Alan Whitehead

Labour Party | Southampton Test

Whitehead backs education trust

Dr Alan Whitehead, MP for Southampton Test, today formally backs the bid of the Southampton Education Trust to run a new school in the west of the City.

The Southampton Education Trust (SET) is a partnership of local employers, colleges and community groups and this will be the first time such a partnership has come together to run a school in Southampton.

Dr Whitehead is backing the bid for three reasons:

1. The involvement of local employers and public services in the running of the school will mean more structured and more frequent opportunities for vocational education and mentoring.

2. Strong leadership on improving school standards, based on the partnership including the management expertise of internationally successful companies and the education experience of Southampton’s FE and HE learning institutions.

3. The positive impact on the broader community as SET has emphasised the importance of working with other schools and colleges to share resources and expertise to raise standards across the city.

In backing the bid Dr Whitehead said:

“There has been a recognisable improvement in Southampton’s school results over the last decade.  But our rate of improvement is slower than many other cities.  This bid gives us the opportunity to change that.”

“No other bid has successfully brought together the wealth of business and teaching experience available in the city.  Successful employers would help make the links between what is learnt in the classroom and what happens in the outside world.  And the inclusion of Southampton’s universities and colleges ensures that our children would taught by people with practical experience in education, not people who are starting from scratch.  What makes the Trust’s bid exceptional is that it represents the whole community and builds on all the strengths of Southampton.”

“I have spoken to many parents and governors who are already highly enthusiastic about the bid and I hope it will be successful when the Council makes the final decision on July 2nd.”