 | Shadow Schools Secretary visits Calder High School |
 |
Michael Gove, Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, has today visited Calder High School in West Yorkshire and met with Calder High School Deputy Headteacher Chris Sylge and Todmorden High School Headteacher Patrick Ottley-Connor.
During the visit, Michael Gove was shown the poor state of the buildings at Calder High and the difficulties that causes for teaching and learning at the Mytholmroyd site. He also heard about similar problems at Todmorden High School.
They discussed the inequality in funding from the Government’s Building Schools for the Future programme which has seen Calderdale so far fail to receive early release of money for school rebuilding for Todmorden and Calder High Schools. These two schools have been at the top of local priorities for re-builds for many years.
I was pleased to be able to show Michael Gove the challenges that face the staff and students at Calder High School every day due to the poor state of the building. It is sad that areas like Calderdale, who do extremely well academically, have suffered by not receiving Building Schools for the Future funding for these two schools which are clearly long past their ‘sell by dates’ and really not fit for purpose for the 21st Century.
I know that we are going to be facing tough times for public spending in the future, but David Cameron and Michael Gove are committed to getting more money into classrooms in the future so head teachers can decide what’s important not officials in Whitehall.
 
| 
