Being new in the post of principal, I am not able to comment on the detail of exclusions during the last academic year but I can report that since September 2007, staff at St Neots Community College have worked very hard to support students from being excluded.

My colleagues and I spend a lot of time counselling students and meeting with parents, and also making extensive use of our Inclusion Room.

We also access the support services provided by the local authority.
We do have a small number of students who present challenging behaviour on a regular basis and there are times when they must have some enforced "cooling off" periods.

In the autumn term of 2007 there were 15 separate exclusions for a total of 45 days, which represents a significant reduction compared to the figures at the same time last year – 70 exclusions totalling 135 days. 

We recognise the negative impact of poorly behaved students. Consequently, college staff work tirelessly with those individuals, parents and families to raise their standards of behaviour.
EC Forrester
Principal,
St Neots Community College

Mayor's thanks>> I want to thank Alan and Anna Cummings for their sterling effort during the Christmas period when they raised £105 for the St Neots Mayors Charity Fund. Alan and Anna stood outside their brilliantly-lit house in Huntingdon Street for many days, in all weathers, in order to collect money in a bucket for the very worthy cause. Their efforts are very much appreciated.
I would also like to thank the public for their donations.
Cllr Bob Eaton
St Neots Town Mayor
Greenfields
St Neots

Everyone should have say on play areas
>> I read with interest the letter about the proposed remote play areas in Little Paxton (Town Crier, January 17).

In order to set the record straight, in September 2007 the parish council issued questionnaires to Little Paxton residents who lived nearby the proposed play areas.

The council is now in the midst of a public consultation where everyone in the village has a chance to express their views on these potential play areas.

At the end of the day, any new facility would be a village facility.
Responses from both sets of questionnaires will be carefully considered and will be included in the final analysis.

There are two public meetings to be held at the village hall, on Friday, January 25 at 8pm and on Saturday, January 26 at 10am, about the potential remote play areas and the council would encourage local residents to attend.

A final decision on remote play areas will be made at the full council meeting on March 6, 2008.

Little Paxton Parish Council does not ignore comments from residents and a lot of good work has been carried out in the village from comments made to the council by residents.
Jenny Gellatly
Little Paxton Parish Council clerk

Rail link row rumbles on
>> I write with some concern about the erroneous statement by Liberal Democrat Colin Saunderson when he says that St Ives district councillors enthusiastically embraced the expensive guided bus.

This is not true as district councillors from St Ives supported St Ives Town Council in voting against the guided busway, and in fact the town council joined forces with the non-political St Ives Civic Society to jointly fund the services of a barrister to fight their case. The subsequent inquiry took place in the Slepe Hall Hotel but sadly the case was lost, giving the Government leave to support the guided bus and fund £96million towards the scheme.

The balance for the scheme was to come from the planning gains from developers of the new town of Northstowe.

Whether one supports the guided bus or not, it is happening and there is nothing anybody can do about it. I would have thought that everyone would be looking to see what benefits St Ives can get out of it.

Several shopkeepers have said there are going to be thousands of people living in Northstowe and it would be very nice if many of them could jump on the guided bus and come to St Ives.

I have not spoken to any members of the St Ives Town Initiative, whose role it is to promote our town, but I'm sure they will take the opportunity to encourage people from Northstowe to come to St Ives.
Mrs H Lyden
St Ives

>> I read with interest Mr Saunderson's letter (Town Crier, January 17). He made no reference to the work of chairman of the East of England Regional Assembly John Reynolds, the Conservative county councillor who has worked for a twin approach for investments in road and rail across the whole region over the past five years. Three years ago Cllr Reynolds formed a regional transport forum to promote the upgrade of the Felixstowe and Nuneaton rail link.

I also support the intiatives and the Offord Action Group to improve the east west rail links to Felixstowe.

The Government is now seeking European funding for the A14 in Cambridgeshire as part of the Trans-European Network transport programme (TEN-T). Why is the Government not backing a bid for funds for rail freight improvements which are identified in TEN-T?
Getting freight off the road and onto the railway would have significant environmental benefit.
Richard West
District councillor for
Gransden and Offord