Despite overwhelming rejection of amalgamation at the informal consultation stage, the Brent Cabinet today approved moving ahead to a formal consultation on the merger of Malorees Infant and Junior School. The schools are in Brondesbury Park ward.
Patrick Martin, speaking on behalf of NEU members said that in their view an amalgamation would add nothing of benefit to the schools. They already operated as a Federation with staff teaching across the two schools with a single governing body and senior management.
Operating as a 2 form entry primary school as a result of amalgamation would result in a loss of funding of up to a annual £186,000 and this for a school already in deficit. They were being asked to agree a voluntary 5% cut in the hope of refurbishment. This would impact on the educational provision for pupils.
A previous successful bid for a multi use games area (MUGA) had been stopped when plans for a rebuild seemed to be likely. Rebuild as an option seemed to be in doubt given the economic situation and resulting building delays and increased costs.
Gwen Grahl, lead member for schools, was unable to be physically present and was then unable to connect online so Muhammed Butt, Council Leader, read out her statement.
She startd by offering to meet opponents of the amalgamation and said that its advantages included access to the DfE Schools Rebuilding Programme for both the infant and junior school.
Merging the schools would provide financial resilience and a robust case had been made by the Governing Body. She acknowledged the alarm and anxiety of parents and NEU members but said there would be no redundancies or worsening of conditions of service. There was no danger of academisation as had happened at Byron Court. The merged community primary school and foundation junior school would reopen as a maintained primary school: Malorees Primary School.
Shirley Parks, Director of Education, Partnership and Strategy, took questions in the absence of Gwen Grahl. She said that the funding reduction took account of changes in the national formula and assumed a new building.
Changes in the local area, including the situation regarding Islamia Primary and the attraction of a new building would mean the school roll would probably increase [funding is per pupil]. The schools were now in the active DfE rebuilding programme for consideration between April and December this year.
There had been parental concern that because the two schools were currently separate that a small number of infants were unable to get a place in the junior school. As one school they would be guaranted a place.
The Governing Body was confident that it could manage the funding reduction over a period without impact on staff
Amalgamation would ensure that the new school would help build one community and the school would only have one Ofsted inspection [one for each part of the school at present] relieving stress on staff.
Interestingly, the documentation revealed that there was no parent governor on the Governing Body at present. This is similar to the Byron Court situation where parents were not fully represented on the governing body.
The extent of the land for the two schools
Cllr Muhammed Butt concluded by assuring the delegation that there were no plans to build homes on the Malorees land. The Junior School Foundation would transfer their land to Brent Council. The situation at Kilburn Park, also a Foundation School, was different as the redesignation of the land for non-education purposes was a result of the South Kilburn regeneration.
On the issue that a 200 plus on-line petition against amalgamation had not been included in the documentation, Butt said that this was because it had not come via the usual route. It had been checked and the issues raised had been addressed in the Cabinet report.
There were no questions or comments from Cabinet members before they voted to go ahead with a one month formal consultation.
If amalgamation goes ahead (likely whatever the outcome of the formal consultation) the combined school would open as Malorees Primary School at the beginning of Summer Term, 2026.
15 comments:
Brent has now become a dictatorship with Chairman Butt as the leader
It's amazing how becoming a B~ent cabinet member selected by His Buttness makes you an expert in whatever field His Buttness allocates you to.
It says "Cllr Muhammed Butt concluded by assuring the delegation that there were no plans to build on the Malorees land. The Junior School Foundation would transfer their land to Brent Council." So clearly they have plans you bulld flats on that land?
Why have consultations with teachers parents and residents when the Butt regime ignore the consultation result completely? Oh yes, of course, Butt and Co know better than uniformed teachers, parents and residents. It's about time their enormous egos were smashed, but how?
Edited comment [ ] They have limited continuity of children from infant to juniors. As such many of the middle parents who might be likely to sit as parent governors (for example) remove their children from the school at 7. Which means the junior children are literally the poor relatives and receive inadequate teaching environment.
Anon 08.39 checking the recording it he says no plans to build homes on the land so I have amended the report. An Officer made a fuller comment that is worth noting in case of any further development on the issue. "The land is designated for educational use so it would need Secretary of State permission to change that from educational us to other purposes. We have no intention as a Corporate Team to want to push that forward. We don't believe that should be the case. Malorees has got tremendous outdoor facilities and lots of space and that is for the benefit of children." I can see where the suspicion has come from given the council's emphasis on building and what happened at Copland/Cecil Avenue. Some years ago a suggestion was made to one primary school that in order to fund expansion via an additional storey some land could be sold off for housing - so the idea has been around. However, in this case the assurance is on record.
Vote Labour out at the next local elections!!!
You should always vote based on local issues in local elections!!!
Wasn't Barham Park left to us residents including our children yet Brent have sold off the two ex park keepers cottages which sit completely within the park boundary and removed the covenant to allow developmentof the site.
Pretty sure they will contact the Secretary of State asap to get development approval for the Junior School Foundation site!!!
There is also an assurance on record (on the proposal itself) that if there was no support for the amalgamation during any consultation stage then the schools would continue independently.
Assurances from Brent Council even on record don't stand for much.
Isn't the Secretary of State for Edumacation the one bankrolling the development?
Was this really a comment put forward? Nonsense!
It is what we all expect of Brent Council under Butt the Builder
Another resident who understands Brent under our Leader, as in, Cllr Butt doesn't give a s.... what residents think.
Thats true. Go visit the school. The head will tell you that they lose a lot of children at 7, predominantly middle classes which is why he wants to combine the schools
Do you really think that if they combine the schools then parents can't take their children out at age 7? Because that's not correct.
Looking at the stats most juniors are near full apart from y4 - big gaps in infants though
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