The head of Bradley Stoke Community School was recognised at the regional finals of the National Teaching Awards.

Dave Baker was given a distinction for his role in the Headteacher of the Year for Secondary Schools at the event which took place at Bath’s Assembly Rooms.

Darren Stanley, the deputy head of Holy Trinity Primary School, was the regional winner in the Primary School category for Teacher of the Year.

Mr Stanley will now go forward to the national competition which will take place later in the year.

Bradley Stoke Community School is examining the possibility of an exchange programme with students at Collège Pablo Picasso in twin town Champs-sur-Marne.

Dave Baker, the school’s head teacher, visited France last week to discuss ways the two schools can develop links between the towns.

A programme of activities for year seven students, who are due to visit in June, was agreed. The exchange programme, which could be in place for the 2007/8 school year, was also on the agenda.

Other link-up opportunities such as communication via e-mail between students at both schools and possible future sports, music and drama visits, were discussed.

Liberal Democrat MP Steve Webb has slammed the Conservatives’ election tactics after the party delivered a faked apology letter over a row involving Bradley Stoke Community School.

The note, which at first glance looks as if it was posted from the Lib Dems, claims to say sorry for the party leader apparently blocking any expansion.

The letter, which was even printed on Lib Dem party colour yellow, was actually distributed by the Conservatives.

The Tories want the community school expanded to include a sixth form while the Lib Dems are calling for more places in the secondary intake.

The Conservatives claim any expansion to the school would break an all-party agreement which has limited the school’s intake to protect neighbouring schools in Patchway and Filton.

North Avon MP Webb said, in a letter delivered to Bradley Stoke residents, that “local residents have told me how shocked they are that the Conservatives have put a faked Liberal Democrat leaflet (even on yellow paper) in order to mislead residents”.

He continued: “The best way for the people of Bradley Stoke to show they deplore such tactics is by backing the positive Liberal Democrat campaign.”

Another leaflet from the Tories says: “The recent suggestion of increasing the number of places at the school has been ruled out by the Liberal Democrat council leader, and is not supported by the school.”

Local school pupil Ed Franklin, 13, has been named as a young correspondent at BBC Radio Bristol.

Ed beat off competition from hundreds of applicants to land the place.

He will join three others who will supply stories to the station giving them a youth-oriented slant.

The other winners were pupils from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, Fairfield High School and Bristol Cathedral School.

The headteacher of Bradley Stoke Community School says expanding the number of pupils would “be to the detriment of local secondary schools”.

The Evening Post reports that Dave Baker sent a letter home to parents in a bid to distance the school from the current political fight to expand it.

The letter said: “We would like to distance ourselves from suggestions that the school should increase its capacity for 11- to 16-year-olds, which would undermine the infrastructure within the school to provide a coherent experience for our students.

“It would hamper the possible provision of a post-16 centre and would be to the detriment of local secondary schools.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Jon Williams has called for an expansion to the school despite an all-party agreement to limit numbers to 900.

The Conservatives have been fighting for a post-16 centre to be based alongside the school.

• Full article

The post box row between the Tories and the Liberal Democrats over Bradley Stoke Community School has taken another twist with an “apology” letter.

The note, which at first glance looks as if it was posted from the Lib Dems, claims to say sorry for the party leader apparently blocking any expansion.

The letter, which was even printed on Lib Dem party colour yellow, was actually distributed by the Conservatives - who aren’t even mentioned by name until the tenth paragraph of the leaflet.

The note is headlined: “An apology on behalf of the Liberal Democrat Campaign”. It goes on to say: “Secondary school expansion proposal was blocked by the Liberal Democrat leader last year”.

The Tories want Bradley Stoke Community School expanded to include a sixth form.

The Lib Dems, meanwhile, have posted another leaflet saying that a Tory councillor in charge of South Gloucestershire schools ignored a 600-strong petition supporting expansion.

They want the school expanded with extra places for secondary school pupils.

The Labour and Conservative parties�says this goes against an all-party agreement not to expand the 11-16 intake because of the threat to neighbouring schools in Patchway and Filton.

• Archive: March 27, Row over calls for school expansion

Staff and pupils at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Bradley Stoke are celebrating an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted report.

The government inspectors rated the school in the highest category during a visit in March.

The report noted that the school has become “a model of good practice in the seven years since it opened”.

The report continues: “One very pleased parent illustrates her daughter’s enjoyment by commenting that she is ‘intensely proud of the school, its achievements and her own achievements to date’.

“Although every aspect of its work is outstanding, it sets such high standards that the whole-school community is committed to continuing to develop and improve.”

Other areas Ofsted singled out for praise included the “outstanding teaching” along with an outstanding curriculum.

• You can read the full report here