Cllr Gwen Grahl, newly elected deputy leader of Brent Labour Group posted the following on Twitter earlier this evening, writing in a personal capacity.
I have today written to Labour’s NEC regarding advice received on forming an administration at Brent Council.
Labour Groups should be trusted to make political decisions in the best interest of their residents.
Following the post Jake Rubin, Brent Cabinet Member for Communities, Children's Services, Employment and Climate Action tweeted his support:
I agree with this - I simply cannot
understand why Labour’s NEC prevented Brent Labour Group from formal or
informal agreements with the Green group in Brent, when the consequences for
this were obvious
Matt Paul, parent and one of the
coordinators of the Save Byron Court campaign, yesterday presented a
1,300 signature petition to Brent Council Cabinet opposing forced academisation
and calling for the Cabinet’s.
He spoke about staff and
parent concern over how the inspection had been carried out by Ofsted, the
minimal parent involvement and the failure to take into account the instability
of the senior leadership over a four year period.
Over two-thirds of parents
and a majority of staff in a survey opposed academisation and wanted it to
remain a community school.
There was particular concern
that the Harris Federation had been named to take over the school given that it
is led by a Tory donor, has a CEO paid half a million a year, is known for poor industrial relations and a has
problematic approach to pupil behaviour management.
He asked that the Council in
line with Labour policy:
1.Provide
and support the recruitment of additional members of the school leadership
team, recognising the immediate lack of capacity and significant pressures faced
by existing staff.
2.
Ensure the work by the Rapid Improvement Group is succeeding and being monitored
– something that does not appear to have been happening for some time.
3.
Push the Department for Education and Ofsted to reinspect the school to reflect
improvements and its upward trajectory and thus delay the academy order being
implemented.
Cabinet Lead Member for Schools,
Cllr Gwen Grahl’s response was interesting and seemed to reflect an inner
battle. At times there were passages that sounded like cautious officers’
briefing notes on the legal position followed by passionate political comments,
She said she understood how
parents would feel that it was unjust that they had not had any say in what
happened to their school. That is why she had written to the Local Advisory
Board urging them to consider delaying academisation but disappointingly had
received no response.
On the Rapid Improvement
Group (RIG) she said:
The
local authority has been aware of inadequacies in some areas of the school for
several months and indeed established a RIG back in September 2022 [more than a
year before the Ofsted Inspection] which was chaired by Shirley Parks. The
group has provided detailed and structural support across many areas and that
includes early years. Safeguarding. SEND, leadership and pupil progress. In addition,
we’ve helped to recruit three really experienced school governors following the
resignation of the chair and vice chair.
It
was our hope and our best intention that this support would in time be
successful in resolving the problems, leading the school towards resilience and
a high quality of leadership and attainment.
Addressing the campaigners’
first demand she said:
On
your first request I can confirm we will be building additional leadership
capacity at the school, and I think we can assure you that will be in place
following the Easter holidays. We have been providing substantial support
through monitoring and challenge and are meeting really regularly with the
senior leadership team and the governors.
Stressing that academisation
was not a local authority decision, in a key passage that will disappoint campaigners,
she said:
However
strongly parents and pupils feel committed to Byron Court remaining a community
school, the academy order makes it clear that local authorities must take all
reasonable steps to facilitate academisation. It’s for that reason that the
Cabinet, officers, and the local authority as a whole cannot oppose or even
delay this decision. We have very little input into the timing of academisation
or indeed when the school will be next inspected.
She went on to express her
political views:
This
process has no doubt been a heart-breaking one for parents and at the political
level I feel that it highlights a number of areas where education policy has
been undemocratic and highly counter-active to delivery of high-quality
education for pupils. First of all it highlights the lack of trust in the
chronic problems of the current Ofsted system which we know places undue
pressure on staff and simplistically, at times cruelly, reduces the complexities
of running a school to a single word judgement. The tragic death of Ruth Perry
is emblematic of how brutal this process can be for hardworking teachers as
well as for the wider community.
I
have long argued that the inspection framework is not fit for purpose and
Labour have already pledged to abolish single word judgements and to bring
about a much needed overhaul of the system. I will continue to make these
argument and emphasise that teaching staff deserve better. It also lays out
plainly how illogical and punitive forced academisation is, tying the future of
the school to an inspection system that has been so openly discredited,
naturally feels draconian.
Cllr Grahl went on to promise
to carry on the fight for inclusive education at the school even when academisation
too place.
She finished:
If
you do have any specific questions or concerns do please email me and I will
respond. I am happy to meet up with you separately as well.
Cllr Gwen Grahl’s
contact details:
Correspondence
address:
c/o Labour Group Office
Brent Civic Centre
Engineers Way
Wembley
HA9 0FJ
