6 |February 4, 2010 | www.newsandcrier.co.uk | NEWS&CRIER
Sir, NEWS of difficulties being expe-
rienced at St Neots Community
College is sad to hear, but in my
view is the direct effect of simplistic
league tables in a "two school
town".
The biggest contributor to a
school's academic success has to be
the ability and motivation of the
pupils attending.
Longsands has always been seen
as the stronger school academically,
a fact rammed home in black and
white by league tables, causing
most aspirational parents to opt to
send their children there.
This of course reinforces the diffi-
culties of the "weaker" school in
raising academic achievement,
although it may well be doing
admirable work with its particular
student intake.
The effect feeds on itself leaving
the historically "weaker" school in an
ever deeper educational cul-de-sac.
The only way to resolve the situa-
tion is to randomise the selection of
pupils to each school so that each
has a similar mix of social back-
grounds and academic abilities.
This would achieve a truly com-
prehensive schooling system in
which both schools could then be
fairly judged.
I doubt the education authorities
have any stomach for this and will
continue to contribute to the cur-
rent lack of social mobility for less
advantaged children.
If comprehensive education fair
to all children cannot be achieved,
then a move back to selection (ie
grammar schools) is the best hope
to remove social bias on the
prospects of at least some of our
less advantaged children.
Chris Flack
Eaton Ford
St Neots
Sir, WHAT is going on in our society
when every child is open to free
education from age four to 18 and
yet the schools are letting us all
down?
I understand Longsands is
achieving success whilst St Neots
Community College is a disaster.
Both schools have good accom-
modation, facilities, equipment and
are funded by the tax payers of the
town to the tune of �3.9million
each.
One school is operating within its
budget and the other is overspend-
ing to the tune of �1 million.
Why is it the principals and their
team of instructors excel in one
school but fail in the other?
In the real world, failures would
be removed without payouts, not
paid off.
The pupils they serve are the
future of our nation and must be
encouraged and educated to the
highest possible level, not given up
on.
Do the pupils need more disci-
pline? Is the parental support in
place? Are the instructors interested
in the job or just taking the cheque
at the end of month?
Lets have the real reasons why
the failure has occurred and not
brush it under the carpet with more
money thrown at it and merging a
bad and good apple.
Get to the root cause of the prob-
lem and deal with it, otherwise it
will resurface giving bigger prob-
lems in the future.
Brian Jones
Great North Road
Eaton Socon
Sir, WITH reference to the article
regarding exam success (News and
Crier, January 21), I would like to
draw attention to St Neots
Community College's 2009 A-level
results.
Of the 10 establishments men-
tioned, the college ranked third
behind only Kimbolton School and
Abbey College, which is a great
achievement and reflects the hard
work of staff and students.
It is interesting that the local
press � which has such an influence
on public opinion � is very keen to
point out the failings of the college,
but seems reluctant to highlight any
successes.
Obviously the figures are there for
all to see but could easily be
missed, and strangely St Neots
Community College was not men-
tioned at all in the write-up.
Surely it must be seen as one of
the colleges which (as your paper
puts it) "enjoyed individual suc-
cess".
My child left the college last sum-
mer with good A-level results and is
now studying at university.
Our three children have all been
happy at the college and achieved
and are achieving good results.
I think SNCC deserves to receive
some positive publicity for once!
Ann Vennelle
Alnwick Court
Eynesbury
Editor's note: St Neots Community
College is to be praised for it's A-
level results.
However, the story was also
about GCSEs � a category that the
school did considerably less well
in. It also fared poorly in terms of
persitent absence rate.
The school has enjoyed consid-
erable positive coverage over the
years, more than most because it
used to employ an excellent com-
munications officer.We remain
happy to carry news about the pos-
itive things the school is doing �
and will cover most positive stories
the school communicates to us.
However, it is also vital that we
make the community aware of
problems at the school.
Sir, IT was with great sadness and
anger that i read the article in the
News and Crier (January 28) about
major Gareth Rhys-Evans death on
the A1 involving Katie Hart.
As a former local bike racer
myself, sadly it came as no surprise
as the standard of general driving
while you are cycling anywhere, let
alone racing, is at best poor and
worst very dangerous.
What astonished and angered me
though was the comments that
Miss Hart came out with , foremost
being "it was just one of those
things" and "he came out of
nowhere". What on the A1?
Just as gauling, and as a sting in
the tail, Judge Nicholas Coleman
said "she has led a blameless life"
and has "positive qualities".
Well lets call it quits then � unbe-
lievable!
Car drivers need to wake up to
the consequences of bad driving,
using the phone, fiddling with
radios etc.
A good man has died needlessly
doing something he loved and his
memory I feel has been tarnished
by these callous and quite frankly
pitifull remarks.
Richard Hancock
Gainsborough Avenue
Eaton Ford
Sir, The Huntingdon & St Ives News
& Crier (January 21) reported on its
front page that the Town Plan initia-
tive set up by the town council has
been dropped.
As Mark Twain might have said
"tales of its demise have been great-
ly exaggerrated".
The Town Plan is very much alive
and kicking.
I am concerned that the erroneous
reporting might have a detrimental
effect on the morale of those who
have already put a lot of time and
effort into what is turning out to be
an exciting and enlightening proj-
ect.
I would like to take the opportu-
nity to set the record straight and
invite anyone interested in joining
those already involved in shaping
the future vision for the town to get
in touch with me via the Town Hall.
Cllr Rosemary Paget-Crowe
St Ives Town Council
See page 30 for more details
Are grammar
schools the
answer?
Look out for
the cyclists
We want real
answers
A-level results
deserve praise
Town Plan is
still alive
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MOOVING SCENE: Sue Jarret of Collingwood Road, Eaton Socon, sent us this picturre of cows and their calves in a field near
Wheatsheaf Road. Have you got a picture you'd like to share with our readers? Email them as jpegs to us at letters@
newsandcrier.co.uk MEMORIES is on page 8 this week.

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