On Friday 15 July, David Ruffley met with Head Teachers of local first, middle and upper schools at Thurston Community College to discuss the apparent derailing of the change to two tier schooling by the recent granting of Academy status to Needham Market Middle School, Combs Middle School and Stowmarket Middle School.

Mr Ruffley said:

'There is a reason 98% of schools in the UK are in a two tier system not a Middle School system. Two tier delivers higher academic standards. At the end of the meeting I agreed to speak to Michael Gove to clarify that the Middle Schools to whom he recently gave Academy Status will be encouraged to wind themselves down so that children can go to First Schools to 11 years old and so that Upper Schools can take children from 11, thus delivering a much needed two tier system for the whole of Suffolk.'