MP Helen Jones
BOROUGH Council policies are putting schools in the north of Warrington at a disadvantage, according to MP Helen Jones.
She has slammed the authority for assisting the new University Technical College (UTC) to send out marketing information while not promoting other schools in the borough.
The Warrington North MP said the council had a duty to co-ordinate admissions to schools and the provision of information.
“It appears that the council took prospectuses from the UTC, put them in envelopes and labelled them, then returned them to the UTC for franking. “It is arguable that they breached the Data Protection Act in doing so.
“However, sending parents information about one educational establishment and not others cannot be seen as impartial. It disadvantages other schools in the borough and could lead parents to assume that the council is promoting one establishment.
“The council’s policies are disadvantaging Warrington North. We have lost Woolston High School and the sixth form at Culcheth which received no support to try to keep it open.
“Yet the UTC was given the land free and the council helps to promote it.
“I have a simple question. Why are schools in Warrington North not being given the same assistance? The value of the land granted to the UTC must be substantiated.
“Why did Culcheth not receive equivalent financial help to keep its sixth form open?
“We have over 1,000 surplus places at secondary level. If the process of moving provision away from the north of the town continues, young people in my constituency will be placed at a disadvantage.
They will not be first in the queue for admissions elsewhere and may have to travel further for their education.”
Ms Jones said she had written to the council asking for more detail on how this occurred and asking for assurances that the council would stop putting Warrington North schools at a disadvantage.
