• STOP funding cuts in English Schools
    The latest proposed school funding formula will see the majority of schools, academies and free schools funding cut under using the spin that this will make the system fairer throughout England. In real terms cuts will mean teacher redundancies, larger class sizes, reduced choice and ultimately children having a poorer educational experience. The government will say that they are spending more money than ever before but school numbers are also larger than before with ever increasing pressure on school places nationally. More and equally distributed funding is required now. Please back this campaign to get the Department for Education to review this situation because of the groundswell of parents and Carers who give a damn about their child's education. Please help by signing and then sharing with you family and friends.
    415 of 500 Signatures
    Created by Ken Mitchell
  • Save our East centre
    Our local youth centre which has been helping young people since 1964 risks being sold off by the council. They have decided this without any consultation, and we’re campaigning to keep it open. I as a person who attends the east think it is very disappointing. There are many memories made in the east. The east has ran for 52 years, which my parents and many other of my friends parents have made many good memories here. The east puts a service for young people, where we can talk about sexual health, mental health, as well as holding many other things for young children such as boxing club, NCC and special needs services This building holds many memories and holds a service to young people which nowhere else offers. We’re making a stand and we’re showing the council our love for Prudhoe’s East centre. Please, if you can, sign this and help us save our east centre. Thank you.
    640 of 800 Signatures
    Created by Lauren Forster
  • Boat children deserve equal access to education!
    In the 19th Century, the authorities took steps to ensure that the children of canal boat families could go to school, by passing the Canal Boats Acts of 1877 and 1884. But the Canal & River Trust's recently imposed policy that forces boaters without permanent moorings to travel at least 20 miles before turning round is actively preventing children who live on boats from attending school. The policy means that children who live on boats can end up having to travel up to 20 miles to school which is not always possible. If the parents are unable to travel that far, they risk losing their home. This is what the head teacher of a primary school attended by many boat children says: “I feel very strongly that this is an issue concerning Human Rights. I do believe that the law is clear that children should be in education, and attending very regularly. Our children's attendance is carefully monitored and by law children are only allowed to be absent for exceptional circumstances. I don't think that any of the laws that refer to boating were intended to make it impossible for the children of parents who continuously cruise [ie. live on a boat without a permanent mooring] to attend a local school." For more information please see https://boatchildren.wordpress.com/
    3,769 of 4,000 Signatures
    Created by National Bargee Travellers Association
  • Save Haringey's Maintained Nursery Schools!
    The Government has recognised the vital role played by our maintained nursery schools and have stated; ,As the universal base rate is introduced, we will allow local authorities to continue to provide a higher level of funding to maintained nursery schools' (Reference, (15) page 8 Changes to funding for three- and four-year olds , Government consultation response , December 2016) Haringey's maintained nursery schools are all rated by Ofsted as 'good' or 'outstanding'. They have very good outcomes with regard to closing the achievement gap and supporting children with special needs. They employ highly qualified and skilled teaching staff proven to give the best opportunity for academic achievement . The petitioners request that Haringey Council recognise the school status of our maintained Nursery Schools and continue to support them in delivering the integrated early education and care which has benefited generations of children, especially those with special needs and from very deprived circumstances in their critical early years.
    121 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Alex Parrish
  • Save Dunelm House
    Q: Why is the building important? A: Dunelm House was completed in 1966 by the Architects' Co-Partnership and engineered by Ove Arup. Ove Arup was born in Heaton, Newcastle Upon-Tyne and was one of the greatest engineers of the 20th Century. Arup played a crucial role in pioneering engineering works worldwide, serving most notably as the designer and supervisor for Durham’s own Kingsgate Bridge (Grade I listed), and as design engineer for the Sydney Opera House. Arup, an honorary Geordie, considered Kingsgate Bridge one of the most important projects of his career, requesting that his ashes be scattered from the bridge following his death in 1988. Kingsgate and Dunelm House are physically connected, as a marriage of structures that depend upon each other. This makes Dunelm House and Kingsgate Bridge two of the most significant structures in the UK, if not Europe, if not the World! And they are on our doorstep in Durham. Why would you want to lose or damage either? Q: It’s a load of ugly dirty grey concrete - knock it down. A: Yes, it is dirty. It is white concrete. And it needs a clean. If you had not cleaned your house for 51 years, it would look grim too. The building needs major work, which Durham University calculate would cost £14.7m. It might seem like a lot of money, but this is a fraction of what recent building projects have required, and is comparable to renovations and extensions to other university buildings. And just think what it could cost to demolish it, bury it in a landfill (how unsustainable!) and rebuild on the same site. Q: The building 'is not able to accommodate new uses, so we should demolish it. A: This statement has been reached as part of the University’s ‘strategic masterplan’, which wants to put another building use on the site of Dunelm House. Of course, this doesn't work without significant investment. So perhaps the masterplan has not been adequately evidenced or justified in trying to impose a new function on an existing building - it’s like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Why not simply adjust the masterplan? Demolition is highly unsustainable, wasteful and very costly financially and environmentally. It should always be the last move when all else fails, and your building is literally falling down. Dunelm House is not falling down - it was designed by one of the greatest engineers of the 20th Century. Q: But the building has a leaky roof! A: Yes it does. All roofs leak at some point (even Durham Cathedral’s roof leaks - it doesn't mean we should knock it down). Most new roofs are only guaranteed for 20 years. Dunelm House's roof is 51 years old, and so like any other building it needs a new roof! Durham University has been aware of the leaky roof for over 10 years. Now is the time to fix it. Q: It will cost too much to repair it. Isn’t it cheaper to just build new? A: Durham University have carried out detailed estimations on the redesign and repair estimated at £14.7m. Dunelm House has a gross internal area of 3980sqm, making the refurbishment cost an estimated £3600 per sqm. That seems like a lot of money, but it is cheaper than the cost of Durham Universities new Ogden Center for Fundamental Physics (the new abstract timber building) which is costing £11.5m for 2,478 sq. m – that’s a whopping £4640 per sqm! Refurbishing the building could be cheaper than building new. A completely new building on Dunelm House’s site could cost millions more due to the cost of demolition and disposal to put Dunelm House into a landfill, not to forget the complexities of the site due to the topography, retaining walls, structures required and access issues that make this project site very complex – and as a consequence very costly! Q: We want a shiny new building by some famous international starchitect. That will put Durham on the map and make it a world class city! A: Durham is already a world class city, with a world class University. It has a diverse architectural grain from across the past millennium, and this includes the twentieth century. Durham University has been an amazing patron of modern architecture, particularly during the 1960s. So why undo that good work and lose it all now? Yes, hire great architects with lots of imagination and creativity. BUT, please look at what other highly successful refurbishment projects of Modernist buildings there have been. Look at Park Hill refurbishment in Sheffield (Hawkins Brown) or the Barbican refurbishment in London (AHMM) completed in past 10 years. Both hugely successful developments, prestigious, award winning, high profile, world class buildings that simply recognise and celebrate the value of Twentieth Century Architecture. Go on Durham, you can do that too!
    4,076 of 5,000 Signatures
    Created by Save Dunelm House
  • Proper training for science lab technicians in education and research
    This is important as many of the technicians who were trained properly in 70's and 80's are about to retire or have already retired and there is a danger that they may not be adequately replaced with. people who have relevant training and knowledge of sciences
    133 of 200 Signatures
    Created by David Stagg
  • Save our Assembly Hall
    This is important as there are no venues available at reasonable cost to encourage the continuance of an alternative social life within the town centre other than that provided by drinking and gambling establishments or mass market coffee houses. Without there being a reason to frequent the Town centre it will soon be no more. The building is in itself a rather splendid example of a public assembly building of the early twentieth century and would be missed from the streetscape
    269 of 300 Signatures
    Created by Dave Wolfskehl
  • Stop the clawback from children's education budgets
    Heads in maintained Schools in Devon are already struggling to balance their books and retain staff. This will be a cut too far and have a massive impact on School staffing, teacher morale and, ultimately, our children's education and futures.
    45 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Steve Bush
  • Save Pelsall Library
    Pelsall Library is less than five years old - it is in a state of the art multi purpose building £5.2m. Closing the facility now would be retrograde and a complete and utter waste of taxpayer money. Pelsall Library is enjoyed by all young and old - a lifeline to many and a hub of the Pelsall community
    1,869 of 2,000 Signatures
    Created by Garry Perry
  • Nick Gibb MP, West Sussex Pupils should not be worth less
    Put frankly, finances in our West Sussex Schools are at breaking point. If nothing is done there will be severe consequences for our children. Currently headmasters across our county are having to consider and actively plan to take any of the following measures to make ends meet: • Modified opening hours/days • Increasing class sizes even further • Reductions in cleaning • Non-replacement of staff when they leave/retire • A halt in all investment in books and IT ________________________ Did you know: • West Sussex is one of the lowest funded council in the country • West Sussex currently gets between £40m - £200m less than other regions for Education • In nearby Brighton & Hove each school receives £300 per pupil premium if they don't speak english as a first language. West Sussex schools get no extra funding for this. ________________________ Nick Gibb MP (for Bognor Regis & Littlehampton, West Sussex) The response from Nick Gibb has been very disappointing to both the headmasters and his constituents so far. In a letter to a local Head Teacher, dated 2 November 2016, West Sussex MP Nick Gibb (Minister for Schools) wrote: “In 2015- 16 we made a step towards fairer funding by adding £390m to the schools budget, targeted at the least fairly funded authorities, including West Sussex. The additional funding for West Sussex was included in their baseline in 2016-17 and is protected for 2017-18.” In this reply Mr Gibb MP doesn’t appear to be acknowledging the funding crisis in this reply. Especially since the £390m mentioned, West Sussex schools received less than £1m (£930k). This represents an increase of less than £10 per child across West Sussex. ________________________ The Worthless? West Sussex Campaign Head Teachers in West Sussex are currently running to campaign to gain additional interim funding of £20million beginning in the financial year, April 2017 with the Worthless? West Sussex Campaign for fairer funding. They need to do this because of long years of under funding by West Sussex County Council, which has now been compounded by the low level being carried over to the funding now allocated directly from Westminster. In their latest letter they said that despite the assistance of some West Sussex MPs and an debate in parliament (Nick Gibb was not in attendance). You can watch here: http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/9b387b6d-28f4-4e0b-9d87-ffd64d3ed678?utm_source=petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=167761&utm_content=Parliament%20TV You can find out more about the WorthLess? West Sussex Campaign on facebook: www.facebook.com/WorthLessWestSussex
    158 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Kelly Morris Picture
  • Free school meals for all
    Many families struggle feeding their children at school. Weather this is through pack lunch or canteen money.
    15 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Adrian Lowe
  • Change school admissions criteria for disabled parents
    I am a disabled stepmother to a beautiful and bright 4 year old who started school this September. As September drew closer, I became excited by the idea of being able to have an active part in his school life, meeting other parents, and even helping out in school. But as I am also a disabled person, this dream has not been so straightforward. Whilst my appeal was upheld by the independent schools' admission appeals panel, this is not the case for all disabled parents who are allocated inaccessible school placement for their child(ren) under Birmingham City Council’s schools admissions policy. Many disabled parents are being given school places at schools that are both inaccessible to travel to and to get around. Had I not been successful with my appeal my stepson would have either had to have been home-schooled (which is not a decision I feel is right for him) or we would have had to pay out for before and after school care that we wouldn't actually need, purely because of being given a school place at a school that wasn't accessible for me to get to. Our case is not isolated. Across the country there are 2.1 million disabled parents, many of whom are either having to fit the bill of expensive childcare that they wouldn't need if they were non-disabled, or travel costs, which are frequently not covered by the local authority. Some disabled parents have even chosen to home school simply because the childcare costs are not sustainable. I believe that Birmingham City Council schools admission policy is both discriminatory and illegal as the city council does not often make reasonable adjustments for disabled parents and carers as is required under the equality act (2010). If Birmingham City Council changed their admissions policy it would be a step towards making disabled parents far more included in their children's education. It would be helpful for the Department for Education’s Schools Admissions Code to include guidance on how councils’ schools admissions policies should comply with their Equality Act 2010 duties around disabled parents request for an accessible school for themselves. This has been recommended on a national level by various charities - including the Alliance for inclusive Education
    180 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Luisa Gibson