Reference
E/PS1/1/2
Title
Correspondence file, including information as follows:
Date free text
1968 - 1972
Production date
From: 1968 To: 1972
Scope and Content
- letter from Harpur Trust (HT) to Local Education Authority (LEA) regarding admission of pupils of varying abilities, HT recommending receiving pupils with an IQ of 102½;
- note of visit of LEA officers to Department of Education & Science (DES) to discuss current and future building programmes and future relationship with HT following local government reorganisation;
- memo regarding report of Public Schools Commission regarding direct grant grammar schools;
- national statistics on direct grant schools by English region/county and in Wales, illustrating Bedfordshire position, statistics include numbers of teachers, number of schools, size of schools, age and sex of pupils, courses followed by pupils, numbers of 13 year olds for whom LEA financially responsible and percentage of 13 year olds in direct grant schools;
- letter regarding problems for LEA arising from existence of HT, with points on the independent schools (Bedford School (BS) and Bedford High School (BHS)), direct grant schools (Bedford Modern School (BMS) and Dame Alice Harpur School (DAHS)), and possible government approaches to dealing with them;
- HT document on background information regarding its four schools to give to the visiting Public Schools Commissioners;
- letter from HT to LEA regarding LEA report on school reorganisation and its fairness to HT;
- letter regarding invitation to Chief Education Officer (CEO) to meet HT Re-organisation Sub-Committee;
- programme for visit of DES official to inspect new Manton Lane site for BMS;
- main points from a meeting between CEO, Bedford Borough Education Officer and HT Re-organisation Sub-Committee;
- letter from HT to LEA on main points to be clarified following CEO meeting with Re-organisation Sub-Committee;
- notes of meeting of HT Re-organisation Sub-Committee;
- notes of LEA discussion with DES on continuing to use HT schools following re-organisation of education;
- agenda and minutes of LEA & HT Joint Consultative Committee to consider working party report - “Admission procedures and method of allocation to Harpur Trust schools”;
- notes of meeting between DES, LEA and HT to discuss proposed allocation of pupils to HT schools;
- revised Joint Working Party report on admission procedures and method of allocation to HT schools;
- agenda and minutes of LEA & HT Joint Consultative Committee meeting to discuss revised report noted above;
- letter from Kimbolton School [Huntingdonshire], regarding LEA continuing to send small numbers of boys to the school and future transfer arrangements;
- letter from Bedfordshire County Council Labour Group leader to CEO regarding queries of areas of revised report on admissions to HT schools to be raised at a forthcoming meeting;
- notes of County Council meeting at which transfer arrangements were discussed;
- letter stating that LEA decision was to extend catchment for HT schools to the whole county at 11+ in unorganised areas in 1972 and 13+ in re-organised areas from 1974;
- notes of HT governor’s committee meeting regarding new agreement with LEA on transfer etc.;
- notes of small points in agreement with LEA that HT governors wanted to change;
- notes on new admission procedures;
- letter from head teacher of Springfield County Primary School, Kempston, as secretary of Education Area 3 expressing disquiet at possible re-introduction of 11+ exams with LEA response that this was not the case;
- notes on reservations regarding new agreement with LEA expressed by HT governors at HT Special Schools Committee;
- notes by CEO to present to HT Special Schools Committee regarding admission procedures to HT schools;
- report by Clerk to HT Schools Committee regarding arrangements between HT and LEA on admission of pupils to HT schools;
- correspondence between LEA and DES regarding admission arrangements to HT schools;
- first interim report on Harpur’s Bedford Charity use of the Endowment;
- letter from Bedford Constituency Labour Party wishing to see abolition of selection of LEA pupils for HT schools with LEA response;
- agenda and minutes of meeting of LEA & HT Joint Consultative Committee discussing entry to HT schools in 1972, with notes agreed by working party on possible scheme;
- notes of meetings of LEA & HT Joint Consultative Committee further discussing admission arrangements;
- letter from lecturer at Cranfield Institute of Technology criticising perceived working of computer selection of pupils to attend HT schools by putting them into ability bands;
- letter from Borough of Bedford Education Committee regarding selection of pupils by computer to attend HT schools and misconceptions in Cranfield lecturer’s arguments;
- letter to HT from DES regarding possibility of increased fees to cover cost of building new BMS on Manton Lane site;
- HT outline plan of financial procedures connected with new BMS;
- architect’s brief for new BMS;
- letter from LEA to DES clarifying admission procedures of LEA pupils to HT schools;
- letter from headmistress of Convent of The Holy Ghost School, Bedford, asking whether LEA wish the school to take some 13+ pupils whilst the new RC Upper School (St. Thomas More) is being built, given lower than normal intake of free-place pupils that year, with LEA response;
- draft programme for laying of new BMS foundation stone by Margaret Thatcher, Secretary of State for Education & Science, 1 Dec 1972
Level of description
item