Schools Shock

The future of the new build at Maltby Academy was thrown into doubt earlier this month following the announcement by Education Secretary Michael Gove of a complete overhaul of capital investment inEngland's schools. Bringing an end to Building Schools for the Future (BSF), he said "In the light of the public finances, it would have been irresponsible to carry on regardless with an inflexible, and needlessly complex programme." The Academy rebuild was key to the release of a total of £222m to Rotherham MBC for school rebuilding across the borough which had to boast at least one Academy.

"Obviously, we are all extremely disappointed with the BSF announcement and the impact that will have on investment in school buildings across Rotherham. At this stage we are not clear what this means for the Maltby building programme as all Academy schemes are to be reviewed on a 'case by case' basis," said Academy Principal Dave Sutton.

"The ambition for Maltby Academy remains the same, 'to provide a first class learning environment and access to cutting edge technology to inspire young and old to engage in learning and achieve their full potential'. Maltby Academy is committed to working in partnership with the family of schools and broader learning community to realise this ambition.

"U-xplore and the Council appreciate how a new school building can raise aspirations
and inspire young people, equally they subscribe to the Academy ethos which is to raise standards of achievement and secure excellence through high quality teaching and learning. We are all committed to the Maltby Learning Community for the long term and anticipate a further increase in the GCSE examination results this year, highlighting the progress being made at Maltby Academy.

All stakeholders in the Maltby Learning Community will be doing everything in their power over the coming months to try to secure a new building for the young people of Maltby."

Councillor Paul Lakin, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People's Services said:
"This is devastating news for our schools and thousands of young people across Rotherham. It means the borough won't receive millions of pounds of investment - money that is needed not only to regenerate schools but to provide a boost to local communities and businesses.

"We are downhearted but not defeated. We have created a very strong partnership
with schools, the Council, partner organisations and local communities through "Transforming Rotherham Learning", which is now central to how we plan for and provide services for children and young people. We should be proud of that and ensure that this is not lost now the funding has been taken away, so we can continue to raise attainment and standards in our schools.

"In the first phase of our project, five secondary schools were due to be rebuilt along with one special school. Additionally, two special schools were due to receive funding for ICT. All those have now been stopped, except for Maltby Academy.

"We are still awaiting more details from the Government about the way forward and what we will have to progress the project at Maltby Academy which is due to be reviewed by the Government as an individual case.

"With more schools due to be involved in future phases the Rotherham project was worth £222m in capital funding and £24m for ICT.

"The five secondary schools in Phase 1 are all in urgent need of redevelopment so we
are now in the early stages of looking at other funding opportunities for those schools. We will also have to await the outcome of the Government's capital spending review which is not due to report until the Autumn.

"The project has cost the Authority in the region of £1 million so far, a figure which doesn't include the time and commitment of schools and others who have supported the setting up of the project."

The special school at Hilltop has fared even worse under the Coalition plans with its
building funding having been cut altogether. It was to have a new school on the Academy's 0-19 campus. Hilltop has consistently won 'Outstanding' ratings from Ofsted. "I am deeply disappointed by this announcement and what it means for Hilltop
School. I have written to the Education Secretary to request an urgent meeting to discuss the rebuilding of Maltby Academy," Rother Valley MP Kevin Barron told maltby. news.

The proposals for Lillyhall Junior School are also in doubt.

Mr Sutton believes the re-assessment of the Academy's proposals will be completed by
the end of the current school term.

Sources close to the Department of Education have indicated to the maltby.news
that discussions with local representatives are likely to take place over the next two weeks.

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Latest figures show crime down in Wentworth Valley area

Recent figures show that crime in the Wentworth Valley region has fallen overall
compared with the same three month period last year. Violent crime has undergone a
massive 35.8% decrease and anti social behaviour incidents have decreased by 10%
between March and May this year compared with the same quarter in 2009.

Crime in South Yorkshire is down for the fourth consecutive year and the Wentworth
Valley region is described as having an average crime rate within South Yorkshire.
Compared with the Wentworth North and Wentworth South regions, Wentworth Valley has the lowest number of anti-social behaviour incidents and the lowest number of violent crimes. However, burglaries have increased in the area during June. Sergeant Suzanne Snowden of Wentworth Valley police force explained, "Sneak thieves are out at this time of year. In hot weather it's important to remember to lock your doors and windows."

Local authorities have been combating crime through new initiatives such as The
Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs) which were initiated by the last government with the view to every community having a team. In South Yorkshire, SNTs have been operating for two years. The teams consists of Police officers, police community support officers, fire and rescue team (arson intervention officers) and Children and Young Person Officers. The Team is designed to be a visible authority within the community, accessible for local people to interact and air their views.

The team regularly holding open meetings with the local community at Partners and
Communities Together meeting. The meetings are structured for local people to discuss local issues. Three issues are chosen as priorities from those raised and the group then work towards possible solutions.

The reduced crime also comes at a time when investment has been increased in local
community projects. The Police Authority's, 'A Better Community (ABC) Awards,' donated cash to over 100 different projects across South Yorkshire.

Anita Gelder, consultation and grants officer at South Yorkshire Police Authority said, "The 2010 grants have been awarded to some extremely deserving groups in order for them to continue their fantastic work and it will be great to see how they will make a difference to the local community." In Maltby in particular, three projects have been funded.

The Phoenix and Parkgate Angling Club is aimed at juniors with poor background or
behavioural difficulties and received almost £2000 to promote healthy living, the benefits of the outdoors and social bonding. Maltby Linx Young People's Centre received £2000 to provide activities and opportunities fo young people and those on the verge of antisocial behaviour and those that are deemed vulnerable. The centre attempts to divert young people away from alcohol and gear them toward a more positive outlook. TheEdward Dunn Young People's Programme received funding to improve access to sporting opportunities as a deterrent from anti-social behaviour for young people.

Andy Wright at the Young People's Centre discussed the aims of the Friday and Saturday Night Club which will begin in September, "We want to change the perception of young people in the community. Groups hanging around on your street are not always a danger in terms of anti-social behaviour. We're concerned with their safety." The Centre are piloting the project over the summer preceding its full initiation in September. The project aims to work to reduce alcohol consumption on the streets amongst young people. Youth workers will work in partnership with the police in their attempt to conduct a 'three strikes' rule in which an under 18 caught with alcohol on
three occasions within a 12 month period will this funding we wouldn't be able to do the work. If the project is successful we will aim to continue at least some aspects of the work when the Award money has been spent by absorbing the costs within the centre. There's no point raising expectations of young people to remove the service later."

Local Confidence Survey Result showed that 31% of people in Rotherham are satisfied the police and local council are dealing with antisocial behaviour and crime issues that matter. Overall, the figures have proven positive, showing our community to be developing as a safer place to live with a proactive Safer Neighbourhood Team. An impact survey proved highly successful in Wickersley, where 78% of local people agree that the police and council are dealing effectively with crime and anti-social behaviour issues in their area.

The Wentworth Valley Neighbourhood Action Group received the District Commander's Commendation Award for their work in Wickersley. Sgt Suzanne Snowden was delighted with the result and hopes to roll out similar success across the Wentworth Valley region. She praised community involvement at the PACT meetings, "As a police organisation we often see the big picture. The PACT draws attention to the details."

To find the details of your next PACT session go to http://neighbourhood.southyorkshire.police.uk/rotherham

by Lyndsey Hannam


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Warning on bogus mobility repairs

This month has seen a local increase in instances of rogue trading. The trader
is targeting mobility service customers. Users of mobility scooters across Rotherham are being warned about the scam, which involves misleading calls and substandard repairs.

Parkgate Mobility are particularly concerned about these traders, who were initially claiming to be calling from the reputable company. A spokesperson for Parkgate Mobility expressed his worry, saying, "Elderly and vulnerable people are being sucked into thinking the caller is a reliable employee from a reputable, familiar company. We've got customers who we build relationships with, and when these traders start passing themselves off as Parkgate Mobility, our customers inform us."

Officers from Rotherham Trading Standards are urging the public to make sure they know exactly who they are dealing with before agreeing to any kind of service. Trading Standards have received reports of a significant number of householders receiving telephone sales calls offering servicing to their mobility scooters and stair lifts. Traders
then arrive to provide an unsatisfactory service, often on the door step. "We don't believe you can do a proper job by servicing on the door step. We take an hour to check the battery," says our Parkgate Mobility spokesperson. In some instances, servicing has been conducted from the boot of a car.

In one particular case, a customer reported that the trader arrived at the house on foot, leaving the customer without so much as a registration plate to report to Trading Standards.

It is reported that the bogus traders know details of the relevant product and customer. The reliability of their claim that they have attained this information through independent market research is questionable, raising the possibility that information has been leaked from a third party. Parkgate Mobility are keen to clarify that any customer information has not been leaked through them.

By Lyndsey Hannam

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Temperatures rising and it's complaining men!

Full Life Church is to open another large Community and Conference Venue on Monday 28th June at 11.00am. Following the building of a new Worship and Concert hall four years ago the new Community and Conference Venue is the final phase of an ambitious project. The hall will be available for all kinds of events and meetings run by both the Church and wider Community.

Renovations have also been carried out to Full Life Reception. This will assist the many visitors coming through to access Sunbeams Nursery and events being held every week throughout the Church Complex. The Hall will seat up to 250 people and has a very contemporary and welcoming feel to it.

The opening ceremony will be attended by the Mayor of Rotherham and a welcome is extended to everyone in the Maltby Community and surrounding area who would like to attend. The church is also equally excited to announce that a Romanian Children's Choir, Caminul Felix, will be performing at the opening event. The Choir receive support from various individuals and organisations in Maltby and are well known to many in the area.

The visit forms part of their current UK tour. The opening event will also include an audio visual presentation, exhibitions and light refreshments. The Choir will also be in Concert on Tuesday 29th June 7.30pm at Full Life Church. Entry is free but an offering will be taken for the Choir,

The new Hall has been made possible by the generosity of numerous people and organisations. Special acknowledgments and thanks are expressed to Coalfields Regeneration Trust, Interior Contracts Specialists, Riverdale Flooring, Woods Decorators, A White Decorator, Core Telecom and numerous volunteers for their kind help and support.

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