County Council idea of academy at Oxford School not supported by Lib Dems

12.16.36pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 16th Sep 2009

Lib Dems say academy status is not the only way forward for Oxford School

Speaking at yesterday's meeting of Oxfordshire county council cabinet, Lib Dem councillor Mohammed Altaf-Khan condemned the way the proposal to create an academy at Oxford School has been handled so far, pointing out that even the local councillors only found out about it via the newspapers. He also raised a number of concerns about the proposal to carry out a feasibility study.

Cllr Altaf-Khan felt that pressing ahead with an academy in an area of east Oxford where there is already one - which has not yet proved itself - was generally a bad idea that would reduce choice for local parents. He called instead for the feasibility study to look at all options, not just the academy route, and to involve all the parents and the local community. The study should also consider the effect on the other local secondary schools.

Altaf said: "Academies are not something that Liberal Democrats generally support - we prefer that schools stay within the local education 'family' and under local authority democratic control. That's why we want the report to look at all possible options for improving Oxford School, not be dogmatic about turning it into an academy. A number of concerns have been expressed by local people about the academy idea and we will all need convincing that the academy is the only possible option. At present, we don't think it is."