Wirral council chiefs reject Frank Field’s resignation demand

Mar 17 2010 by Ian Hernon, Heswall News

TWO top Wirral council chiefs have angrily rejected demands for their resignations from Birkenhead MP Frank Field.

Chief executive Steve Maddox and senior education officer Howard Cooper denied alleged “incompetence” in an ongoing row over school performances.

And they dismissed the MP’s claim that they have delayed or stymied plans to shut down Rock Ferry High and Park High schools and merge them into a new academy.

Mr Field insisted the academy project has been delayed by at least two years, despite low GCSE pass rates at both schools.

In response Mr Maddox said the schools and Mr Cooper “continue to work tirelessly to achieve the best outcomes for their pupils” with performance rates improving well above the national average.

He said delays in the academy were due to consultations, national initiatives and the unwillingness of other schools to join the proposed mergers.

Both he and Mr Cooper “strongly reject” Mr Field’s claims “both in relation to the achievement of young people in Birkenhead and the council’s role in the developing academy proposals”.

Mr Field hit back in a second letter: “It is incredible that you are prepared to accept the poor educational achievements of some schools in Birkenhead as ‘best outcomes’.”

He said that while schools have improved, performances are still well short of acceptable levels.

And he claimed it was “deceitful” for the council to claim that delays in the academy plan, possibly until next year, were nothing to do with them.

“The reverse is true,” he said. “The date slipping had everything to do with your failure to deliver on time key pieces of information.

“The lack of leadership, poor attitude and incompetence exhibited by you and Howard Cooper are unacceptable.”