MANY parents, pupils and teachers in Redditch schools are rightly concerned about the proposed change to the age range at Tudor Grange Redditch, Ridgeway Middle School and two first schools, changes which would undermine the existing three-tier system.

The days are long gone when Worcestershire County Council could implement district-wide changes to schools. A change from three-tier to two-tier was considered, consulted on and rejected 14 years ago.

But the County Council still has a duty to ensure there are enough places in the right locations for pupils of all ages in all types of schools, and is liaising with all schools in the cluster and seeking to ensure any changes are deferred to September 2016 in order to give time for proper consultation.

A change to two-tier might improve outcomes. But it would be a tragedy if a rushed change had the effect of reversing the remarkable improvement in GCSE results.

Philip Gretton County Councillor for Redditch South