The cudgels are out at Copland Community School as the new head and deputy act fast and furious before the end of the term.
I understand that 30 or so staff have already taken voluntary redundancy, some under the implied threat of capability procedures for not delivering 'Outstanding' or 'Good' lessons, if they did not accept the offer - but now a second front has opened.
Heads of Faculty have apparently been asked to submit names of two members of staff who they wouldn't mind losing. As in the best gangster movies when they don't produce the two names it is suggested that they go instead. This appears to have been effective in some cases as teachers have suddenly, apparently without reference to agreed procedures, been invited to Formal Capability Interviews.
The question arises as to whether not following the agreed procedures is itself a capability issue.
How this will leave the staffing situation in September 2013, and again in January 2013, is anyone's guess but resignations and redundancies will produce vacancies that will be difficult to fill in the present climate at the school unless huge incentives are offered.
But then the school has not got the money and anyway it does not have a very good record in terms of incentives and bonuses...
I understand that 30 or so staff have already taken voluntary redundancy, some under the implied threat of capability procedures for not delivering 'Outstanding' or 'Good' lessons, if they did not accept the offer - but now a second front has opened.
Heads of Faculty have apparently been asked to submit names of two members of staff who they wouldn't mind losing. As in the best gangster movies when they don't produce the two names it is suggested that they go instead. This appears to have been effective in some cases as teachers have suddenly, apparently without reference to agreed procedures, been invited to Formal Capability Interviews.
The question arises as to whether not following the agreed procedures is itself a capability issue.
How this will leave the staffing situation in September 2013, and again in January 2013, is anyone's guess but resignations and redundancies will produce vacancies that will be difficult to fill in the present climate at the school unless huge incentives are offered.
But then the school has not got the money and anyway it does not have a very good record in terms of incentives and bonuses...
I seem to recall some people did get huge incentives and bonuses in the not too distant past. But I guess that's what you meant!
ReplyDeleteGet your facts right.
ReplyDeleteWhen the redundancy payments were offered, the old Head was still in post and there was no direct or implied threat of capability procedures.
Staff accepted the offer because they were fed up of the epic levels of incompetence displayed by Graeme Plunkett and his leadership team. The 'team' laid waste to the schools credibility, standards of pupil behaviour, examination results and recruitment.
This was highlighted by the Ofsted report, as was the fact thtat the Governing body, appointed by Brent Council (Greens involved?) was also ineffective and were responsible for the appointment of the aforementioned disastrous leadership team and the subsequent failure to supervise their mismanagement.
Lions led by donkeys.
The Greens are not represented on Brent Council. Decisions are made by the Council Executive which consists of only Labour councillors. I certainly recognise a history of management problems and the lack of success of the previous IEB. My information for the above posting came first-hand from people currently working inside the school. I believe that the whole sorry story raises questions about the democratic accountability of schools and the role of the local authority in ensuring both the effective running of schools and the need for them to provide powerful support for schools in difficulties. Elsewhere on this site I question whether the LA's department concerned (Children and Families) is fit for purpose.
ReplyDelete'there was no direct or implied threat of capability procedures'. Wrong
ReplyDeleteThe governing body appointed the last Head? Wrong.It was the IEB who appointed him. Copland is now run by another IEB (presumably because the last one was such a success).