Link School and Tom Brake Celebrate Foiling Wrongheaded Government Rebrand

3.21.09pm GMT Thu 12th Feb 2009

The Director of the Link Secondary School, Christine Armstrong, and Tom Brake have together succeeded in reversing a government plan which would have badly affected the Link schools in Beddington.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families had intended to rebrand Pupil Referral Units (i) as 'Link Schools', running the risk of confusing parents about the purpose of the highly respected locally based Link Schools. The Link Secondary School provides special education for 48 children aged between 11 and 19.

In addition, the Government chose to hold a consultation which lasted only 4 days - not much of window to lodge a complaint.

Christine Armstrong, Director of the Link Secondary School, said, "I am overjoyed that the Government have seen sense. The Link Schools are well established here in Beddington and creating a whole host of new schools called Links would have been very confusing for parents."

Fearing that pupil numbers at the Link schools would drop significantly as a result of the confusion, Tom Brake, the MP for Carshalton and Wallington, took up the issue, writing to the School's Secretary.

As a result, the government has dropped the plan. Pupil Referral Units will now be renamed 'short stay schools'.

Commenting on this development, Tom Brake said: "The excellent reputation of these local schools is now safe."