:00:11. > :00:13.'A' grade or fail? As school league tables are published how useful are
:00:13. > :00:16.they in rural areas where there's little choice?
:00:16. > :00:19.Good evening. We'll hear from one of the region's best-performing
:00:19. > :00:24.schools and assess the merits of performance tables.
:00:24. > :00:27.Also tonight: The hunt for a conman - police believe this man is
:00:27. > :00:31.tricking his way into the homes of the elderly and stealing their
:00:31. > :00:35.money. It's a despicable crime because the suspect preys on the
:00:35. > :00:38.elderly and vulnerable within that community.
:00:38. > :00:42.Benefits for councillors - anger as some elected members join staff
:00:42. > :00:45.pension schemes. And, the catwalk clergy - find out
:00:45. > :00:54.why these vicars are strutting their stuff in some colourful
:00:54. > :00:57.The exam results from schools across the region have been
:00:57. > :00:59.published by the government today. The details, which are available on
:00:59. > :01:02.the Department for Education website, allow parents to compare
:01:02. > :01:06.how well local schools are performing.
:01:06. > :01:08.But how useful is the information? In a moment we'll hear from the
:01:08. > :01:18.former Chief Inspector of schools Sir Christopher Woodhead. First,
:01:18. > :01:21.
:01:21. > :01:25.this report from David George. Year 10 students are in a maths
:01:25. > :01:31.lesson working on how to calculate the surface area of a cylinder.
:01:31. > :01:37.This is Callington Community College. Today's figures show it is
:01:38. > :01:42.Cornwall's top performing state school with 68% of students
:01:42. > :01:48.achieving five good GCSEs. The results have rapidly improved over
:01:48. > :01:53.the last three years. How have you achieved it? First and foremost,
:01:53. > :02:00.the hard work and dedication of the students. We also recognise the
:02:00. > :02:04.essential part of excellent teaching and pastoral care and then
:02:05. > :02:08.delighted it is delivered by everyone at the college. Teamwork
:02:08. > :02:15.and partnership is vital with the parents and we enjoyed a strong
:02:15. > :02:19.partnership with them on a daily basis. The teacher always tells us
:02:19. > :02:24.we can do our best and that is why it is so good. They push us to the
:02:24. > :02:30.best of our ability but they don't overwork As. This is the first time
:02:30. > :02:35.the government has published almost all the results it holds about GCSE
:02:35. > :02:40.results. The government says they up idea is to drive up standards,
:02:40. > :02:46.but how useful is all this to parents? I think there is an
:02:46. > :02:51.increasing amount of information with the internet. It can be hard
:02:51. > :02:56.to decipher and I would say contacting the colleges and
:02:56. > :03:02.visiting the schools, you get a clear feeling and the ethos which
:03:02. > :03:06.is an easier way to make a judgement. Or to contact the school.
:03:06. > :03:10.Teachers point out of the league tables don't point out the pupils
:03:10. > :03:14.starting levels, difficulty of questions and variations in marking.
:03:14. > :03:17.Earlier this evening, I spoke to Sir Christopher Woodhead, who was
:03:17. > :03:20.Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England from 1994 until
:03:20. > :03:23.2000. He's currently the Chairman of Cognita, a company dedicated to
:03:23. > :03:33.fostering private education, and is in Plymouth this evening at King's
:03:33. > :03:34.
:03:34. > :03:37.School. In the past, he has held a post as
:03:37. > :03:41.Deputy Chief Education Officer in Devon. He is particularly
:03:41. > :03:45.associated with supporting traditional teaching message that -
:03:45. > :03:50.- methods and once claimed there were 15,000 incompetent teachers.
:03:50. > :03:55.His blunt approach made him unpopular with many in the teaching
:03:55. > :03:58.profession. I asked him how important the tables are? They are
:03:58. > :04:03.very useful because they give parents an impression of how well
:04:03. > :04:10.the school is doing academically. A school that has a high percentage
:04:10. > :04:17.of youngsters who get high grades in GCSEs, including English and
:04:17. > :04:21.maths, is a successful schools and parents are intelligent enough to
:04:21. > :04:26.interpret league tables. Some people say they are too crude but I
:04:26. > :04:30.have always credited parents with the ability to look at the tables
:04:30. > :04:34.and come to their own conclusions. Parents are being told they have
:04:34. > :04:42.more choice with the creation of academies and free schools. Is that
:04:42. > :04:47.true? I still think that we have a demand that exceeds supply for good
:04:47. > :04:52.schools. And whilst there are more good schools than they once were, I
:04:52. > :04:57.still think in many parts of the country, perhaps including Plymouth,
:04:57. > :05:02.there is huge demand for places in those successful schools and there
:05:02. > :05:06.is a way to go yet before the less successful schools are brought up
:05:07. > :05:10.to a standard that is satisfactory to parents. The south-west as a
:05:11. > :05:17.whole has one of the highest proportions in the country of
:05:17. > :05:21.schools wanting to become academies. Is that a good thing? I am not
:05:21. > :05:28.convinced that becoming an Academy necessarily means a school will
:05:29. > :05:33.improve. In my book and in my experience as the former Chief
:05:33. > :05:36.Inspector of Schools, what makes a good schools is the head teacher
:05:36. > :05:41.not whether it is constitutionally and Academy or a local authority
:05:41. > :05:47.schools. It is right that schools have maximum control over their
:05:47. > :05:52.budgets and academies have that but essentially, it is not becoming an
:05:52. > :05:57.academy that makes a school good, it is the quality of leadership and
:05:58. > :06:03.teaching. The better the teacher, the more children will learn. It is
:06:03. > :06:06.seed -- simple in practice but it is harder to achieve. There are
:06:06. > :06:14.still grammar schools in Devon which are now allowed to increase
:06:14. > :06:18.their numbers. Do you think we will see a resurgence in grammars?
:06:18. > :06:22.would like to believe that is the case. I went to a grammar school
:06:22. > :06:26.and I think the quality of the academic teaching I received
:06:26. > :06:31.allowed me to go to Bristol University and no-one in my family
:06:31. > :06:38.had gone to university before. I put what success I have had down to
:06:38. > :06:42.the teaching in grammar school. It is a huge tragedy that more bright,
:06:42. > :06:48.young children and 11 year-olds cannot have the academic education
:06:48. > :06:54.they deserve. I don't know the statistics but, in my day, when I
:06:54. > :06:58.worked in Devon, the boys' grammar school was hugely oversubscribed.
:06:58. > :07:02.The number of children whose parents wanted them to get into
:07:02. > :07:06.that school showed the popularity of grammar schools so I think it is
:07:06. > :07:10.wholly right back grammar schools are allowed to expand so more
:07:10. > :07:17.youngsters can benefit from the education they provide. Thank you
:07:17. > :07:21."Despicable, callous and cowardly". That's how the police describe a
:07:21. > :07:25.criminal who is tricking his way into the homes of vulnerable people
:07:25. > :07:28.in Devon to steal their money. Two cases have so far been uncovered -
:07:28. > :07:33.the victims in their late 80s and 90s - but detectives believe there
:07:33. > :07:38.are others. Our home affairs correspondent, Simon Hall, reports.
:07:38. > :07:42.The man suspected of tricking his way into the homes of the elderly
:07:42. > :07:47.and vulnerable uses one of their cash cards to steal hundreds of
:07:47. > :07:51.pounds. His crimes have angered even experienced detectives. It is
:07:51. > :07:56.shallow and callous and I appeal for witnesses to come forward and
:07:56. > :08:01.tell us, even if he is a family member, he does not deserve to be
:08:01. > :08:07.on the streets. He hailed a taxi at the station and went to the home of
:08:07. > :08:14.a woman in her Nineties. He took her with him to a bank where she
:08:14. > :08:19.withdrew money for him. Bill Mancey was a taxi-driver. He called the
:08:19. > :08:27.police when he led the woman behind. I said, don't give him any more
:08:27. > :08:32.money or answer the door if he comes up and give the police a ring.
:08:32. > :08:37.I also rang the office to say if anyone picks up someone with a
:08:38. > :08:42.similar description, let people know. You are a good Samaritan.
:08:42. > :08:46.Well I am a pensioner and I hate to see pensioners ripped off. A few
:08:46. > :08:53.miles away, he took money from a cashpoint after tricking a man in
:08:53. > :08:57.his eighties from his bankcard. The police advice is never to allow
:08:57. > :09:02.anyone into your home unless you are completely sure you know them.
:09:02. > :09:07.If you are not sure, call a friend, neighbour or relative for help and
:09:07. > :09:13.if no one is available, call the police. Detectives believe there
:09:13. > :09:17.may be more victims and ask them to come forward. Bill Mancey has
:09:18. > :09:21.bought the woman he helped a gift in an attempt to comfort her. A man
:09:21. > :09:25.and a woman have been injured and two horses have been killed after
:09:25. > :09:29.an accident involving three cars. The two horses died at the scene,
:09:29. > :09:32.after the incident on the road near St Agnes in Cornwall. The woman has
:09:32. > :09:35.serious injuries and is being transferred to Derriford Hospital
:09:35. > :09:39.in Plymouth. The road has been closed for most of the day.
:09:39. > :09:42.Devon and Cornwall police force has seen one of the biggest reductions
:09:42. > :09:46.in its officers in England and Wales. The number of officers has
:09:46. > :09:48.fallen by 213, that is just over six per cent. Only two other forces
:09:48. > :09:51.have seen greater reductions. Policing minister, Nick Herbert,
:09:52. > :09:55.said in support of the cuts that nationally there were around 25,000
:09:55. > :09:59.officers in backroom jobs, giving plenty of scope to save money while
:09:59. > :10:02.protecting front line policing. Three Torbay schoolchildren have
:10:02. > :10:05.been treated in hospital for meningitis. The Health Protection
:10:05. > :10:09.Agency is working closely with St Cuthbert Mayne School after two
:10:09. > :10:13.children in year 9 were confirmed with meningococcal B infection.
:10:13. > :10:16.Both children were admitted to hospital. One has since been
:10:16. > :10:19.discharged. The HPA has written to all parents and has offered
:10:19. > :10:22.antibiotics to all year nine children. Separately, a child
:10:22. > :10:32.attending Torquay Community College has been admitted to hospital with
:10:32. > :10:33.
:10:33. > :10:37.suspected meningococcal infection. Joining me is Kate Rowland from
:10:37. > :10:45.Meningitis UK. There will be worried parents in Torbay tonight.
:10:45. > :10:51.What can you say to reach a sure them? It is a rare disease but when
:10:51. > :10:55.it strikes it can be devastating. The bug that causes meningitis
:10:55. > :11:01.lives in one in 10 of us naturally and just occasionally it can be
:11:01. > :11:04.devastating. The most important thing is to no of the sentence and
:11:04. > :11:11.trust their instincts, particularly parents. They know their children
:11:11. > :11:20.best. What are the classic signs? The symptoms of meningitis are a
:11:20. > :11:26.headache, stiff neck, so -- stiff - - dislike of bright lights and a
:11:26. > :11:30.rash which rapidly develops into bruising. We have heard that some
:11:30. > :11:35.antibiotics are being offered tonight. How a treatable is it it
:11:35. > :11:42.noticed early? If it is caught quickly there is a good chance of
:11:42. > :11:46.success but it is difficult to diagnose, which is why I campaign
:11:46. > :11:56.to trust your instincts really urges people to trust their
:11:56. > :11:59.
:11:59. > :12:01.instincts and voice their concerns MPs are campaigning for the
:12:01. > :12:06.Government to spend �1 billion on affordable homes for first-time
:12:06. > :12:13.buyers. House prices in parts of the South West are now almost 13
:12:13. > :12:17.times the average income. MPs want more shared ownership homes where
:12:17. > :12:24.people own part of the property and pay a subsidised rent on the rest.
:12:24. > :12:29.John Danks reports. Finding a home to bring up baby.
:12:29. > :12:32.This man and his partner had been looking in Cornwall for years, but
:12:32. > :12:40.thanks to a shared ownership scheme they are about to get their own
:12:40. > :12:44.place. We were looking at a hundred and �50,000, so that a parcel bomb
:12:44. > :12:51.that was a lot of money. The park rent scheme really helps us out.
:12:51. > :12:55.will be a proper to like one of the stable -- like one of these they
:12:55. > :13:01.will hopefully be moving into. This development consists of 41 homes,
:13:01. > :13:07.12 of which will be sold under a shared ownership scheme. So,
:13:07. > :13:10.somebody could pay and share of this property and paid the rest of
:13:10. > :13:15.the rented housing association. They can then increase the share
:13:15. > :13:23.that be won until they own it out right. The property is �135,000.
:13:23. > :13:31.You can buy a share for as little as �25,000 -- you can buy a share
:13:31. > :13:35.of as little as 25 %. House prices have increased three times faster
:13:35. > :13:41.than incomes in the region over the last decade. Their pollen on the
:13:41. > :13:45.Government to help deliver many more affordable homes. -- they are
:13:45. > :13:47.calling on the Government. Well, Stephen Gilbert is MP for St
:13:47. > :13:50.Austell and Newquay. He is campaigning for more shared
:13:50. > :13:56.ownership housing. I asked him why he thought it was part of the
:13:56. > :14:02.answer to Cornwall's housing crisis. We have got a housing crisis in
:14:02. > :14:08.Cornwall. After crisis in the renting sector, that buying sector.
:14:08. > :14:12.We need to meet Port Said meet the aspirations of people. Shared
:14:12. > :14:16.ownership is a great way to start their journey. What about the idea
:14:16. > :14:20.of council housing? A lot of people even if they went for shared
:14:20. > :14:25.ownership could not get on that ladder. Council housing may be
:14:25. > :14:29.another option. This will be the first government in 33 years to
:14:29. > :14:35.leave office having delivered more social homes than any other
:14:35. > :14:38.government, about 170,000 over the next four years. That is part of
:14:39. > :14:43.the answer, but we need to meet people's aspirations to own their
:14:43. > :14:47.own home. We are doing that to the Right to Buy scheme, making sure
:14:47. > :14:52.that for every home that is sold another one is built. Shared
:14:52. > :14:58.ownership is a very affordable way of starting their journey. With
:14:58. > :15:02.council housing, with shared housing when people buy more and
:15:02. > :15:07.more of that property, that takes it out of the market, whereas
:15:07. > :15:11.council housing is available for generation after generation. We do
:15:11. > :15:16.need both. It is not one or the other. That is what the Government
:15:16. > :15:20.is delivering. I think affordable part home social housing is a way
:15:20. > :15:22.that we can start to meet the aspirations of a whole section of
:15:22. > :15:27.society that at the moment don't see any way of owning their own
:15:27. > :15:31.home. We know how fragile the economy is now, where is the money
:15:31. > :15:35.coming from? The National Housing Federation said that if the
:15:35. > :15:42.Government is able to find �1 billion to invest in shared housing,
:15:42. > :15:48.then we will unleash �7 billion extra which will create jobs across
:15:48. > :15:52.the country and provide homes for people to move into. Is there at
:15:52. > :15:56.billion pounds? I think it is a sensible plan and will make that
:15:56. > :15:58.point to ministers over the coming weeks.
:15:58. > :16:01.Councils in the South West are being criticised by pressure group
:16:01. > :16:03.the Taxpayers' Alliance for allowing some of their councillors
:16:03. > :16:07.to join its staff pension scheme. In Cornwall, 30 councillors are
:16:07. > :16:09.members of the scheme, 21 in Plymouth, three in Exeter and 22 in
:16:09. > :16:14.Somerset. Devon and Torbay councils at present have no councillors
:16:14. > :16:17.taking part in their pension schemes.
:16:17. > :16:27.Chris Coneybeer has been to Dorset to report on why the practice is
:16:27. > :16:27.
:16:27. > :16:33.considered so controversial. Were every you are, the pressures
:16:33. > :16:38.of the economic Glenn Skipp are never far away now. We need to ask
:16:38. > :16:41.questions about why so many councillors are starting to enrol
:16:41. > :16:46.into government pension scheme. And one year it increased by over 1000.
:16:46. > :16:51.That is a 1000 more people that taxpayers are on the hope for their
:16:51. > :16:57.pensions. The argument is that apart from being -- far from being
:16:57. > :17:04.simple volunteers, they have considerable responsibilities.
:17:04. > :17:09.think it is a non starter talking about volunteers, as they call it,
:17:09. > :17:14.and elected members been pensioners because that is a minuscule amount
:17:14. > :17:19.of money being spent on this. We are not talking about cold feet of
:17:19. > :17:22.pensions. On Dorset County Council 14 councillors and members of the
:17:22. > :17:27.pension scheme out of the total number of 45. The council's
:17:27. > :17:34.contribution to the whole of the staff pension scheme, not including
:17:34. > :17:42.staff in schools under fire service, is �72.5 million. That works out at
:17:42. > :17:46.�179 per head of population. Across the county because the public
:17:46. > :17:50.services including pensions is highly controversial. The question
:17:50. > :17:55.of whether councillors should also receive public pensions has added
:17:55. > :18:00.to the debate. In Dorset three county councillors started
:18:00. > :18:04.receiving bears, the average �650 a year. In the present financial
:18:04. > :18:09.climate even relatively modest -- relatively modest sums are being
:18:09. > :18:12.called into question. Traders in Paignton are up in arms
:18:12. > :18:15.over a railway level crossing being closed for two weeks. Businesses in
:18:15. > :18:18.Torbay Road claim the work being carried out by Network Rail will
:18:18. > :18:23.put a huge strain on trade as access to the street will be
:18:23. > :18:27.difficult. Johnny Rutherford reports.
:18:27. > :18:30.On Saturday these barriers will remain closed for two weeks.
:18:30. > :18:36.Although the footbridge will remain open for able-bodied people to
:18:37. > :18:40.cross, traders are worried about the loss of business. Parking meter
:18:40. > :18:45.charges have elevated dramatically, which is affecting business. This
:18:45. > :18:50.will be the male in the coffin for some retailers. We would like some
:18:50. > :18:55.compensation. We don't mind where it comes from. Loss of earnings. It
:18:55. > :18:58.isn't just us, it is the whole road. Traders feel that if they have had
:18:58. > :19:03.more notice they would have arranged things like holiday leave
:19:03. > :19:07.and changes to the order books. said to the railway meant this
:19:07. > :19:12.morning, was on their telephone to them yesterday, and it has got to
:19:12. > :19:16.be done. There is nothing else we can do about it, but to be told to
:19:16. > :19:20.days before, that is pretty bad. Network will save the work is
:19:20. > :19:24.essential to make the crossing safer and say they're sorry for any
:19:24. > :19:29.inconvenience and say they will put into place short diversions for
:19:29. > :19:36.motorists, pedestrians and wheelchair users. Diversions are OK,
:19:36. > :19:41.but people like disabled people or blind people are going to find
:19:41. > :19:45.these diversions very difficult and time-consuming, especially if they
:19:45. > :19:51.have paid on a meter and they have got 20 minutes to get what they
:19:51. > :19:54.have got to get to. The bridge will be closed from Saturday until
:19:54. > :19:57.Monday 13th February. Plymouth Albion's worrying
:19:57. > :20:00.financial position has eased slightly. They are on course to
:20:00. > :20:02.raise enough capital to see them through until the end of the season,
:20:02. > :20:12.as they try to escape relegation from rugby's Championship.
:20:12. > :20:17.Spotlight's Dave Gibbins has the story. 2012 started with Plymouth
:20:17. > :20:21.Albion needing �250,000 to make up the shortfall in their Budget.
:20:21. > :20:26.Shareholders were summoned to a meeting and they heard how serious
:20:26. > :20:31.the situation was. Four weeks later and Albion have made giant strides
:20:31. > :20:35.with their fund-raising. It helped immediately. I get us through
:20:35. > :20:41.January and February, but we need working capital to get us through
:20:41. > :20:45.to the end of this season. It takes the immediate pressure off, but
:20:45. > :20:51.there is still the need for additional working capital.
:20:51. > :20:55.Championship clubs like Albion received �320,000 from the Rugby
:20:55. > :21:00.Football Union, the Premiership and Sky Television. There is no
:21:00. > :21:05.parachute payment for a team relegated down, so if Albion see-
:21:05. > :21:08.through this season, what about the long-term future? What we have been
:21:08. > :21:17.doing is working with our accountants and advisers, looking
:21:17. > :21:22.in a lot of detail at the medium term and get into this season is
:21:22. > :21:29.the urgent challenge, but also then getting through next season. It is
:21:29. > :21:33.looking good. An open meeting for shareholders and supporters will be
:21:33. > :21:38.held next Tuesday evening. There will be told the outline plans to
:21:38. > :21:41.save card the club as a professional club in the next few
:21:41. > :21:46.years. Colourful cassocks and coffins are
:21:46. > :21:49.on display at a major show in Devon. Thousands have turned up for what's
:21:49. > :21:52.described as the "Ideal Church Show" at Westpoint in Exeter.
:21:52. > :21:55.Unusual hearses and a vast array of religious robes are on display and,
:21:55. > :22:05.as Andrea Ormsby reports, members of the clergy have even taken to
:22:05. > :22:05.
:22:05. > :22:10.the catwalk to parade the latest in ecclesiastical fashion.
:22:10. > :22:20.It is it biggest regional shows so far. A hundred and 75 stands seen
:22:20. > :22:28.
:22:28. > :22:36.by up to 4000 people. The highlights? Clergy on the catwalk.
:22:36. > :22:40.For the latest ecclesiastical must- haves, this is the place to come.
:22:40. > :22:44.It is very hard as a woman trying to work at how to dress and not
:22:44. > :22:49.look like a man. I have been having a clerical fashion crisis since I
:22:49. > :22:55.was ordained. It is beautiful artistry. Not just a bit of
:22:55. > :23:00.clothing. You can see the quality of the workmanship. Very lovely
:23:00. > :23:08.garments to be able to wear. much do you reckon it would set you
:23:08. > :23:13.back? Over �2,000. Sadly, I can get one. Coffins of all varieties,
:23:13. > :23:17.hearses of every kind. People thought it would just be row after
:23:17. > :23:26.row of just text, but they show this far from that. There is so
:23:26. > :23:36.much to look at. Did try and do it all in a day might be hard. Lots of
:23:36. > :23:42.activities, lots of speaking, meals. This has inspired us all. I saw a
:23:42. > :23:46.coffin it like a tart us, and my son is very much into Dr Who. It
:23:46. > :23:56.was of interest to me! The ideal church show, everything you could
:23:56. > :24:00.
:24:00. > :24:09.need. For Christians, it is heaven. Time now for the weather.
:24:09. > :24:13.You will need to wrap up warmly. It is almost a surprise for us to see
:24:13. > :24:19.someone to reach hours today. In addition to some clear sky,
:24:19. > :24:26.potentially some frost and the risk of some ice. Possibly there will be
:24:26. > :24:32.summer round tomorrow. The showers have been fairly beefy today and
:24:32. > :24:37.they have given some heel, sleet and snow. We still have low
:24:37. > :24:42.pressure and a cold wind direction, coming from the north-west, so the
:24:42. > :24:47.possibility of further showers overnight. For a time the skies
:24:47. > :24:52.will clear and the temperatures will drop. By tomorrow lunchtime it
:24:52. > :24:58.will be quite similar to how it is now. Still the risk of showers and
:24:58. > :25:02.some of them could be quite heavy and wintery. The best day of the
:25:02. > :25:07.next few will be Saturday with a weather front try to come in off
:25:07. > :25:11.the Atlantic but not making much progress. Saturday looks like a
:25:12. > :25:20.frosty start and are mainly fine day. Here is the picture in more
:25:20. > :25:27.detail. There has been some sunshine today. This picture was
:25:27. > :25:37.earlier today. Quite blustery winds from the north-west, but you can
:25:37. > :25:48.
:25:48. > :25:52.see on the horizon showers were We have some showers across the
:25:52. > :25:59.north of Devon moving into Somerset, but there will become more isolated
:25:59. > :26:02.tonight. After midnight, the shower macro activity will all right down.
:26:03. > :26:07.Temperatures will fall down to freezing. Overnight temperatures
:26:08. > :26:14.will range from four degrees down to zero. A cold, bright start
:26:14. > :26:20.tomorrow, but with the risk of showers developing again. I've the
:26:20. > :26:24.middle of the afternoon, the showers will be at their peak.
:26:24. > :26:28.Temperatures will struggle up to seven degrees tomorrow, but the
:26:28. > :26:34.temperatures will drop when the showers, long. The winds will not
:26:34. > :26:44.be a strong. For the Isles of Scilly, we will see some showers in
:26:44. > :27:13.
:27:13. > :27:19.the morning, but will be fine in Saturday will be a fine day, but
:27:19. > :27:25.cold. Sunday is rather cloudy with the best of any brightness across
:27:25. > :27:32.Dorset and Somerset. Monday will not see much change, but maybe
:27:32. > :27:37.slightly colder air. Devon County Council had told us