Woodham Academy has a longstanding commitment to providing high-quality technical education.  Students are able to study for a GCSE in Engineering in partnership with South West Durham Training Limited.  The proportion of students gaining good GCSEs in Mathematics, English, Science, Languages and Humanities compares well with national figures.  Our links with local businesses are very positive, leading to a higher than average proportion of students taking up apprenticeships and a NEET (not in education, employment or training) figure well below local averages.  In view of this, I fail to see how a UTC provides anything that does not already exist for young people in Newton Aycliffe. Unless it can attract students from outside of the immediate area, it is unlikely to increase the number of young people entering careers in engineering.
It is wrong that the government reneged on Building Schools for the Future funding agreed before the last election that would have seen major refurbishment at Woodham Academy and Greenfield.  It is wrong that the government is now planning to invest £9 million in a UTC, an idea with no track record of success. Whilst I am very much in favour of high quality technical education, my concern is that this facility will take funding from schools in the area and will thus adversely affect the education of the vast majority of our young people.