Co-Serco RSS feed for the Co-Serco tag
found 35 stories.
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Cllr Ian Shires 16 Feb 11
Chart Centre, Gomer St, 6pm Wed 16 Feb
Back in June last year education was identified as one of the issues the people of Willenhall were concerned about, and rightly so when you see the inequality that exists from east to west across the borough.
Recently, in spite of all the plaudits handed out by Walsall’s Tory Cabinet to Serco who run the borough’s education service, the government has stepped in to suggest that four failing schools should consider going down the academy route. Of those four schools, three serve pupils in the Willenhall area…
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Cllr Ian Shires 31 Jan 11
Four of Walsall’s secondary schools are facing government calls for them to become academies in a bid to drive up standards.
Walsall’s Tory Cabinet along with Serco, the private sector company which runs education and children’s services in the Town, have been told by the Department of Education in a report to consider turning Willenhall Sports College, Frank F Harrison, Alumwell Business and Enterprise College and Blue Coat Performing Arts College into academies…
Comment
The Mushroom 23 Jan 11
Deflated hopes for Walsall schools
At a neighbour’s party for their youngest daughter I was parted with my money by an almost professional pair of entrepreneurs The birthday girl, then all of eight, and her equally young, ‘professional’, badgered me into paying 50p for a ‘can’t fail’ solution to all my troubles.
“Just blow into this balloon and as you do,” the young, would-be sales director told me, “all your troubles will fill up with it, and when you let it go, they will fly away.”
I didn’t believe a word of it, but to satisfy her on her birthday (and to get her to go away) I paid over my half a pound and blew up the balloon. She took it from my lips and let the air out. I did what I expected it to do, it whizzed around emitting a loud farting sound, climbed, at then fell…. right back at my feet!
News feature
Elizabeth Joyce & Lisa O’Brien Express & Star 19 Jan 11
Walsall Children’s Services has been rated as adequate by Ofsted inspectors for the second year running. The service, which is part of Serco Group Plc, is also facing job cuts as a result of Walsall Council’s three-year drive to save £65 million.
The council wants to reduce its multi-million pound contract with Serco by £2.5 million a year. Councillor Mike Bird said…
Comment
The Plastic Hippo 20 Jan 11
There comes a moment when even the most churlish of horse beaters realise that not only is the beast of burden lame and suffering from equine colic, but is actually a donkey and is actually dead. After years of following Serco around with a shovel and a bucket, Walsall council has taken up the riding crop and is screaming for a stewards enquiry.
The donkey, however, had more brains than the council and contact with the knackers yard and the glue factory would be premature.
It has been heavy going for Serco over the past few weeks. Tasked with saving £7.5million from their £345million contract with Walsall to prove that we are all in this together, the “service provider” quickly set to work in starting the process of dumping schools that were spoiling the reputation and financial returns of Serco. Currently, Blue Coat Comprehensive and Frank F Harrison are joint evens favourites to have Academy status forced upon them and Willenhall, Alumwell and Joseph Leckie are two-to-one for removal from the balance sheet and the race card. The other secondary schools are 100-to-one bar.
It is not all bad news for Serco…
News
Express & Star 18 Jan 11
Serco facing tough questions
The private company that runs education in Walsall for £345 million is to be hit by around 100 job losses.
Walsall Children’s Services, part of Serco Group Plc, has also undergone a government inspection which has revealed that it is only meeting its minimum requirements…
News PR
Walsall Council 9 Dec 10
Services for children in Walsall have steadily improved over the last five years, national school watchdogs from Ofsted have announced.
Their findings are from a national “health check” of all local authorities carried out in July and published today (Thurs 9 Dec).
Their overall assessment is that Walsall children’s services performs adequately…
Comment
The Plastic Hippo 9 Dec 10
Quite how a secretive private company that regularly and systematically abuses children in its supposed care is allowed to run Walsall schools and children’s services is beyond the comprehension of this particular numbskull hippo. But be of good cheer, our supine council leaders are on the verge of fighting back.
The budget setting process for Walsall is under weigh and the draft proposals have been presented to Cabinet. The nautical term “under weigh” is relevant given the weight of the anchor that must be lifted if the good ship Walsall is to make any progress in the treacherous seas of Cameron and Clegg’s Britain. The very final statement in the “Working Smarter – Saving Description” (Appendix 3 item 17 for those interested) states:
“Negotiate reduction in cost of education services contract with Serco.”
If approved, this would “save” the council seven and a half million pounds over the next three years. Blimey, that’s good news. Or is it?
Business
Duncan Tift BusinessDesk 15 Nov 10
Support services group Serco has continued its strong performance into the second half of the year bolstered by major contracts such as its £650m agreement with Sandwell Borough Council.
The group announced earlier this month it had secured the massive deal with the local authority which will see the group take control of the borough’s waste services for a period of 25 years…
Business
Duncan Tift BusinessDesk 9 Nov 10
Support services group Serco has secured a £650m contract from Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council to deliver its new Waste Improvement Plan.
The contract, which runs for 25 years, follows the announcement in August that Serco had been selected by the local authority as its preferred bidder…