EDUCATION! Education! Education! First many congratulations to Liz Quinn, headteacher at Stourport High School and VIth Form Centre who has achieved the superb, well-deserved award of Headteacher of the Year.

This is fabulous news for all at the school, teaching and non-teaching staff and all the students, as even a brilliant head can only achieve this amazing award with support from everyone. Well done indeed.

But I am very angry about other news. There is a proposal that Baxter College should be labelled as a Challenged School because in 2008 their GCSE results were below the required level of 30% of A* to C grades even though their 2009 results were above this level.

Below are extracts from the letter I have written to the Schools Minister notifying him of my objections and requesting him to bring common sense to the proposal.

“Soon after I became the MP for Wyre Forest in 2001, the Harry Cheshire High School, which was failing changed its name to Baxter College and appointed a new Headteacher, David Seddon, who came with a number of staff to turn the school round.

Since Mr Seddon took over, he has increased the popularity of the school, with a total attendance at a low point of 421 now up at 1,041. He has increased the Sixth Form from a nadir of 23 to 150. The letters I used to get from parents objecting to their children going to this school have completely ceased. The last OFSTED inspection judged the school to be satisfactory. Baxter College has become an Investor in People and won a National Training Centre of Excellence accolade.

Walking around the school, as I have frequently since being elected in 2001, the change has been dramatic. When it was the Harry Cheshire School I used to dread having to go there, because of the appalling behaviour of the students, the graffiti on the walls and the feeling in the school generally. Now it is a pleasure to walk around the school; discipline is exemplary; classes are quiet and the interest of the students in the lessons is obvious.

The fact that this school, after all the hard work put in by staff and students, is being labelled as challenged or failing is a kick in the teeth for everybody who has worked so hard to improve things. It is particularly demoralising for the Headteacher who was brought in to do exactly what he has done and who, himself, was seconded recently to pull around another failing school in Worcester itself.”

I went on to list the disasters this designation would cause, including the fact Baxter would have to resign from the uniquely successful ContinU Trust, the effect on staff and student morale would be devastating after all the efforts they have made. It would adversely affect admissions to the school just as its enhanced reputation is being appreciated.

Five words are attached to a filing cabinet in Mr Seddon’s office: Passion, Flexibility, Camaraderie, Integrity and Kindness. These are the words to which he aspires in his everyday work and they are exactly what he is achieving.

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  • Dr Taylor can be contacted by writing to him at 137 Franche Road, Kidderminster DY11 5AP. Telephone 01562 753333. .