How to save millions on teacher redundancies and supply teachers...

Lincolnshire County Council spent more than £2 million in redundancy payment for teachers in the past year.

In the same period, the same Conservative-controlled authority also spent £3.5 million to hire supply teachers and agency staff in the county's schools.

Could I suggest some joined-up thinking at county hall that might just save a few million quid of our money...?

Instead of sacking teachers when schools close or merge, would it not be possible to create an internal 'supply team' to fill in for sickness and some of the other inevitable emergencies faced by schools?

They could also be used as a team to assist head teachers in schools which need extra help raising standards...

What do you think?

Another star year for 'A' levels...

Just seen a senior teacher from our local school beaming from ear-to-ear after seeing this year's "A" level results.

I've not seen the official results yet, but it looks to me like The Deepings Comprehensive has done the business yet again.

More later, but meantime, congratulations to all the students and staff led by Head Teacher Chris Beckett.

And don't believe a word of the poppycock from the ejits who claim that year-on-year improvements in results are because the exams have become easier.

The simple reason results are consistently getting better is that standards of teaching have improved vastly since I went to school. Education today is much more focussed on individual needs - and resources have been increased out of all recognition to even a couple of decades ago.

As a result, I believe children work far harder than in my day and have much better chances of being pushed to achieve their potential.

That has to be worth celebrating, doesn't it?

Lincs Tories weld themselves to Grammar Schools...

Lincolnshire Tories are spitting nails over David Cameron's ideological attack on Grammar Schools.

Following comments by Cameron that it was outdated to separate 11-year olds into 'sheep and goats', Lincolnshire Tories in charge of our county's education, responded with a press statement welding Lincolnshire to the 11-plus and Grammar Schools.

We shouldn't be surprised at the local reaction. These are the same Tories of course who have just signed a new £2 million a year contract with Stamford Endowed Schools to give a private education to a few select children who live in and around Stamford - the only surviving scheme of its kind in the country.

Council taxpayers all over Lincolnshire will be forced to pick up the bill for something to which their own children will continue to be denied access - no matter how talented or gifted.

Cameron of course is desperate for a 'Clause 4' moment to convince us that the Conservatives are no longer the 'nasty party'. Now he's busy attacking critics in his own party as 'delusionist' and living in a 'fantasy' over Grammar Schools.

But here in Lincolnshire and across the country, the Right Guard dinosaurs are still alive and kicking (him), demonstrating that the Conservatives are as divided as ever.