Why have Kingsbury staff voted against converting to a Gove Academy? Why have parents demanded a ballot? Come and discuss at a public meeting on Tuesday 13th September at 7:00pm in the Father O'Callaghan Centre, Main Hall, 26 Hay Lane, London, NW9 0NG
Dear Parents,
As you know at the Governors meeting on 14th July governors voted for Kingsbury High to apply for academy status. This despite the fact that ...
è 84.5%, over 4/5ths of staff opposed the idea and voted NO in an independently overseen secret ballot.
è at two parents meetings the overwhelming majority of parents voiced outright opposition or serious concerns.
è parents had not then (and still have not) had their own independently overseen ballot.
è any extra money Kingsbury might receive if they became an academy would be taken from the budgets of other schools. Younger children of Kingsbury High parents could suffer in Brent feeder primaries, losing funding, resources and even staff.
è any extra money provided would be temporary. Michael Gove has said “the government is clear that a school converting to an academy will not have a financial advantage or disadvantage”.
è Councils have been granted leave for judicial review of the funding arrangements. Further, the Government is itself presently reviewing funding.
è no business plan had been done or provided for stakeholders scrutiny.
è the vast majority of Brent schools are not Academies and have no plans to become Academies.
Further, the Headteacher deliberately withheld from the Governors the fact that the school had received formal notification that staff (reluctantly and as a last resort) would be balloted for strike action if Governors voted to apply. Staff are now in the process of being balloted for strike action
The Headteacher may tell you that the staffs' only real objections are the loss of the requirement for n national pay and conditions, and it being part of the privatisation of the state education agenda. They
are not. The prime concern of staff is the long-term harm this would do to the education of
Kingsbury pupils.
As you know the teaching and support staff at the school are dedicated and committed to providing the best education for the pupils at the school. They are clearly against academy status. There is no evidence to show that this school becoming an academy would raise educational standards.
This is a matter of democracy. Kingsbury High School is a community asset. Proper regard and due weight in deciding its future should be given to key stakeholders, including parents and indeed pupils.
NO FINAL DECISION HAS YET BEEN TAKEN. DEMAND A BALLOT AS STAFF WERE ALLOWED. MAKE YOUR COLLECTIVE VOICE HEARD.
Parents have set up their own action group. They can be contacted via khsaac@hotmail.co.uk
We are the staff's local professional association representatives. Please contact us if you have any questions.
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