Mildenhall College of Technology to pay for their own transport from Brandon

In a further twist to the free school transport story Mildenhall College of Technology revealed tonight at the consultation meeting in Brandon that they would pay for and provide free travel from Brandon to the College if Suffolk County Council will not.

This clearly shows that the new IES Breckland Free School is likely to have a significant negative impact on Mildenhall College.

Clearly - as the school pointed out - this will be money unable to be spent on education. This seems to be the inevitable consequence of the free school competition policy with money diverted to transport and marketing to ensure survival.

Cllr Bill Bishop

Local County Councillor Bill Bishop seemed very pleased with himself though. As part of the SABRES campaign he made it clear how pleased he was that Brandon children would not need to travel 10 miles to school. This, rather than any educational reason, appeared to be the main issue.

In fact Bill Bishop was so keen to make his point he suggested Mildenhall was 12 miles from Brandon!

What did not seem to concern him was the impact of this new school on Mildenhall College of Technology. Free Schools seem to be encouraging a “beggar they neighbour” approach. Brandon children will still go to sixth form at Mildenhall and so will be adversely affected by any reductions in staff and subjects there.

Sadly much of this seems to be about mis-information and politics with local MP Matthew Hancock taking political credit and mis-leading parents by claimng to have “saved” the Middle School. A school we now know will not retain  a single staff member.

Hancock's Blog mis-leading parents

This and the unbelievable hype about children travelling as they always have at 13 to school in Mildenhall but two years earlier at 11. The fact that thy will also spend 2 extra years in a (closer) primary school seems to be ignored.