We’re asking for more money for Elgar school

Following a meeting with the Department for Education and Skills on Tuesday, Worcestershire County Council is requesting additional help to pull Elgar Technology College out of special measures.

And the council confirmed it was still considering turning the school into an academy.

Colin Weeden, the council's head of raising achievement and access to learning, said: "We discussed all the options with the Department for Education and Skills' (DfES) school improvement team, including the academy option - but that would be a medium-term plan not short-term."

Mr Weeden said no decisions were taken at the meeting about the school's future but he said the council was now asking for more help from the Government.

"The meeting was purely for the DfES to check up on us and what we are doing to improve things at Elgar," said Mr Weeden. "They suggested we write to them about what level of support could be offered to assist the school and discuss various steps taken with the governors to help the school improve.

"So our first step now is to put in a request for further support for Elgar, both financial and other resources, such as people they may supply to help the school."

Mr Weeden said there was no set financial figure being asked for by the council but the money would go towards the costs of helping to improve the school by enlisting help and support from specialists and developing an improvement plan.

He said the council would also be looking to enlist support from Kidderminster's Baxter College. Baxter College transformed itself from a failing school into a highly successful one in just two years.

The meeting on Tuesday morning was attended by Richard Hubbard, the county council's director of children's services; Mr Weeden, and three representatives from the DfES. Mr Weeden said the council would hold a meeting with the school's headteacher and governors after the half-term break to explore all the options on the table for the future.