Education

LRA takes particular interest in the standard of schools and the availability of places for Loughton’s children. Essex County Council is the Local Education Authority (LEA) for Loughton, and Chris Pond, LRA County Councillor for Loughton Central Division, oversees local education matters, including monitoring the number of school places available.

LRA school governors
LRA councillors and members of the committee keep informed of issues and activities in local education by serving on governing bodies of most of Loughton’s schools, including: Roding Valley High School, Staples Road Infants and Junior Schools, White Bridge Infants and Junior Schools, Debden Park High School, and Oak View School. The order of priority for new Local Education Authority appointments is now: nomination by the Local Member for the school; nomination by any other Member or arising from an ECC Area Forum; nomination by the governing body for the school; self-nomination. If anyone would like to serve as an LRA school governor, please contact us.

Education and the community
LRA governors strongly encourage their schools to be local centres of community life. LRA governors initiated the walking bus. Local schools contributed to our Soundscape project. Students’ views and ideas have been exhibited at the Farmers market. LRA invited Roding Valley High School students to participate in the Loughton Brook project. LRA has contributed to the development of a youth website at Debden Park High School.

Primary School places
LRA Cllr Chris Pond has followed up reports from Alderton ward that there may be a deficiency in primary school places in Loughton. He has learned from County Council officers there is likely to be little difficulty in 2009 or 2010 if people follow the timetable for applications and choose a Loughton school first. The County is aware there may be a shortfall in 2011 and are making plans for either relocatable classrooms or an increase in intake in one or more schools.

Beyond School
Epping Forest College: - once run by Essex County Council but established as an independent organisation in 1990s - has been a great resource for local people of all ages. It provides A-level courses for 16-19 year-olds - as a 'sixth form' for several secondary schools - also a range of vocational courses, and some general-interest adult classes.

In recent years, LRA has been very concerned about the College's finances, and about their poor performance, leading to their recent poor Ofsted report. LRA Cllr Chris Pond and Vice-Chairman David Linnell visited the College recently. The Interim Principal will stay till the end of 2011, and is appointing new vice-principals. The A level courses on offer are being reviewed, in discussion with the four local schools which do not have 6th forms. Although A level courses get most of the publicity, they relate to only a very small proportion of the 2,000 students on-site, most of whom are on vocational courses.
They are considering installing an all-weather pitch on Lucton's Field (across Borders Lane), fenced off for security but without levelling the land and without any sports hall. Space would be provided for dog-walkers. LRA and local residents were very concerned that travellers might gain access through the open gateway on Borders Lane, and LRA successfully asked for a barrier to be installed.

Adults who have benefited from developing skills and interests at the college have recently been disappointed by the closure of many classes or by more-than-doubled fees. Government policy, redirecting funding towards the 16-19 age group, is blamed. LRA councillors have raised this with the Minister responsible for 'Lifelong Learning', and are pressing Essex County Council to support some general interest classes in the Loughton area, as they do in Epping and Ongar.

Loughton Hall has now been sold. The Sports Hall is now back in use, but will be sold off by the College to raise money.
The delay in commissioning the Borders Lane pedestrian crossing is a matter for the County Council and its contractors - work has now started on bringing it into action.
We outlined the history of the Oak View School telecoms mast and the planning permission gained by Orange to move it to Borders Lane. We are continuing to look for an alternative solution, on College premises.
We will be very happy to support the college's efforts, and encouraged them to hold a public meeting, and to work very hard on their relationship with local residents.

If you have queries about education, please contact the following:

For general issues concerning Loughton schools or the LEA
Councillor Chris Pond .

For offsted reports see http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/index.cfm?fuseaction=lea&id=881&bar=yes

For information about a particular school, contact the school itself or Essex County Council Education Department.