Row over York Education Director’s £115,000 salary

City of York Council members last night (10th October) agreed would advertise for a new Director of Education, Skills & Children’s Services.

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The move was challenged by opposition Councillors who argued that a £15,000 a year salary supplement was unnecessary against the Councils difficult financial position.

Liberal Democrats argued against high guaranteed salaries although recognised that there could be a bonus arrangements to recognise outstanding performance. (The Council’s Chief Executive is already on performance related pay).

Labour Cllr Williams told the Council that the cost of the supplement would be taken from the education budget. A view which parents may find somewhat alarming.

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Small Changes, Big Savings – Acomb Explore money event on Monday 14th October,

People across York are being invited to boost their financial know-how in a series of events designed to help people make savings, get more out of the internet and make the banks work better for them.

A series of seven Small Changes, Big Savings sessions are being held at different venues across the city during York’s Housing Week, from 14-18 October, which is looking at ways to overcome poverty.

The ‘Small Changes, Big Savings’ events held across the city will be at:

• •Acomb Explore on Monday 14 October, 9:30-11:30am •

•Bell Farm Social Hall on Tuesday 15 October, 10am-12 noon when we’ll be launching our anti loan shark charter

• •Clements Hall on 15 October 1:30-3:30pm;

• •Sanderson Court on Wednesday 16 October, 9:30-11:30am

• •Foxwood Community Centre on Thursday 17 October, 9:30-11am

• •Tang Hall on 17 October, 2-4pm

• •Burton Stone Community Centre, on Friday 18 October, 1-3pm.

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Places and spaces to Inspire in York this winter

A Mary Poppins view of York from the top of the Mansion House and a residence fit for an Archbishop are two of the many hidden and unusual venues waiting to be discovered by participants on the new Inspire programme of workshops, lectures and events.

The collection which includes a Masterclass in rooftop photography in the city centre and a Contemporary Floral Displays workshop at Bishopthorpe Palace, make use of some of the special places which York and its surroundings have to offer. The venues are all hand picked to inspire creativity, promote learning or better understand the subject matter of the sessions.

The Autumn / Winter Inspire listings include other new and exciting venues, such as the Yorkshire Arboretum at Castle Howard where a watercolour painting workshop will take place outdoors with the Artist in Residence. York Medical Society in Stonegate, whose rooms are set within a beautiful Grade 2 listed building dating back to about 1590, is the venue for a new Discover Mindfulness workshop and other interesting Inspire venues include the Victorian kitchens of the Mansion House, Middlethorpe Hall and the Theatre Royal.

Each workshop, lecture and event is delivered by enthusiastic and qualified coaches or instructors who are specialists in their own field. Many have experience in working with schools, universities, private businesses, charities and other local organisations to share their expertise and experience.

Booking is now open for a range of courses and more will be added throughout the season.

Anyone interested in finding out more should visit http://www.feelinginspired.co.uk/, email hello@feelinginspired.co.uk or call 01904 552806

York High and Westfield amongst schools likely to be hit by strike action on Tuesday

Teachers’ unions the NUT and the NASUWT are planning a one-day strike for their members on Tuesday 1 October 2013.

Information about the school closures is detailed below and will be updated regularly. However, if you have any queries, please contact your school directly.

Contact details for schools can be found here.

Click here for up to date list.

click for updated list

click for updated list

York GCSE results

Pupils, parents and teachers are celebrating today!

Whilst it is being reported nationally that results are down on last year, York pupils have bucked this trend with schools showing a 4 per cent improvement on last year’s results.

Provisional results show that 67 per cent of young people achieved five or more A*-C grades including English and Maths GCSE, compared to 63 per cent last year.

This result is the highest ever for the city. Fulford school, Huntington school, Archbishop Holgate’s school and All Saints school all achieved over 70 per cent.

York Stories 2012 time capsule burial

TMachine eThe York Stories 2012 project is drawing to a close on Tuesday 13 August when a time capsule full of stories and artefacts collected throughout the past year will be sealed into the York Bar walls.

So far people have added many items including USB sticks loaded with pictures and stories, a copy of The Press, a chocolate mould from York Cocoa House and many other items.

The time capsule has toured the city over the past three months and has made stops at York Explore, St George’s primary school, Auden House residential home and Burton Stone Lane community centre.

For more info go to http://www.yorkstories2012.com/

York schools big spend on supply teachers

The Council has revealed how much each school in the City has spent on supply teachers .

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Supply teachers are brought in to cover staff vacancies and sickness. In some cases the school sources the supply teacher themselves whilst others use agencies.

In total several million pounds is spent on employing supply teachers in York each year

Highest spending secondary school was Huntington at over £160,000.

In the primary sector Poppleton Road paid out £73,000

Locally York High spent £26,000

Westfield Primary school spent just over £70,000 while Hob Moor spent around £29,000.

A full list can be found by clicking here

Meanwhile York’s Liberal Democrats have welcomed an £880,200 increase in funding to York Primary Schools from the Pupil Premium in 2014/15.

This increase represents a £400 rise for every qualifying child and is the largest ever increase in the Pupil Premium for primary schools.

The Pupil Premium is a major Lib Dem priority being delivered by the Coalition Government.

It ensures that extra money is targeted at schools depending on the number of pupils who have been registered for Free School Meals at any point in the last six years.

Schools also receive funding for children who have been looked after continuously for more than 6 months, and children of Armed Forces personnel.

Labour cut waste collection, road maintenance, community centres, libraries, elderly persons homes, ice clearance, job training and Social Services.

Cuts to street level services click to enlarge

Cuts to street level services click to enlarge

Labour’s hopelessly misjudged Council budget proposals are set to be approved tonight. Cuts to all front line public services are planned yet

Labour also intend to retain a £1 million a year “slush fund” which is used to pay for a range of inessential “vanity” projects.

The £1 million this year has been used to pay for lighting and firework displays, free WiFi access in the City centre, a plan to open the Bonding warehouse as a “digital media hub”, building design competitions, an “innovation catalyst” programme; not to mention the occasional foreign travel trip.

More waste is evident in the Councils capital programme where commitments to introducing an unnecessary Citywide 20 mph speed limit and the purchase of a barge for use as an arts centre have seen interest payments, on borrowed money, double since Labour took control of the Council.

Abandoning these “vanity” projects and making good use of the reduced running costs (down by £375,000) of its new HQ would allow the Council to restore many of the most damaging cuts.

Labour’s key proposals would see:

• A 1.9% hike in Council tax levels (despite central government offering to underwrite the costs of a freeze)

• Privatisation or outsourcing of leisure/swimming pool management the Warden Call service and the “Sheltered housing with extra care” service. Even the Mansion House will be commercialised

• Grants to Museums Trust cut by £100,000, the Theatre Royal by £101,000 with similar % cuts other voluntary sector bodies

• At a time when people are rightly worried following revelations about meat quality, trading standards faces a £42,000 cut, while there will be less air quality monitoring.

• There will be less for job training as Future Prospects loses £150,000

• The closure of elderly persons homes will be brought forward meaning that some residents face double moves before new accommodation is completed. In 2014 pensioners will face a 90p charge when using their passes on Park and Ride services

• Disabled facilities at Greenworks and Brunswick Nursery cut by £50,000 Supported employment budget cut by £200,000 forcing disabled people into “mainstream employment”

• Social Service clients with personal budgets will lose out from a £500,000 budget cut

• Looked after children – basically those with foster parents – face a £700,000 cut with another £400,000 to come off in 2014.

• Respite services get a £50,000 reduction.

• Children’s centres face a £128,000 cut in 2014

• The toy library bus will scrapped in 2014

Some reductions in expenditure were inevitable.

Labour have simply chosen to economise on the wrong services.

Meanwhile there are some concerns about the likely quality of tonights Council debate