Super schools? Super surgeries? What’s the big obsession?

What does super mean?
Is it a phrase to excite us?
Is it a phrase to keep us docile?

Whatever it is the government seems to be preoccupied with the word super in relation to public establishments. Alongside the “super schools” agenda, the government seems caught up on introducing ‘polyclinics’ or “super-surgeries” across England.

In theory, the proposals seem workable and positive: flash modern buildings and extended opening hours. In practice, they could prove damaging. Doctors and nurses will be working shifts and, potentially, breaking down the traditional doctor/patient relationship. Groups, namely the Patients Association, believe: “the greatest concern that the Patient Association harbour’s in regard to polyclinics is the need for continuity in doctor-patient relations.

It is often crucial to the efficiency of the patients treatment that they form a bond or relationship with their local GP so the doctor can use their understanding of different patients social and cultural backgrounds.

There will also be fewer buildings, "the proposal... is to crush singlehanded and small practices in favour of giant super surgeries of 10 or more doctors. The current 10 000 British practices would shrink to a miserable 1800", said Dr John Dracass of the West Hampshire local medical committee. This will mean that patients will have to travel further in order to see their GP.

Facebook group, Save our Surgeries, opposes the proposals and believes that “the Government fails to understand the depth of opposition from doctors and patients to this policy and does not have a clear understanding of what the proposals will mean in practice. Even the term polyclinic has not been properly defined.”

George Monbiot, of the Guardian, is similarly against the proposals: “None of this serves either the customer or the taxpayer. The irony of Brown's reforms is that they are wholly centred on the needs of the providers rather than the patients.
“Little by little, the privatisation of the NHS is happening already, disguised as a crusade for patient power.”

However, a similar system has taken place in Australia to rave reviews. Every city has a medical centre which holds 12 doctors, and patients can walk in 24-hours a day. They even co-exist with local GPs.

We can’t decide whether the polyclinics will be a success without seeing them in practice, however, like the super school scheme it has found more criticism than praise. “People will not realise just how good the UK GP system is until it is abolished or undermined”, this was a comment from one reader on the BBC website.

It just seems like another Americanisation of the British system. The projects have already tried and, arguably, failed in the states but yet they’ve been transferred to the United Kingdom.

Like the “super schools” story only time will tell if the scheme will be a success.




To add your views you could go to http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/. This is just one group against the plans.

Super Schools "not a failure"

Despite major criticism of the super schools ideal in Burnley, a spokesman for MP Kitty Usher claims that the project is “not a failure”

Just recently the new Shuttleworth Community Collge site has been branded an ‘eyesore’ by residents, if this is attached to all the other problems the project has faced it’s easy to see why people would consider it a failure. However, Kitty Usher’s office came out fighting yesterday and told me that “saying it is a failure has reached a position before any evidence is taken.”

The problems have come about for a number of reasons: merging schools with local rivialries (namely Ivy Bank and Habergham); managing split campuses; difficulties in finding sites and obtaining planning permission. But Peter Marland, office manager for Kitty Usher, said: “There have been difficulties but the project has a long term future not based on short term difficulties.”

One obvious aim for the new schools was to improve the education system in Burnley and also break up the admissions cycle which sees schools in the west of Burnley densely populated compared to sparsely populated schools on the east side.

Martyn Bell, father of a former pupil of Habergham, told me that he took his son out of the school due to problems the scheme caused. He said: “I was opposed to the proposals from the start, he got into Habergham and that was one of the best schools in the county.

“But when the schools merged there wasn’t the same emphasis on education. It was about getting by, but the violence and lose of grades was worrying for different reasons.

“We took him out of the school and had to send him into private education as there are no longer any good schools in the area.”

However, Mr Marland argued that: “New buildings and providing a better standard of education can not be opposed.

“The local media and political parties opposed the scheme (and) have created the false impression of failure and challenged parent’s faith.”

Questions have to be asked whether the “false impression” that is being created takes into account the violence and Ofsted reports which have often criticised the current schooling system.

He did, however, tell me that this scheme is untested so there is bound to be unforeseen problems in achieving success. Achieving success seems a long, long way away.

Defiantly, Mr Marland told me: “The problems are not irretrievable. The schools are improving and the exam results of the schools have not suffered noticeably since the merger.”

“Once the schools are on one site and have a fixed point with their own, rather than mixed school intake, then it will be up to the management to provide the benefits of the new buildings.”

At the time of proposals most head teachers in the area backed the decision. Ivy Bank headteacher, Mr Stephen Ball said: “It’s great news for the town and the local economy.”

Mrs Debbie Hill, headteacher of Walshaw High School, said: “It’s a great opportunity for Burnley.”

It was back in October 2003 when it was proposed that all Secondary schools in the Burnley/Padiham area would be replaced by five new ‘state-of the-art’ schools.

The sites of Barden, St Theodres, Gawthorpe, Habergham/Ivy Bank and Townley High schools are being replaced by new high-tech schools in a £150 million scheme, each accommodating 1,050 pupils. The other schools affected in the area are Pendle Walton, St Hildas, Mansfield, Walshaw and Edge End.

Since that day plans have been drawn and put into place to various degrees of criticism. Residents from around the Townley area voiced their anger to deputy leader John Prescott. Then when the plans were confirmed the Hambledon site was already over subscribed. If everything wasn’t already bad enough, rats were found at the Shuttleworth site.

As it stands today, you’re hard pushed to find any positives: the schools are still shakey with no real structure or foundation; pupils are being pulled out by their parents; exam results aren’t what they used to be and there is a fear of violence amongst pupils and parents alike.

Only time will tell if the project will, eventually, be a success. But for now all I can say is that I’m glad I got out in time.

Map of the Building Schools for the Future initiative in Burnley and Nelson


View Larger Map

Key: Blue = Old Schools

Yellow = New Schools

English 'Pirates'?

This week two Italian teams (Palermo and Reggina) have claimed that English teams are "pillaging" their best young academy players at little or no compensation.

UEFA president Michel Platini has pledged to try and stop such poaching and has been quoted as saying: "The first contract a player signs should be with the club who trains him."

The main problems are that you're uprooting young players and potentially affecting their chance to make the big time by throwing them into a big pond as a small fish and that smaller teams spend time and money on training these players before they are robbed by bigger teams for next to nothing.

Palermo president, Maurizio Zamperini, said: "These clubs already have the best players in the world. To try to speculate on young players, robbing them from other clubs that live off young players, is wrong."

Trevor Brooking has come out and agreed with both Platini and Zamperini saying that the current influx of foreign talent is "very worrying". The Premier League spokesman, Dan Johnson, said: "Clubs would much rather be picking up players 10 or 20 miles up the road rather than scouring Europe". That's fine but when will this happen?

How long do we have to wait before English academy products are seen more regularly in the Premier League?!