Bedfordshire teachers unhappy changes to school system paused

Some areas of Central Bedfordshire are already two-tier but plans for Shotfold and Shefford have been paused

Nineteen headteachers have written to a council stating they want a decision to pause a change to an education system reversed.

The teachers from the Shefford and Stotfold area of Bedfordshire said they were left "shocked" by Central Bedfordshire Council's decision.

The pause would not improve educational outcomes for pupils, the letter warned.

The unitary authority said pausing part of a transition from a three-tier to two-tier system was due to costs.

Nick Martin, the Principal of the Samuel Whitbread Academy, Shefford, said he did not know how long the delay would be

Nick Martin, the Principal of the Samuel Whitbread Academy, Shefford, who signed the letter, told the BBC that "the announcement came as a complete surprise, a complete shock".

The council said it needed more time to make the changes, as the Schools for the Future programme was set to cost £350m but it only had £50m budgeted.

Mr Martin said schools had already "recruited staff in preparation for this" in preparation of the 2025 transition.

"Many of our schools have already started building projects - have converted or converting buildings."

He said recruitment was already "pretty difficult" and this would make it worse.

'The sofa is not big enough'

Some schools in Central Bedfordshire are already two-tier and the plans for the Sandy and Biggleswade area change will go ahead in September 2024, the council said,

A decision on what will happen in Cranfield is expected in August.

"They want to bolt the stable door but a third of this horse is already out the stable", Mr Martin said.

Hayley Whitaker, the council's Independent executive member for families, education and children said: "We're trying to move forward with a real sense of clarity and honesty and transparency."

She said the schools were right to have "concerns" but it was looking for additional funding.

"We're looking down the back of the Central Beds sofa - sadly the sofa is not big enough."

It was due to go back to the schools in October with an update, she said.

She said the scheme had been approved by the former Conservative run council, which lost control to the Independents, in the May local elections.