Russell's Commons question over school

11.56.00pm GMT Tue 25th Mar 2008

Alderman Blaxill School

The future of Colchester's Alderman Blaxill Secondary School is to be raised in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon by Town MP Bob Russell - and he has issued an invitation to Government Schools' supremo Mr Ed Balls MP to visit the school on the Shrub End Estate.

Mr Russell has drawn fourth spot for Questions to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families. He will ask Mr Balls "if he will visit Alderman Blaxill School in Colchester to discuss its future with the Head, staff, governors, pupils, parents and representatives of the local community."

Last autumn, in a special debate in the House of Commons, Mr Russell challenged proposals by Essex County Council to close both Alderman Blaxill School and the Thomas Lord Audley College at Monkwick, and replace them with a 1,500-place Academy on the TLA site. This proposal has resulted in massive opposition, and when the County Council held a consultation almost 80 per cent of respondents expressed opposition to an Academy.

Liberal Democrat Mr Russell said: "I believe that, with the massive development of more than 2,500 new houses on the former Garrison, the case for retaining Alderman Blaxill and Thomas Lord Audley as separate schools, based in their own communities, is overwhelming. Closure and their replacement with an Academy is not wanted by local residents."