You will recall that the Elected Mayor appointed a private company called SERCO to run the education service in 2007.
They almost immediately announced a Transformation Plan which involved the closure of all secondary schools so that in effect, a fresh start would be made in education.
I passionately opposed with plan as, I'm pleased to say, did all parents, teachers and Governors at all the secondary schools in the constituency (and also one excellence special school, Abbey Hill). Only St. Peters in Penkhull approved the plan as they wished to become an Academy and were being offered the Sixth Form College in Fenton.
Joan Walley (MP for Stoke-on-Trent North) and Rob Flello (MP for Stoke-on-Trent South) were equally opposed to the plans which were rejected at parental meetings across the city. Sadly , to their credit, SERCO convinced the Tory/Lib Dem and Labour coalition in the City Council to vote for these plans.