Well it's official we made the national news.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Whilst accepting what you say about income streams, I can't believe after all that's been said that the club can contemplate staying at BP. It's falling to bits and it doesn't seem logical to carry on throwing money at it. If I was good enough to be a professional footballer, I would be seriously put off at thought of playing my football at a run-down wreck of a ground.

I don't know but I think it's a given that everyone connected to the running of GTFC sees the future away from B.P. The point I was trying to make (rather clumsily I admit) was that I think the club will want to negotiate for want of a better phrase a deal that gives us improvement on our income raising capabilities. The last thing that needs to be communicated is a sense of desperation. I would add that every time there is a poll there is a significant minority for whom remaining at an updated B.P. is the preferred option.

Quoted from barralad

Can agree with some of that but a couple of points...there isn't to my knowledge a single school at primary or secondary level in NE Lincs that is under the control of the LA. The acedemy model gives schools virtual autonomy.
Secondly I'm attending a class of 69 Clee Grammar reunion on 17 November. The vast majority of the ex-pupils who will be attending probably haven't lived in this area since they left school 42 years ago. It has pretty much always been a fact of life that kids who left school here to go to university have found much better opportunities elsewhere as Grimsby has never had the diversity of jobs that other cities/towns have had.

The academies are something of a pain and a problem but it is possible for example for a local council to encourage/help existing grammar schools to open new premises in a different area.

I am not sure about the graduate business. Most of the people I was with at Clee seemed to stay or return into teaching or law or the Humber Bank or the food industry. Maybe it depends on the year group. I am a little earlier than you. Perhaps I was wrong to have been so definite. The point is though that we lose so many bright kids to Lincolnshire and we lose their families too very often as well.

Enjoy your reunion.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

The academies are something of a pain and a problem but it is possible for example for a local council to encourage/help existing grammar schools to open new premises in a different area.

I am not sure about the graduate business. Most of the people I was with at Clee seemed to stay or return into teaching or law or the Humber Bank or the food industry. Maybe it depends on the year group. I am a little earlier than you. Perhaps I was wrong to have been so definite. The point is though that we lose so many bright kids to Lincolnshire and we lose their families too very often as well.

Enjoy your reunion.

Ta. For my part  I can easily subscribe to the view that leaving in the 60s there would have been some major jobs available in the Bank factories. I know for a fact that a substantial part of the legal profession in Grimsby are or were suitably qualified old boys of Clee and Wintringham.

The stats show that in areas with grammar schools, the academically weaker kids going to the regular schools perform worse in comparison to the weaker kids in areas with comprehensives and no grammars.

How about we instead improve all schools rather than just pandering for the 'clever' kids? (i.e. those whose parents are wealthy enough to pay for tuition).

Oddly enough, half of my group of friends from the area who all went away to University all live back in Cleethorpes these days. Not a bad place to raise a family though not the most exciting place to live. Ultimately, just another example of a town which built up around an industry which all but disappeared almost overnight and then was abandoned to its fate by central government. One of many.

Who gives a excrement. Its our town and we know its not that bad. Just a larger majority of idiots than most places, but that's a different discussion to have.

Quoted from Maringer

The stats show that in areas with grammar schools, the academically weaker kids going to the regular schools perform worse in comparison to the weaker kids in areas with comprehensives and no grammars.

How about we instead improve all schools rather than just pandering for the 'clever' kids? (i.e. those whose parents are wealthy enough to pay for tuition).

Oddly enough, half of my group of friends from the area who all went away to University all live back in Cleethorpes these days. Not a bad place to raise a family though not the most exciting place to live. Ultimately, just another example of a town which built up around an industry which all but disappeared almost overnight and then was abandoned to its fate by central government. One of many.

The Tories are pretty crap at education and unfortunately this would go against Labour Party policy because they would need to have somewhere they can pay to send their kids.

Quoted from Maringer

The stats show that in areas with grammar schools, the academically weaker kids going to the regular schools perform worse in comparison to the weaker kids in areas with comprehensives and no grammars.

How about we instead improve all schools rather than just pandering for the 'clever' kids? (i.e. those whose parents are wealthy enough to pay for tuition).

Absolutely, all schools should be improved, but I don't see how holding back 'clever' kids so they don't get too far ahead of less intelligent ones is beneficial to anybody.

Quoted from pen penfras

Absolutely, all schools should be improved, but I don't see how holding back 'clever' kids so they don't get too far ahead of less intelligent ones is beneficial to anybody.

I'm afraid that it's what the assessment of schools has led to. Once a school believes it has got a student to a C grade then it works on the next D rather than trying to get the first one to a B.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

I'm afraid that it's what the assessment of schools has led to. Once a school believes it has got a student to a C grade then it works on the next D rather than trying to get the first one to a B.

We should be using our relative weight as a top economic nation to fund schools to ensure that all of our kids leave school with a good standard of education rather than letting the strugglers lag behind the more academically gifted ones. Or you know - someone could make a profit out of it and hope for the best.

I love my home town, but I find it hard to be defensive about the report. Most parts of the town are tired and run down due to neglect and lack of investment. No doubt this is partly due to high levels of unemployment, but some of the blame must go to years of poor management by the local authority.