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| The audience at the academies meeting |
Parents and staff from Furness Primary School, Harlesden, London gathered[1]
to voice their deep concerns as to why their school was proposed to be turned
into an academy. The Governors of Furness and Oakington Manor, federated
schools, have made an application to turn the two schools into a sponsored
academy trust without having first consulted parents and staff.
The question asked by everyone at the meeting was why? Furness school
received a good rating by Ofsted in June this year. Oakington is currently
rated as outstanding. The two schools federated three years ago to prevent
Furness (which was then in special measures) closing or being taken over by an
academy chain such as ARK.
The audience listened to Bridget Chapman, Chair of the Anti Academies
Alliance, explain what academisation was all about – privatisation of state
education and ultimately schools to be run for profit. She spoke about the evidence
from research that showed that 13% of sponsored academies were classed as
failing yet on 3% of state schools were in this Ofsted category. Further, the
data shows a higher rate of exclusion among black and minority ethnic children in
academies and there are fewer children with special educational needs. 99
academies had received warnings from the DfE about their financial dealing and
11 academy chains had received multiple warnings. The percentage of primary
schools that have become academies is still very small and many of those have
been forced to by the DfE despite there being no evidence that academies
improve education for children, in fact the opposite. Analysis of primary school results indicates
that academy conversion actually slows progress” (Local Schools Network
research).
Jean Roberts spoke on behalf of the education unions and told the
audience how the unions had been stopped from making any presentation to staff at
the so called consultation meetings held at both schools the previous week, as
to why the education unions are united against the proposal. Staff who wanted
to hear them, were shushed and told to be quiet by Mr Jhally, Chair of
Governors of the Federation, when they protested. A motion of support for a
campaign against the academy which had been passed by the Kensal Green Labour Party
group was read out to much applause.
Mrs Libson who is the Executive headteacher of the federated schools
had told the staff consultation meetings it was because Brent had done “nothing
for the schools”. Brent LA dispute this most strongly. Jean Roberts had been
sent a copy of the Brent Audit Report for Oakington Manor in June 2015. Auditors
were unable to say that its accounts and accounting procedures were fully in
order[2].
The report stated, “The key areas of weaknesses related to high value
expenditure, income administration, stock management and pension administration”.
One of the criteria Ofsted inspects in
schools is the Governors oversight of school finances.
Janice Long a local councillor, who sent a message of support for the
campaign against an academy, asked if the imminent Ofsted may be a reason for
this rushed application.
Euton Stewart from GMB explained that in his experience the support
staff were the first to be made redundant in academies. Academies can employ
unqualified teachers, another concern of the teaching staff there. Parents
spoke about the good teachers and the education they provided for their
children at Furness and how all this change was unnecessary now the school had
been given a good by Ofsted.
There was a clear commitment to continue to
seek a secret ballot for parents and staff so that the Governors would fully know
their views. Parents will continue to collect signatures on the petition. Staff
are looking to hold meetings to discuss what they will do in response.
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