Author: Sonja Francis

IN response to what the founder of Thame Youth Theatre called “a moment of personal idiosy”, when the group’s base was destroyed by an arsonist, a fund-raising appeal to build a replacement has been launched.
Yesterday an invited audience witnessed the handing over of a cheque by two Thame Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) who organised a fun day at Thame police station to raise money towards a new building to be known as the Phoenix Performing Arts Studio.

PCSO Jackie Madden, who with her colleague Diane Jackson was there on the night of the fire that destroyed the Lord Williams’s school drama studio in June last year, recalled the event.
“It was very distressing for us,” she said, ” and we realised the effect it was having on the community. We do care what happens in our town and the surrounding villages and we are glad to be here tonight to help ‘kick off’ the fund-raising.
“We decided that the fire had such an impact on the community that we wanted to do something and came up with the idea of a fun day at the station. We relied on donations for prizes etc from local shops. The afternoon included ‘splat the rat’, a tombola and stocks where wet sponges were thrown at ‘willing’ volunteers and the local fire service were in attendance. Some of our own relatives took the day off to help and without them, the event would not have been possible.”

Last night (31/01), in the Upper School hall, an invited audience was welcomed by Headteacher, David Wybron, who recalled getting the call about the fire whilst on a Duke of Edinburgh Award walk in Derbyshire. “However, after all the trauma of losing the drama studio,” he said, ” we are now starting to feel excited about building something special to replace what we have lost, an enlarged space with an enclosed corridor between it and the school, a place that not only people from our school can use, but people from the wider community.”
He said that although a lot of the money would come from the school’s Capital grant, negotiations were on-going with the Insurance Company and that the school would need a further

THERE are to be sweeping changes to Oxfordshire’s secondary schools according to the county’s education chief.
Oxfordshire County Council’s Janet Tomlinson has pledged to deliver huge improvements to Oxfordshire’s state schools.
According to a statement today, despite steady progress in many results, she believes that the pace of change is still too slow, saying that Oxfordshire lags behind similar counties such as Cambridgeshire, adding, “even Slough’s GCSE results are better. “

A former headteacher, Mrs Tomlinson was head of education in Slough before coming to Oxfordshire, where she achieved impressive results. She believes that while there are many good teachers in Oxfordshire schools, there have been pockets of complacency, with some staff having been ?in denial? about their school’s overall performance.

Mrs Tomlinson said: ?It is a striking fact that at the moment, in general children in Slough have a higher chance of getting good GCSEs than children in Oxfordshire. Given the social and economic profile of Oxfordshire, our schools should be doing much better.

?Analysis of current schools? test and exam results show Oxfordshire to be at around the national average. But if you look at other relatively affluent counties with similar blends of market towns, cities and rural areas, Oxfordshire is at the bottom.

?Not a single secondary school in Oxfordshire has yet been judged as outstanding by Ofsted and that isn’t good enough, ? she said.

“We cannot achieve this improvement alone – it needs the support of parents and carers – but we must ensure that we help Oxfordshire children to achieve better results in the future. We should aspire to see results that are at least as good as those in similar counties and eventually even better.”

Proposed changes:

Decisive early intervention when schools are in danger of failing, or are considered to be ?coasting? rather than improving.

Teams of specialist subject teachers and advisers will be brought in to support schools that are not progressing sufficiently.

Head teachers and their staff will be encouraged to visit successful schools elsewhere to learn from examples of best practice.

An accreditation scheme called ?Excellence in Oxfordshire? will be launched to recognise and reward successful schools.

The council?s School Improvement Service will be completely overhauled, with new experts appointed
multi-agency support teams, including health workers, will be sent into schools in areas with high levels of homelessness or other social problems, to give greater support.

Photo: Janet Tomlinson

OXFORDSHIRE County Council?s Fire and Rescue Service has been ranked as one of the best in the UK with an ?excellent? rating for emergency response.
A report published today by the Audit Commission states that the fire and rescue service is performing consistently above the minimum requirements, with a maximum rating of four for emergency response.

The annual assessment rates fire and rescue services across the country, judging their management and performance across eight categories.

These include how the service responds to emergency calls, community fire safety initiatives, financial control and value for money.

John Parry, Chief Fire Officer and Director for Community Safety at Oxfordshire County Council, said: ?We are delighted to be recognised as one of the best fire and rescue services in the UK.
?The assessment process highlights the commitment from all our staff and our many partners in delivering a first-class service to the people in and around Oxfordshire.
?I am convinced that we will be able to continue to make great strides in the future and ensure that excellence is embedded in the organisation.?

County Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said the Audit Commission?s report was something everyone in Oxfordshire should be proud of.

She added: ?I am very pleased with our excellent response to emergency incidents throughout the county and the ground-breaking prevention work we carry out in the community.?

The Audit Commission’s report states:

OVERNIGHT between Monday 28th & Tuesday 29th January, a property in Van Diemans Road, Thame, was the target of an attempted burglary. Offender(s) have tried to gain entry by forcing the rear patio doors and frame.
Please remind all watch members to be extra vigilant. Check all doors and windows are properly secured and keys removed from locks. Make sure security lighting is working and check the security on any access points to the rear of your property. Also ensure any sheds, outbuildings and gates to the rear of your property are locked.

If you have any information relating to this message, please call the police on 08458 505 505 and quote URN 252 of 29/01/08.

A NEW planning application has been submitted to move Thame’s Cattlemarket to land adjoining Rycote Lane, on the edge of Thame.
The plan is for the relocation of Thame cattle market and the development of a new single storey cattle market, car parking, new access and ancillary activities. The applicant is the land’s owner, farmer and ex town councillor, ‘Chubb’ Castle.

Three proposals to move the cattlemarket to the Thame Show ground have been rejected by South Oxfordshire District Council, one of them currently the subject of an Appeal which will be held as a Public Enquiry. A date has not yet been announced for the Enquiry.

Full details of the latest plans can be viewed on the district council’s website: LINK