A DEPUTY headteacher has argued that middle schools are where children make the most progress.
His comments followed controversial plans being considered which would change Dunstable and Houghton Regis from a three-tier to a two-tier schooling system.
The Gazette reported in a front page story last week, right, how Central Bedfordshire Council may change the current lower, middle and upper school arrangement to a primary and secondary model after a review of teaching and learning in the two towns.
Desmond Tinch, who is second in charge at Streetfield Middle School in Dunstable, said middle schools are a strength in the town that should be capitalised upon rather than abolished.
He said: “Part of the argument for closing the middle schools is because they say that is where the underachievement is.
“But the data actually shows that the middle schools are where the most progress is made.
“I collected the information from Central Bedfordshire Council and the Department for Education.”
The statistics obtained by Mr Tinch show that 19 per cent of pupils in lower schools were making expected progress in English in Year 4 in 2010 in Dunstable and Houghton Regis and 17 per cent were achieving expected progress in maths.
In middle schools, 73 per cent of youngsters in Year 6 were making expected progress in English and 73 per cent in maths.
And in Year 8/9 – the transition from middle to upper school – students were at 79 per cent for English and 81 per cent for maths.
Upper schools at Year 11 saw 54 per cent of students make expected progress in English and 50 per cent in maths.
Mr Tinch said: “I would be making the case that it is the middle schools that are the strength in the town.
“I don’t want to make other people look bad but it is a mistake that the middle school is looked at as the weakness.
“The reason why we have a middle school system is because it tuned into the children’s emotional and academic development.
“I think people have a tendency to forget that.”
Four options were being considered for Dunstable and Houghton Regis, but members of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee have now indicated that they will recommend that the executive committee consider two options in greater detail – option one and option four.
Option 1 is to retain the current system of lower, middle and upper schools but for schools to group together under formal governance arrangements so they offer more co-ordinated support for pupils.
Option 4 reflects a traditional two-tier primary and secondary model, expanding lower schools to primaries and uppers to secondaries, closing a number of middle schools and creating an additional secondary school.
A Central Bedfordshire Council spokesman said: “We are carrying out a further detailed appraisal mainly but not exclusively on these two options to determine their potential to raise standards in the area.
“This will also consider how the implementation of either option could be achieved without detriment to children currently attending those schools.”
There will be consultation throughout summer 2011 followed by a second, more formal statutory consultation if any changes in school organisation were proposed.