and ensuring that these women will not lose their chance to learn English.

The Crest Academies Executive Principal Phil Hearne said:

The Crest Academies look forward to continuing a long and productive relationship with this valuable community group.

The classes help students become more employable. (As an example the language skills learnt enabled one student to take her written driving test in English – she passed first time.) They also help mothers to support their children through school more effectively.

As well as being a place to learn the classes offer the women who attend a social network and can stop them being isolated at home.

Autumn term classes start on Monday 10th September. Potential students can find out more and sign up for classes on Wednesday 5th September from 10.30am until 2pm at The Crest Academies.

At one stage Sameera and Nazima approached Brent Council for help to find alternative premises, and even suggested that they could take space at the old Neasden Library, currently being kept empty by the Labour-run council at a cost of over £70,000 per year. However the council rejected this idea and said nothing could be done to help.

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Posted in Community, Education

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Brent Lib Dem councillors concerned children may be left with no school place in September

Posted on June 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

Liberal Democrat councillors are demanding urgent confirmation from Brent Council Education chiefs about whether there will be enough reception places available for four and five year-olds due to start school in Brent this September.

A newsletter circulated to councillors and governors recently admits:

…we will be able to provide Reception places to all the on-time applications received and offer places for most of the unplaced children in other years.

However, this still leaves us with insufficient places for the large numbers of late applications for Reception places which continue to arrive and are difficult to predict.

Liberal Democrat councillor Barry Cheese, who sits on the Children & Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee, said:

Every year hundreds of parents miss the main closing date in January 2012. Often this is through no fault of their own: for example they may have recently moved into Brent. This is why the council organises eight further rounds of applications between May and August.

Brent Council has received £55 million from the government to pay for extra primary school places – equivalent to a dozen new primary schools.

We owe it to local children to make sure that they aren’t stuck at home when they should be starting their exciting journey through school. We need answers from the Council.

Sarah Teather MP reading with primary school aged children

Sarah Teather MP, Minister of State for Children and Families, has announced millions of pounds more funding for Brent Council to provide more primary school places.

Currently the Labour councillors who sit on the council’s decision-making Executive are not due to consider the school places issue until August, less than a month before the start of term.

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Brent MP Sarah Teather: more two-year olds to get free early education

Posted on December 3, 2011 | Leave a comment

Reposted from: http://www.libdemvoice.org/sarah-teather-mp-writes-more-twoyear-olds-to-get-free-early-education-thanks-to-lib-dems-in-government-26032.html

In last year’s Comprehensive Spending Review Nick Clegg announced that the 20 per cent most disadvantaged families would be guaranteed 15 free hours of early education each week. The additional £650m announced in the Autumn Statement will extend that to 40  per cent of families. This will mean that the 260,000 most disadvantaged two year-olds will benefit by the end of this Parliament.

Sarah Teather MP reading a book with pupils

Brent Central MP Sarah Teather is implementing additional free childcare for disadvantaged children and high quality early years education

The facts are well known – children from the poorest backgrounds start primary school already behind in their development, in their speech and language ability, and in their capacity to make the most of their school years.

The evidence is well known too – high quality early years education, alongside support from parents and family, can really make a difference in giving a child from a disadvantaged background a good start in life.

The Liberal Democrat Manifesto for the 2010 Election set out an aspiration to move to 20 hours of free childcare for every child from the age of 18 months, as the nation’s finances allowed. We made a start last year, now we’re going further.

It’s not an easy time for anyone. But for the 260,000 children given a fair start in life because the Liberal Democrats are in government, we will have made a lasting difference.

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Posted in Education, Young People

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Willesden councillor Ann Hunter helps students get set for future careers

Posted on November 30, 2011 | Leave a comment

Willesden Liberal Democrat Councillor Ann Hunter has helped young people in Brent to consider their future careers and practice their interviewing skills.

She joined students at Capital City Academy last Tuesday (22 November) for a careers speed networking event, and on Thursday (24 November) took part in mock interviews with students at Crest Girls Academy.

Both events were organised by Brent and Harrow Education Business Service (HEBS). Around 190 young people met professionals from a wide variety of careers to discuss their working lives.

Councillor Ann Hunter with students at Capital City Academy

During the Careers Speed Networking adults from different career backgrounds, including a barrister, a doctor, PCSOs, journalists, a physicist and an IT specialist, worked with students in small groups, giving them a brief synopsis of their job and its day-to-day activities, and then answering questions from them. Every ten minutes the pupils moved on to the next person.

It’s a format that the pupils enjoy, and get a lot out of as they to find out about the range of careers available, practice their questioning skills and find out more about the world of work.

The mock interviews are an invaluable opportunity to practice, and get feedback, on being interviewed. This is a skill which can mean the difference between getting a job or not, or whether or not you get into the university of your choice.

Speaking about the events, Cllr Ann Hunter said:

These are both really useful opportunities for the youngsters. It helps give them confidence before entering the jobs market for real, and coaches them how best to present the skills they have.

I was really impressed by the students’ attention and the quality of their questions at the Capital City Academy. The interviewees at Crest were remarkable in how well they presented themselves and their clear desire to achieve and fulfil their potential.

I think the young people there found it reassuring that many of us who were talking to them had changed careers several times, so realised that they weren’t tied to just one career once they’d decided on it. Some youngsters had already decided what they wanted to be, whether surgeons, plumbers or teachers, but many hadn’t. I think they now realise that flexibility in the job market is life-long and nowadays retraining and change is part of life.

 
Councillor Ann Hunter discusses careers with students at Capital City academy in Brent
The Brent and Harrow Education Business Service (BHEBS) has been providing work-related activities for 14 to 19-year olds in West London for almost ten years. BHEBS works with schools and local employers to raise the profile, value and quality of business education.

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Posted in Education, Employment, Young People

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Labour in Brent still committed to cutting school crossing patrols – but by stealth

Posted on September 15, 2011 | Leave a comment

The shadow of the axe still hangs over Brent’s school crossing patrols, despite Labour’s decision to abandon their original proposals to cut 30 of Brent’s 47 lollipop men and women.
 
Brent Council announced last week that it plans to “puts the brakes on cutting school crossing patrols,” but the Executive report due to be considered by leading Labour Councillors on Monday (19 September) reveals that Labour may still be committed to cutting the service.
 
Twenty sites are set to lose their lollipop patrol if the Labour Executive backs the proposals but this will be done over time through “natural wastage” (i.e. not replacing crossing patrol staff if they resign, retire or die) rather than in one fell swoop.
 
If a member of staff leaves a so-called “high-priority” site a replacement lollipop patrol will be poached from a “low-priority” site – leaving the school children to make their own way across the road.
 
Liberal Democrat road safety spokesperson Daniel Brown said:

Labour’s revised proposals plunge schools and parents into a new round of uncertainty. Schools which Labour says are ‘low-priority’ face having their crossing patrol suddenly disappear with no replacement.
 
It also places unfair pressure on the school crossing patrol staff, who know that children will be left without someone to see them safely across the road if they leave their job.
 
Some of the so-called ‘low-priority’ sites are in fact busy roads where children will be at risk.

According to the report Labour is trying to persuade schools to cover the cost of the patrols, despite the fact that schools are legally prohibited from using their main budget to subsidise the service.

The twenty sites which are still on Labour’s hit list are:

  • Aylestone Avenue – Malorees Infants & Junior
  • Brentfield Road – Swaminaryan School
  • Brondesbury Park– Malorees Infants & Junior
  • Canterbury Road – St Mary’s RC Primary
  • Chamberlyne Road – Kensal Rise Primary
  • Church Lane – Fryent Primary
  • Dollis Hill Lane – Our Lady of Grace Juniors
  • Dollis Hill Lane – Our Lady of Grace Infants
  • Harrow Road, Sudbury – Sudbury Primary
  • Hillside – Stonebridge & Our Lady of Lourdes
  • Manor Park Road – John Keeble Primary
  • Mapesbury Road – NW London Jewish School
  • Milman Road – Salusbury Primary
  • Mount Pleasant, Wembley – Lyon Park Infant & Junior
  • Neasden Lane North (2 sites) – Wykeham Primary
  • Oakington Manor Drive, Wembley – Oakington Manor Primary
  • Park Avenue – Convent of Jesus and Mary
  • Princes Road – Roe Green Infant and Junior
  • Salusbury Road – Salusbury Primary

 The report says:

Reductions in the number of SCP [School Crossing Patrol] sites can be expected in future years through staff natural wastage at lower priority sites and as improvements to priority sites, such as the installation of controlled crossings, result in those sites being reclassified as lower priority sites (page 90).

Savings of around £18,000 could be anticipated from 2012/13 onwards until such time as the service is reduced to the minimum acceptable level (page 107).

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Posted in Campaigns, Community Safety, Education, Young People

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Labour’s U-turn on Brent School Crossing Patrols is victory for people power

Posted on September 12, 2011 | Leave a comment

Liberal Democrat campaigners and councillors have welcomed indications that Labour councillors have scrapped their plan to axe 30 of Brent’s 47 school crossing patrols.

Brent Council has announced that the Labour-controlled Executive on Monday 13 September will decide “whether to accept the recommendation not to proceed with the proposed withdrawal of School Crossing Patrol officers at this time.”

Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Paul Lorber said:

This is a victory for people power. People were outraged that Labour could put children’s safety at risk in this way and at the flawed nature of the consultation. Hundreds of parents and residents signed the Liberal Democrat petition to save the Lollipop patrols or lobbied the council.
 
However it is important that we all keep up the pressure until the decision is made. I will reserve full judgement until examining the Executive report carefully. We need to be sure Labour will not bring back the proposals once the current controversy has died down.

Councillor Ann Hunter collecting Save Our Lollipop Patrols petition signatures

Councillor Ann Hunter collecting Save Our Lollipop Patrols petition signatures

Councillor Ann Hunter, Liberal Democrat councillor for Willesden Green who took a leading role collecting petition signatures, added:

I have spoken to hundreds of parents in Willesden Green about Labour’s plan to remove the High Road and Park Avenue crossing patrols. Almost all of them were concerned about the implications for local children if this vital road safety measure waswithdrawn. It’s great that everyone’s hard work has paid off.

Labour council leader Ann John is due to make a a statement on the change of policy at this evening’s full council meeting.

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Posted in Campaigns, Community Safety, Education

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