Pavey won't act on Copland chaos

Guest bloggers have given a vivid picture of events at Copland Community School as the new management take action. I have been arguing that Brent Council needs to look at its own role, not least the effectiveness of  its support for the school in the period previous to the Ofsted inspection when Brent Council leader Cllr Muhammed Butt was a member of the governing body.

The Council has sacked that governing body and imposed an Interim Executive Board which has appointed senior management. The Council can't just leave it there but should be monitoring closely how the IEB and senior management are going about school improvement.

The guest bloggers have revealed a troubling picture which, as I state in the Twitter exchange below with Cllr Michael Pavey, lead member for children and families, seems to be killing the patient in order to cure it.

I have been a headteacher responsible for turning round a primary school in special measures, as well as Chair of Governors at two primary schools which under the lead of the headteacher and supported by governors have also come out of the category.

Of course tough measures have to be taken to remove inadequate teaching and tackle issues such as poor attendance, but in the process you have to build on your strengths, boost morale, win the confidence of teachers, parents and pupils and get everyone on board. When you do have to take action on capability this should be done following the agreed procedures ensuring fairness and transparency.

The guest bloggers' contributions seem to indicate that this is not happening and led me into the following Twitter exchange with Cllr Pavey:
 
Wembley Matters: Whistleblower's plea for .@MikeyPavey to intervene in Copland debacle http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/coplands-summer-bizarre-continues.html …
Michael Pavey: Have they filed a grievance? That's the most appropriate first step.
Wembley Matters LA appointed IEB/new head who are killing patient to cure it. You representing LA must take responsibility. Grievance takes time
Michael Pavey: I fully support IEB in turning round Copland's dismal failure of kids. Any complaints need to follow proper process.
Wembley Matters: Washing of hands - RIP Copland then
Michael Pavey: Says who? I see a committed new team keen to reverse educational failure.
Wembley Matters: History will judge - by Autumn half-term?
Michael Pavey: It will take much longer than that to reverse historical failure.
Wembley Matters: The consequences of current management action will be obvious by then: staffing, morale, and pupils' well-being
Michael Pavey: The consequences of current levels of teaching are already apparent.
Luca Salice: IEBs in some circumstances can be a good solution to avoid academy conversion and improve schools.
Wembley Matters: I agree Luca but in this case Brent Council put in IEB to PREVENT the governors opposing forced academisation.

Copland’s Summer Bizarre continues

Guest post by 'Mistleflower'

Sources close to my partner tell me that Copland staff are becoming increasingly concerned about the strange behaviour of new Head Richard Marshall. Following the actions set out in recent blogs on this site, Mr Marshall has set aside next Tuesday for a game of musical chairs involving the English and Humanities departments. 

Staff taking students on end-of-term trips have been told to cancel their plans, come to school in old clothes and be prepared to spend the day moving all the English books, resources, wall-displays, stock, personal effects and other paraphernalia out of the English rooms and over to the Humanities block, a separate building some distance away. 

Humanities teachers have been instructed to do the same thing but in the opposite direction. The instruction came out of the blue, followed the new management style of ‘no consultation, no discussion, no sense at all’ and was ‘explained’ as somehow providing some dubious benefit to the English department ( none of whom believe the reason given or want the move). Humanities Faculty teachers have individually and collectively decided to resist the move. This has been met with the immediate threat of disciplinary proceedings which are rapidly becoming the principal means of management communication under Mr Marshall’s headship. 

How did we get to this ludicrous state of affairs? 

For the real motive we need to look not at the English department but at Humanities. The faculty has historically been one of the most stable at Copland and has contained some of the most experienced, most able, most intelligent and most committed teachers in the school. It has a very strong record at GCSE and particularly at A level. 

Particular faculty individuals have worked tirelessly over the years to help Copland students gain admission to the top universities. Faculty members have recently been active on the school’s governing body, in liaising with outside social and cultural organisations, with taking students on visits to English courts and residential visits to European Community centres in Brussels, in forging links with moderate Muslim organisations and in establishing a ground-breaking anti-homophobia group which brought Copland huge media coverage and national recognition and respect; in general, striving to broaden the horizons of students in one of the country’s more deprived boroughs.

It would take very little time or effort to collect tributes from a huge number of former students who would attest, with affection and respect, to the way in which Copland’s Humanities Faculty ‘made a difference’ to their lives. It would surprise no one at Copland if a Facebook page to this effect was under construction at this very moment.

So why would the new Copland management led by Mr Marshall want to attack (and that is precisely how it is being described) this apparently exemplary faculty? 

Here’s why. The Humanities staff’s qualities of care and involvement in the school and the progress of its students are the same qualities which mean that 2 of the school’s Professional Association reps come from the Humanities faculty as does one of the longest serving staff representatives on the school’s governing body. The Humanities faculty was also particularly bravely involved in the risky whistleblowing which resulted in Sir Alan Davies imminent fraud trial. The efforts of these teachers helped halt the alleged hemorrhaging of Brent taxpayers’ money into the pockets of a corrupt management. 

But while they’ll applaud such qualities at a distance, authoritarian managements really don’t like such independence of thought and such readiness to question their ‘tough’ decisions, (especially those which seem to make no sense or to be transparently vindictive). And a vindictive attack on the school’s professional associations is precisely the interpretation of the Copland management’s action which was expressed very clearly at a packed Joint Union meeting of Copland staff on Friday when it was decided unanimously to support the Humanities Faculty in whatever manner was deemed necessary. A vote of confidence in the union reps, their principled resistance to the recent use of bogus capability procedures and the dignified part they played in resisting the recent ‘sickness’ absence fiasco described elsewhere on this site, was also unanimously passed. 

Maybe the new Copland management wasn’t aware of the qualities the Humanities faculty embodies. Maybe they would be more aware if they hadn’t rejected all attempts at dialogue with the staff using the established JCC and other channels which have avoided this kind of unpleasantness in the past. Maybe the IEB or Brent’s Children and Families Lead, Michael Pavey could have a word.

Meanwhile we face the prospect of an undignified standoff next Tuesday between security men and Copland Humanities teachers which would really enhance the school’s reputation and the new management’s respect in the eyes of the rest of the staff. Especially if footage of it were to become the biggest YouTube success since Fenton the deer-chasing dog. The likeliest outcome seems to be that this ridiculous plan will (like Sports Day!) be ‘postponed’ and then clandestinely carried out during the school holidays. As a way of continuing this ‘war against the teachers’ into the next school year, that would take some beating. Which, under the current regime, makes it all the more likely to happen.

It really is time for someone to have a word.

Pavey: No Copland sell-off

Cllr Michael Pavey, Brent Council lead member for Children and Families has reacted to the Guest Posting below with this statement:

"Copland School will not be sold off. The site will be redeveloped, but as an improved school - not for non-educational uses. 

All the steps Brent Council have taken have the sole purpose of improving teaching and learning in the school. The recent Ofsted report found that two-thirds of teaching is inadequate or requires improvement. This is a tragedy which is desperately failing local families. 

Turning around this terrible situation requires tough actions. However there is absolutely no question of running down the school to sell it off. Quite the opposite: we are determined that Copland will become a successful school that parents are proud to send their kids to."

Copland staff fear hidden site sell-off agenda

I publish below a Guest Post from someone involved with current events at Copland Community School. The views expressed are those of the guest blogger but I publish it because I believe that the public should know what some of the staff are experiencing and thinking. I will be happy to publish any alternative perspectives.
 

An increasing number of Copland Community School staff suspect that it is Brent’s intention to let the school die. The evidence?

New Head Richard Marshall and new Deputy Head Nick John have spent their few weeks in office

·         cutting whole courses and subject areas

·         narrowing the curriculum

·         demanding that department heads nominate staff for redundancy

·         threatening any who refuse with redundancy themselves

·         reducing heads of department to tears

·         wasting Brent HR officers’ time calling them in to interview staff about legitimate and certificated sickness absence (including ones following operations and motor accidents)

·         cancelling Sports Day and another planned Activities Day at short notice

·         refusing any joint consultation with staff

·         refusing to furnish a definitive list of staff leaving in July citing ‘equal opportunities’(?)

·         adding to the 30 plus staff leaving for voluntary redundancy (sometimes under threat of future non-procedural and bogus capability action) by making working conditions for remaining staff so bad that they are desperate to leave as well

·         making the school curriculum offer to prospective Yr 7 parents, and to Year 11 students considering staying on for A levels, as unattractive as the appalling physical conditions students will work under

·         boasting about how ‘tough’ they are prepared to be in carrying out more of the above

Everyone knows how extensive and attractive the Copland site would be for developers. It certainly wasn’t lost on former Head (now awaiting trial on fraud charges) Sir Alan Davies.  Many at Copland now believe that the only explanation for the imposition of yet another clueless management regime on this long-suffering school community can be that Brent want to reduce the roll to  the point where they can declare the school unsustainable, close it down  and flog off the land to a supermarket chain and a residential developer.

Copland cull continues

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...

No Olympic legacy at Copland as Ofsted leads to sports day cancellation

Just the day before Copland Community School was to hold its eagerly awaited sports day it was cancelled by the interim headteacher who has been in post for just two weeeks. The PE department, staff and students had been planning the event for weeks.

One year after the 2012 Olympics it appears that the idea that the Olympics 'legacy' would motivate young people and enhance the status of sports in schools has been trampled into the ground.

In a letter circulated to staff  on Dr Richard Marshall's it was  stated  that because of Ofsted the school's priorities had  to change and that it was now busy 'on this new agenda'. This had made it necessary to postpone sports day until next year.

In my view, one issue that is often missed is the impact of negative Ofsted judgments and schools being put into special measures on students at the school. Feeling bad about your school and its teachers and facing negative comments from friends who attend other schools impacts on the morale and self-esteem of students.

I understand that Copland students have been circulating a petition in support of their teachers in the face of this negative publicity. The sports day decision is likely to alienate them further and perhaps will be interpreted as some kind of punishment for the school's difficulties.

Copland strikers dump Michael Gove in the 'dustbin of history'

Gove in the 'dustbin of history'

Michael Gove was consigned to the 'dustbin of history at the culmination of a march of 80 or so striking Copland teachers and their supporters today.  The ceremony took place during the first major demonstration at Brent's £100m new Civic Centre.

Copland teachers are striking for the second time against the imposition by Brent Council of an Interim Executive Board, which replaces the democratically elected governing body, and DfE plans supported by the Labour Brent Council, to force the school to become a sponsored academy. It is the last non-academy, non-faith community secondary school in Brent.

Speaking to the crowd I gave a message of support from the Green Party Trade Union group and said that the Green Party was opposed to forced academies and the privatisation of education as well as the narrowing of the curriculum proposed by Michael Gove.

Outside the Civic Centre

Is Brent children and families department 'fit for purpose'?

The Harrow Observer's story on Copland Community School reveals that Brent Council's own action plan to tackle the school's weaknesses had been declared 'not fit for purpose' by Ofsted LINK

Education secretary Michael Gove approved the appointment of an interim executive board, taking over the functions of the governing body, on June 19.

On the same day, Ofsted wrote to the school to declare both the school's nor Brent Council's action plans, designed to address the failings found by Ofsted a month earlier, as "not fit for purpose". (sic -the paper's original wording. I assume neither were fit for purpose)

The letter reveals a quarter of the staff, including some of the senior leadership team, are taking voluntary redundancy at the end of this academic year in a bid to cut the wage bill and the school has permission to hire a maximum of seven Newly-Qualified Teachers as replacements.

In exchanges over the Copland issue Cllr Michael Pavey, lead member for children and families, had said that the local authority did not, because of cuts, have the capacity to improve the schools and to try  to do so would break it. If the local authority's children and families department and its school improvement service could not provide a viable plan it surely raises the question about what might happen with other schools that get into difficulties. Indeed, it raises the unavoidable question: Is Brent 's children and families department fit for purpose? The DfE is likely to have asked itself this question..

The former director of children and families has just retired ahead of the council's senior management restructuring and Sara Williams has taken over as interim director.  Faira Ellks, head of the school improvement service has also retired and has been temporarily replaced by Rachel Matthews. The service has been cut back and partially replaced by the Brent Schools Partnership which is at an early stage of development.

The Brent Education Commission, set up by Christine Gilbert, interim Chief Executive of Brent Council and a former head of Ofsted, is due to report in November.

There is an urgent need to restore confidence in the children and families department and its capacity to provide strong leadership and effective support for schools. When parents called for strong support for their campaign against forced academisation of Gladstone Park Primary School following its 'inadequate' Ofsted rating there were reports that the authority did not want to make a strong stand and take on Michael Gove's academy broker (former Brent director of education Jacky Griffin) for fear of incurring the attention, and the wrath, of the DfE and bringing about an inspection of the local authority.

In the present circumstance of transition and uncertaintly it may not do well if such an inspection were to take place.

The hasty imposition of an Interim Executive Board at Copland and acceptance that Gladstone Park will convert to an academy may be an attempt to 'prove' to the DfE that they are up to the job - by acquiescing  to Gove's agenda.

If the authority itself is 'failing' or 'inadequate' it will lose the confidence of schools and their governing bodies and possibly  hasten voluntary academy conversions across the borough's primary schools.

Back bench Labour councillors and the opposition must ensure that the Executive realises the extent of the problem and acts accordingly.

Parents urged to fight Copland's forced academisation

This letter is being distributed to parents of Copland students about the strike:

Dear Parents

Some people locally and nationally want to force Copland Community School to become an academy. They lie to you that this is in the interest of your children.

WHAT LIES ARE THEY TELLING YOU?

1 Results will improve. But academies do not do better in GCSEs than other schools. They actually do worse. 

2 Academies are in the interests of the children. But academies fiddle their exam results by permanently excluding more vulnerable young people, especially children from ethnic minorities, than other schools.

3 Extra funding. The days of bribes to convert to academy status are over. Under forced academisation there is no new money despite fact that the budget problems contributed to our failure by Ofsted. 

 

4 Parents should have a choice. But parents have less say in the running of academies than of other schools. Why for example was there absolutely no consultation with parents about the decision to impose an IEB on Copland?

WHAT TRUTHS ARE THEY HIDING FROM YOU?

There are many fantastic things about Copland. Many of our students get good GCSE and A Level results and progress to universities including Oxford and Cambridge. Copland should be upheld as a model of good community cohesion. At Copland we have low levels of pupil exclusion, unlike many academies. We take in more students who do not speak English than local academies. Academies would rather not have these students as they will affect their GCSE results but they fit in very well at Copland. We do loads of extra-curricular activities which really benefit the students. For example many of our students are signed up with football clubs. Raheem Sterling who now plays for Liverpool is the most famous one in recent years. Incidentally if we did become an academy it is likely that much of the land that the PE Department uses will be sold to make a profit for the academy sponsor.

WHAT DO WE NEED?

We need your support. Sign our petition and ask others in your community to sign it as well. Write to your councillor and MP. Get involved by contacting Tony Deady (parent governor) on 07952361792.

Copland teachers to strike against forced academisation tomorrow

Teaching staff at Copland Community School in Wembley will be on strike for the second time on Wednesday 3rd July.

The school will be closed to pupils due to the action. There will be a picket line from 8am in the morning. Then staff will be marching at 9am, with parent, pupil and local community support, to the new Brent Civic Centre in Engineers Way to call upon the Labour led Council to stop assisting Michael Gove's forced academy programme.

There will be an effigy of Michael Gove which will be ceremoniously dumped in a dustbin (the dustbin of history) and lots of Gove masks to make the point.

Jon Cox, Brent NASUWT Acting President  said, “ A programme of academisation is not about raising standards. It is simply the imposition of a warped political ideology on state schools. Unequivocal
evidence that academies raise the quality of education simply does not exist. What Copland needs is investment in both staff professional development and attractive buildings which give pupils firstly, the decent working environment they deserve and secondly, the message that every child matters”

Hank Roberts, Brent ATL Secretary and National President said, “Michael Gove's dismantling of state education and attempted abolition of parental choice in his forced academies programme is treacherous. For this he should be put in the dustbin of history where he and his policies belong”.

Jean Roberts, Joint Brent NUT Secretary said, “Forcing Copland to become an academy is not the solution and won't bring in the needed funds. How can any pupil learn adequately in such an appalling building. There needs to be a new school building plan agreed and begun as soon as possible in the autumn term.'

Pavey washes his hands of 'failing Copland' and prepares to hand it to academy chain

Michael Pavey

Michael Pavey, Brent lead member for children and families, has responded to criticisms of his stance on the forced academisation of Copland High School with a blog LINK

He says:

I dislike the Academy system. There is no evidence that Academisation leads to improved educational outcomes. Academies fragment educational provision – when it should be based on local co-operation. And worst of all, Academisation is a step towards marketisation of education.

I was extremely disappointed when the overwhelming majority of secondary schools in Brent volunteered to convert to Academy status, in response to a short term Government funding bribe.

But Copland is different. Copland is a school which has failed its pupils....(he gives details on why he thinks this is the case)

I am no fan of Academies, but the status quo is simply unacceptable. It is failing local children. Against this record of failure, I made the decision that only a radical new beginning could turn this school around.

An Academy conversion is the only credible step.

Pavey claims that government cuts mean that Brent Council does not have the resources to support a school  facing 'such deep problems'.  He does not mention the Council's role in previous years in terms of financial monitoring which failed to discover the financial mismanagement which destabilised the school.  the neglect of the building or the failure to improve the quality of teaching and learning.

Perhaps most perplexingly he does not give any reasons why he thinks becoming an academy will solve these deep-seated problems or what evidence on the efficacy of academies he has used in reaching his decision.

It cannot be enough to wash his hands of the problem and hand staff and pupils over to an unproven and uncertain future.

School financial mismanagement under scrutiny tomorrow

Following the controversy at Copland High School over allegedly illegal bonus payments, Brent Council has tightened up its audit arrangements. The 'Copland Six' are still to stand trial but meanwhile several other head teachers and other staff have been suspended while the possibility of financial management irregularities are investigated. Some have faced disciplinary action leading to dismissal.  There has been publicity about these events in local newspapers and the Evening Standard and the Times Educational Supplement.

Some commentary has suggested that this is a particular problem in Brent while others have suggested that the problem occurs elsewhere but because of Brent's experience it has been better at uncovering it. Generally there is a concern that as schools become more independent of local councils, being set up as 'free' schools or when they convert to academy status, that there may be more occurrences.The report from the Director of Finance and Corporate Services and the Director Children's Services which will be considered on Thursday by the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee states that Copland, as a foundation school, had made its own audit arrangements, rather than be visited by the local authority team, until 2009: 'The significant additions (to pay) were not picked up during any of the external audits conducted annually at the school.'

Although there may be deliberate attempts as fraud it may also be the case that some of the occurrences are the result of inexperience or incompetence on the part of headteachers and governing bodies. Although the local authority offers financial training to headteachers they do not have a business management background and their main task remains the management of teaching and learning.

Two main issues have emerged which the report says the Council has addressed:

Senior Leadership Pay: a key issue that had been identified through the audit process relates to schools complying with the statutory requirements regarding the setting of pay levels for Headteachers and other Senior Leadership posts. The regulations are complex but nevertheless compliance with them is a statutory requirement and a comprehensive action plan was put in place by the Council to both support and challenge schools to ensure compliance. A great deal of progress has been successfully made as set out in Appendix C which shows the detailed action undertaken by the Council. Further on-going work is necessary to ensure continued
compliance with the regulations.

Leasing: In 2010, the Council identified that a number of schools had entered into very unfavourable leasing arrangements with large finance companies for the hire of equipment such as photocopiers. The Council is of the view that these leases should be treated as being void from the outset, as the schools in question did not have the legal power (‘vires’) to enter into them. If the leases were enforceable, they would have a negative impact on the schools’ financial positions. There are various grounds as to why the Council argues the leases should be considered void. The Council has taken the following action in order to protect the public funds exposed to these purported leases:

• Sent a number of letters and uploaded intranet postings clarifying the importance of complying with the leasing requirements set out in the Council’s Financial Regulations.
• Arranged for Council officers to meet with school officers where appropriate in order to discuss leasing issues.
• Hosted a number of presentations at Governor, Headteacher and Bursar meetings, clarifying the requirements of a lawful lease and offering support to schools that may have ostensibly entered into leases which are void in law, in order to encourage schools to obtain legal advice.
• Referred schools to the Council’s internal and external solicitors who are able to advise the schools (the content of the advice is confidential and subject to legal privilege).
• Obtained advice from a QC (the content of which is confidential and subject to legal privilege).
• Facilitated court action: A number of schools have stopped paying the sums purportedly due under these purported leases. As a result, one finance company has issued legal proceedings against two separate schools for amounts allegedly due. The Council’s solicitors have been instructed by the two schools to defend these claims. The schools are counter-claiming for restitution of the sums paid under the purported leases. The cases are on-going.
• Released guidance to all schools setting out the framework agreements
available, in order to help schools purchase or lease equipment at favourable rates.
• Hosted regular leasing / procurement training sessions with school bursars.

Using a traffic light system of Assurance about Audut Outcomes for audits in 2011-12 the report gives 7 primary schools a green light (substantial), 9 an amber (limited) and 4 a red (nil). The report gives a long list of issues that have been identified 'in the majority of schools' over the last two years. These cover Governance, Procurement, Unofficial Funds, Budgeting, Income and Banking.

The Head of Audit's opinion reported to the Audit Committee for 2010-11 sums up some of the issues:

I also remain concerned about the apparent lack of financial control within a significant minority of the council’s schools and the general approach to internal audit findings. Whilst schools are responsible for their own budgets, they are required to adhere to both legal requirements and to financial regulations issued by the council. These ensure public money is properly spent and accounted for. A number of schools are demonstrating a lack of compliance with basic procurement regulations. This is placing schools at risk of failing to achieve value for money and at risk of potential legal challenge where EU procurement regulations apply.

In addition, a number of schools are failing to adhere to the national rules concerning teacher’s pay, specifically in relation to head teacher pay being outside the prescribed bandings determined by the school size. Although, in certain circumstances schools are permitted to pay above the maximum group range, I consider that in a number of cases these circumstances may not apply and school governing bodies may be paying above the ranges set out within the national conditions document to facilitate incremental increases in pay once the natural pay cap, relative to the size of school, has been reached. This is further exacerbated by Governing Bodies not always being diligent in their recording of the reasons for granting permission to exceed to cap thus placing the school at risk of challenge.

In response to the issue of headteacher (and thus deputy headteacher) pay being outside the criteria published in the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD)  the Children and Families Department in October 2011 asked chairs of governors to return headteacher pay information. The report states that 'many schools failed to respond to this request in a reasonable timescale and it is only now that a full picture is emerging' and schools are being supported and challenged to ensure compliance with the STPCD.

Clearly this report raises important issues about probity, accountability and governance and deserves thorough discussion tomorrow.

The meeting takes place at 7pm in Committee Rooms 1 and 2 at Brent Town Hall on Thursday  July 19th Agenda: HERE

Declaration of interest: I am chair of governors at two primary schools and a former primary headteacher - all in Brent. I do not have a Swiss bank account!

Copland and Queen's Park Community schools not intending academy conversion at present

More is emerging about current discussions among Brent schools about academy conversion.  There are four options under consideration as far as I can ascertain:

1. Conversion to an academy
2. Forming a federation of Cooperative Trust schools with academy conversion
3. Forming a Cooperative Trust without academy conversion.
4. Remaining as they are

Wembley High and Preston Manor are considering the second option along with some Wembley primary schools. Copland Community School is interested in a discussion around the third option with no decision or statement of intent planned.. Queen's Park Community School does not want to consider the cooperative trust option and governors issued a statement in May 2011 stating that they had 'no immediate plans to apply for academy status.'  This leaves Alperton High School and I would welcome any information readers may have about their position: mafran@globalnet.co.uk

Meanwhile a joint union meeting at Preston Manor All-through Foundation School (apparently the school's  new name) is said to have overwhelmingly passed a motion rejecting academy conversion.

Brent school students, teachers and governors turn out for rally and lobby

School students, teachers, governors and parents were out in force yesterday for the rally and parliamentary lobby over the cuts in the Building Schools for the Future programme and the Academies Bill.

School students from Copland, Alperton and Queens Park Community School were among those attending the rally and who met with Brent MPs to press the case for their schools. Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North, said that he was going to concentrate on the BSF issue but said that he would also sign the EDM on academies consultation.

Meanwhile the Guardian has published a LIST of those schools who have applied for academy status. In Brent only two schools, both religious schools, are listed: The JFS (Jewish Free School) and the Convent of Jesus and Mary. Claremont, whose head expressed an interest some weeks ago was not included after the governors decided to take time to research the issue.

The Methodist Central Hall, where the rally was held, was packed and an overflow room had to be opened. The mood was militant and it was good to see school students out in force to fight the cuts.

Fight Tooth and Nail for Decent School Buildings

Brent Council confirmed the impact of the BSF programme on Brent schools with the following release.

Head teachers and students in Brent were shocked at the announcement  by the Government to axe the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

The timing couldn't have been more poignant for Brent's schools. As the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, addressed the House of Commons, students from Alperton Community School, Queens Park Community School, Copland Community School and Cardinal Hinsley Mathematics and Computing College were presenting to Brent Council their ideas and plans for their future buildings.

The four schools had been allocated £80m under the BSF programme.

Maggie Rafee, Head teacher at Alperton Community School, said: "There can be no denying that the news about the BSF programme being axed is absolutely devastating.

"This will mean our school will face uncertainty while we await the outcome of the review and go through whatever new hoops are set to secure the capital monies that the minister announced will still be available for schools in the greatest need. Our school will do whatever is necessary to make politicians sit up and take notice."

Students at the school have written to the Secretary of State for Education and invited him to visit the site and see why the investment is needed.

Councillor Ann John, Leader of Brent Council, said: "Yesterday's announcement will have a devastating impact on the educational opportunities of Brent's students for generations to come.

"The rising population in the borough has meant a shortage of school places and, with many of our schools in poor condition, this investment was vital.

"We will be drawing on the support of our MPs to argue our case to Government for this much-needed investment that goes beyond new buildings. Without funding Brent will not be able to meet the demand for pupil places in the future."

The axing of this programme along with the Coalitions claim that 'free schools' can be housed in closed down factories and warehouses, empty shops and disused churches, shows that they are completely out of touch with the needs of schools. We will be returning to private affluence (from whence most of them came) and public squalor.

I started teaching in the 1970s and remember classrooms with carefully positioned buckets catching rainwater leaking through ceilings, windows held together with tape and string,  walls covered with sugar paper to hid cracked and mouldy plaster. Are we really going to put up with this Government returning us to that state - along with oversized classes and shortage of text books and resources? 

The message given to pupils in such schools is: You don't matter.

We must fight tooth and nail to ensure our children have decent, sustainable school buildings which are fit for purpose.