Loss of 'Copland Fields' mourned as Wembley Central population without access to gardens increases by thousands

Wembley Open Space (Copland Fields) as was

PROW 87 as was (broken line) and replacement (solid line)

Five years ago there were protests about what was called a 'land grab' of a Wembley open space popularly known as Copland Fields.  When Ark Elvin took over Copland High School the government found money for a brand new school for the academy chain. Copland had been campaigning for years for a new building because the school was in such bad condition.  There had been plans for a 'Copland Village' development at the time to pay for a new build but the plans never came to fruition.

Muhammed Butt,  leader of Brent Council, then a governor at Ark Elvin who have been in favour of the academisation of Copland, strongly backed Ark's  plans but found himself in conflict with local residents, who valued the access to green space in a heavily built up area.

The plans were approved and Ark Elvin got its new building and extended its footprint, while Elsley Primary doubled its size with an additional new building, and both they and St Joseph's enclosed part of the space that they'd had access to by covenant.  Residents were left with a redirected Public Right Of Way (PROW) which is a path lined on both sides by a high fence and warning signs that this previous publicly used space was now 'Private Land.'

Local residents had used routes across this space to access the schools and Alperton via the bridge across the railway. A map of these routes was submitted at the time.

Those routes are now closed except for the main footpath. At the time local  resident Chetan Patel told Annabel Bates, the headteacher of Ark Elvin:

With respect to ARK's planning application (ref 15/3161) for the school redevelopment, I believe your proposal breaches the community's 'Public Right Of Way' onto the existing fields in accordance to Highways Act 1980 Section 130A.

The community has had access to the existing park without any objections from ARK or from the previous management of Copland Community School for many decades now. The law assumes that if the public uses a path without interference for some period of time – set by statute at 20 years - then the owner (ARK) had intended to dedicate it as a right of way.

ARK's proposed development of the school can only be described as 'land-grab' with no consideration for the community users and the Law.

You may well ask, why is this coming up again 5 years later/ The answer is that since then we have had major housing developments in Wembley Central: Elizabeth House, Brent House and the Twin Towers with more to come alongside the Chiltern line and at Ujima House and on the former Copland site fronting the High Road.  Planners admit most are deficient in amenity space but point to the accessibility of  King Edward VII Park in Park Lane.

During lockdown residents have told Wembley Matters that King Eddies is now overcrowded because of the many new residents who have no gardens in which to exercise and enjoy fresh air. Longer term residents are now referring back to that loss of Copland Fields and reflecting on the access they used to have:

One resident told Wembley Matters:

Since moving to Wembley in the mid 1980s, Coplands Fields as it was known, was open to the public,  myself and friends always exercised our dogs freely on this open space,  flew Kites, off road remote control cars, played ball games, Rounders etc.  It was a well used space by Asian cricketers (on designated hard surface - which I think no longer exists)  Numerous local Football groups (Somali and Romanian) played regularly at weekends and during the week early evenings.  Wembley Youth Club had unlimited access.  A Volleyball Group set up their own nets in the far corner near Elsley Primary.   

One of the best things about this open space  was it allowed you to fly kites, remote control planes and helicopters as it has no trees in the middle, unlike King Eddies which does have obstructions such as trees.   The public footpath and fields provided a quick short cut from Alperton to High Road, It was consistently used by parents from Wembley Central and Alperton area walking their children to schools St Josephs RC School, Elsley and Oakington Manor.  All the people living in Tokynton Ward are completely cut off from using this space.

No CCTV evident on footpath which is like a dog's hind leg and nowhere to run if attacked.

St Josephs regularly (or did prior to Covid) use the space, Ark Elvin does not as it has its MUGA's designed in with artificial grass, and does not have access via a gate or anything unlike St Josephs and Elsley.

The Wetlands you refer to is within the boundaries of the Ark Elvin Academy.  I seem to remember discussing this with a Biology Teacher who at the time said it was going to be utilised by the students to grow stuff and create a bio-diverse environment for nature and study. 

I might add it makes a mockery of Brents Green Park and Open Space document, which clearly states that Wembley Central is massively deficient in green space, considering in the last few years more than 1800 new flats have been built with yet more to come.  In 2011 census the pop of Wembley Central was approximately 15,000 I think we are now in excess of 25,000 and when all these flats are let we will be double in less than 10 years.  The Brent House development in the report clearly states its deficient by 20% in its amenity space with respect to the number of residents it will hold.

It is hard to convey the nature of this enclosure of land in words so I have made this short video of the path of the redirected public right of way:



Four years ago Brent Council wrote to a resident to say what needed to be done to claim a right to access to the other footpaths across the Copland Fields as shown on the map above LINK.

The evidence sheet that needs to be submitted is HERE and Guidance from the Ramblers Association HERE.

It is late in the day but if nearby residents think it is worth the effort then good luck to them.

Have your say on Copland/Ujima House redevelopment Oct 4th and 6th

Locals will be aware that the demolition of the old Copland High School building is in progress. Brent Council is holding a public consultation at Ujima House 388 Wembley High Road on October 4th (4pm-7.30pm)  and 6th (10am - 2pm).

Ujima House

Copland High School

According to the council the consultation is about the proposed redevelopment of Ujima House and the former Copland buudling and improvements to the public realm along Wembley High Road.

The council has been working with Karakusevic Carson Architects and Easy to develp ideas for the redevelopment if the sites, including new community facilities, workspace and new homes.

Residents will be able to meet council officers and the architects and give their views on the High Road and the design proposals to date, ideas for uses of the community spaces and feedback on proposed new play facilities and public realm improvements.

Observer reopens the mystery of the Mary Fedden paintings, the deputy and the council

The Observer today  LINK asks some pertinent questions about  the paintings by Mary Fedden that were given to Copland High School (now Ark Elvin) and then, according to Brent Council, retrieved by them from the school, which was hit by a financial scandal, and 'returned to the Portland Gallery on Tuesday 13th May 2014.' The Council went on to say, 'It is a matter for the estate of the late Mrs Fedden to decide where the paintings are displayed, not the council.'

A former art teacher ar Copland, Jenny Williams, is reported by the Observer as commenting, 'If Mary Fedden wanted the children in Wembley to have these paintings, that is where they should be. It is very sad if after all that has happened at the school they are simply sold off to a private collector.'

The issue of whether Fedden wanted children to have the paintings is critical. Regular readers may recall previous coverage on Wembley Matters of this issue. I reprint some of comments below:

Seeing 'millions' and Copland School in the same article should ring a bell with Mr Butt and Mr Pavey and have them both sticking a post-it Note to Self on their fridges as follows:

'1. Find out progress of the 'pursuit of costs through the civil courts' which we promised when we told the gobsmacked judge in the dodgy headmaster Davies case that we weren't applying for costs.

2. Find out progress in the pursuit of the overpaid 'bonuses' to Davies and chums in same case.

3. Find out what really happened to the Mary Fedden paintings

4. Try really really really hard to tell Cara that we need to have a word today.
Or maybe leave it til Monday ..................or December .............'

Reply

Alison Hopkins24 October 2014 at 18:22

What were the Mary Fedden paintings? I mean, I know who she was, but were there some in Brent's possession?

Martin Francis24 October 2014 at 18:25
This appeared as a comment on WM in October 2013:
You refer to the tricking of the aged artist Mary Fedden into 'donating' expensive paintings supposedly for a 'gallery' at the school to inspire 'deprived' youngsters. Evans (deputy head)  paid a number of visits to her house taking young pupils with him as 'leverage'. These children were witnesses to his eagerness to get his hands on the artwork.. The paintings were then sold at Sothebys by Evans. Others have supplied the police with evidence corroborating this. Why no prosecution yet?

See http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2009/jun/07/tory-deputy-head-paintings-mary-fedden



Anonymous24 October 2014 at 19:42
Another comment somewhere 'had it on authority' that some of the paintings came into the possession of Brent Council. The assumption seemed to be that the paintings Evans hadn't yet managed to flog, he claimed were, of course, given to the school and, as he was by this time suspended or resigned, he handed them over to their 'rightful owner' (or the Council as Copland's ultimate authority). 

Given the Council's feeble efforts in the whole saga, they probably returned them to him!

Anonymous24 October 2014 at 19:47
I know for a fact that the police have been in contact with witnesses within the last 12 months. No action though.

Copland/Elvin: Onward and Upward?

Guest blog from  local school chaplain Elvin Bishop

The benefits of Tory education policy (ably assisted by Cllrs Pavey and Butt) are taking time to become apparent at one local school, as these figures appear to show:

2012: Copland 5 A*-C GCSEs including English and Maths                 40%

2013: Copland 5 A*-C GCSEs including English and Maths                  43%

2014: Copland 5 A*-C GCSEs including English and Maths                  46%

September2014 and Forced Academisation takes place against the wishes of parents, students and staff but backed by Michaels Gove and Pavey and Leader Mo Butt. Copland becomes Ark Elvin Academy.

2015: Copland 5 A*-C GCSEs including English and Maths                    34%*

*figure from Ark Elvin website

Still, as Jose Mourinho probably  said to Roman Abramovich on Sunday, ‘early days’.

Kensal Rise Library, Copland and Representative Democracy

Guest blog by Guestropod

Anyone following the Kensal Rise Library correspondence on Wembley Matters LINK would be struck by two things:   1. the level of interest in the matter    2. the desire to communicate that interest and the related opinions to councillors, with  the implicit expectation that the elected representatives would respond to them.

A similar level of interest and a similar expectation of a response to their concerns also seems to have characterised  the involvement of Copland students in their opposition to the dismantling of their school and its takeover by the Ark academy business. This opposition was ultimately expressed in a letter which followed up a petition signed by well over 400 students and addressed to Brent Council's Head of Children and Families. Apparently, none of these students had participated in any similar action before and many would have been unaware that it was possible for them to do so. I would imagine that the experience was worth a term's worth of Citizenship lessons.  

The original petition was ‘lost’ by Brent council and further copies had to be provided.  A copy of the follow-up letter went to every Brent councillor. LINK

Out of the 60+ councillors who were sent the letter, I gather that a grand total of 3 (THREE) managed the courtesy of a reply, (2 Lib Dem, 1 Labour).

Anyone teaching in Brent at the 2010 General Election would have been impressed by the level of interest shown by 6^th form students keen to use their vote for the first time. The mock election staged at Copland and organised by Mr Allman was supported by local and national politicians and enthusiasm for the breath of fresh air and honesty which Nick Clegg appeared to be offering was palpable. Within a few months most of these students were in further education. And grants were tripled. A more effective way of disillusioning a generation of new voters is impossible to imagine.

None of those kids who signed the Copland anti-academy petition have the vote, so presumably they can be ignored. Those Copland 6^th formers who voted Lib Dem in 2010 did have the vote, but they were ignored and betrayed anyway. Those contributing to the Kensal Rise Library discussion on Wembley Matters and elsewhere no doubt all have the vote, probably used it last time and are likely to vote again on May 22nd. It’s good to see the faith they seem to still have in the democratic process and in their elected representatives’ responsiveness.

I would hope that Copland's current and past students could share that faith. But I can also imagine (and sympathise with) the reasons why they might not.

Copland students challenge councillors over ARK forced academisation

Copland students on the picket line

Around 400 Copland school students have signed a petition* to Brent councillors over the forced academisation of their school. A headteacher from the Ark stable has already been appointed. Copland was the last non-academy/non-faith secondary school left in the London Borough of Brent.

The petition states:

PETITION TO KEEP COPLAND A COMMUNITY SCHOOL

We believe it unfair that we have not been listened to regarding the future of our school. We do not want our school to be linked to Ark Academies, We believe that school requires more resources and more permanent teachers.

As Brent Green Party's spokesperson on Children and Families I fully support  the students' petition. It is not just school students who are denied a voice on forced academies but also school staff, parents and the local community.

This is the letter that accompanied the petition:

Dear Councillors,

I am a student at Copland School and I amk sending this petition on behalf of hundreds of students. Probably everyone in the school would have signed it but we did not have permisison to go around classes with it. As soon as Ofsted visited our school last year we collected a petition of hundreds of names and handed it to Brent Council. No-one admitted seeing the petition and so it was ignored, We have now collected hundreds of more of signatuires and this time we have photocopied it and are sending it to every councillor.

I am not including my name and address for I know that our teacheres have contacted all of the councillors but have received very few replies so you will probably not reply to me either and I am frightened of what would happen if ARK Academy found out that I write this letter.

I have some questions:

1. Is it fair that our last petition was ignored?
2.Will you do anything about this petition?
3. Is it fair that staff were sacked at Christmas and now we have no mentoring department at Copland?
4. Is it fair that staff were sacked at Christmas and now our school library is often closed? It even closes at lunch!
5. I know that Brent Council have closed down libraries in Brent. Is it fair that those of my fellow students who have no internet at home cannot do their homework?
6. Is it fair that over their holidays many of our teachers have been sent letters saying they will not be needed next year because there are no students to do their subjects and we will be told that we cannot do certain subjects next year because there will be no teachers for these subjects?
7. Is it fair that Ark Academy is already deciding which subjects we will not be allowed to study (Business, Drama, Media, Music, Photography etc etc)?
8. We are not interested in councillors saying that they want to do the best for us. Prove it. We have made it clear all along that we do not want to become an academy. Support us, our teachers and our parents to keep our school a Community School.
9. Why when our teachers went on strike for 6 days and we joined them on the picket line did we only see one councillor there to support us? We want to thank that one councillor.
10. Will you make it clear in public that you will help us to stop our school from being forced to become an academy?

Sincerely,

Copland Student

*Wembley Matters has seen copies of the petition and can vouch for its authenticity.

Protest: Retired teacher not allowed to help struggling Copland students

Guest blog by ex-student of Copland High School

As an Ex-Copland student, I found it absolutely alarming and ridiculous when I familiarised myself with the manner a previous teacher of mine along with some students are being treated by the senior management of Copland High School. 

Mr. Philip Allman, a renowned ex Politics and Humanities Teacher at Copland High School has been refused the right to voluntarily offer support, help and guidance to struggling  A2 pupils in Year 13. I find it preposterous, that with a challenging Economy, Job Market and ever rising competition in the places at UK Universities, that offering help voluntarily during retirement is neglected by so called caring head teachers. Mr Allman is being  prevented from helping the pupils who had fallen behind offering unconditional support and help in his own time.

His request for access to a classroom on site  has been completely ignored by the management at Copland High School. He has to teach them at another local school 2 miles away !!!!

What I find even more disturbing is that, Mr Allman was a very successful teacher at Copland for the best part of 30 or so years and is now being treated in a disgraceful and disrespectful manner - I have included the email request that Mr Allman sent to Richard Marshall (Current Headmaster of Copland High School), A number of sixth form pupils are having to travel a few miles to the another high school on Friday afternoons leaving them exhausted, mentally and physically fatigued at the end of a long academic week. 

Mr.Allman, retired along with several additional teachers being offered voluntary redundancy last year,He has voluntarily taught a number of Copland students  who had fallen behind in there exams as they had no teacher for over 6 weeks .However he is prevented from providing assistance and support within the school!!!! The Head doesn't seem to care!!

I would strongly request that you email a link to this blog or something similar to as many people as possible, currently at Copland High School, ex-students, teachers in the local borough and senior figures you may know who can make a real influence towards how circumstances such as these, get solved with a positive result. It is of my utmost importance that this issue gets properly resolved, and the management of Copland is exposed to the level that they deserve. 

Yours Faithfully,

Mohammed Fazal Farooq

The emails
 

 As you may know I am  providing  voluntary support and teaching  six Copland Politics A2 students at another location in Brent. I have been doing so following requests from parents and students  on Fridays  since late  October from 3.40-6pm . However, as you can imagine its the end of the week, the students are tired and they have to walk just under two miles to get to the lesson. As a consequence some students do not arrive, depending on the weather,to after 4pm.

I  am now running my own company and thus  have numerous other commitments which prevents me from giving the students any more time other than on Fridays or through email and the phone.

If a classroom could be provided at Copland  immediately after school on Fridays it would save the students a great deal anguish and  hardship and allow me to give them more  supporting time. All I need is a white board  that I can write on and six chairs for the students. Any room would convenient.


Kind Regards

Phil  Allman

Subject: FW: Politics A2 REQUEST

Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2014 10:50:09 +0000

Hi Richard,

I understand you are very busy but I have to assume that your failure to reply to our request via my e-mail below is a no.

That you are not prepared to provide any help or assistance in supporting these students outside your existing commitments and legal requirements.

I hope you will not mind too much if I inform students, parents and interested parties of your non-response as I feel they have a right to know.

Regards

Phil Allman

Pavey paves the way for privatisation

At last night's full Brent Council Meeting Cllr Michael  Pavey, lead member for children and families, moved even further towards a pro-academy stance, even though his Labour colleague Krupesh Hirani shortly afterwards castigated the privatisation of the health service.

Pavey read from Ofsted reports on Copland Community High School and Wembley Ark Academy, contrasting the dire nature of the former with the glowing remarks of the latter. What he didn't tell the councillors was that the Copland report was very recent and that Ark's last full Ofsted was in 2010.

He also didn't tell them at the time of the 2010 report Ark Academy only had a few year groups in the primary school and was only just admitting the first cohort of Year 7s in the secondary school. Ark Academy was inspected under the old Ofsted framework and Copland under the new stricter framework.

Michael Pavey reneges on anti-academy promises

Cllr Michael Pavey, only months into his new job as Brent's lead member for children and families, tonight reneged on his promises of opposition to academies made when he was standing for the position.

Making a statement at the full Brent Council meeting he  said that Gladstone Park Primary  was not a failing school, has suffered a blip, and results were improving. It was a shame that it was being forced to become an academy and instead it should have been supported in its improvement strategy. He welcomed the Parents Action Group campaign and commented that this was' community action at its very best' BUT he respected the governing body's approach to the CfBT.  He said. 'If we have to have an academy these are the sort of people we should support'. He went on to say  that this was the time to 'bury the hatchet.' (referring I think to both Copland and Gladstone Park).

On Copland he said that he was pleased to announce that the DfE had approved the council's application to impose an Interim Executive Board headed by Grahame Price of St Paul's Way School LINK and said that there had been a 'terrible situation' at Copland with two thirds of the lessons inadequate and it had been failing the most vulnerable pupils. After the IEB the next step in the 'radical surgery' that the school required was academy conversion.

No sign of any fightback on forced academy status and what amounts to the privatisation of our schools and their removal from local democratic accountability.

Copland staff and parents issue challenge to Michael Gove and Brent Council

The teacher unions at Copland High School, Wembley, which is facing forced academisation by the DfE and an Interim Executive Board imposed by Brent Council,, have issued the following press release:

Since the very well supported strike action on 23rd May, Copland Community School staff in Wembley have set up an action group. On Thursday 13th June at a lively parents meeting at the school parents decided to also set up an action group. They will be coordinating jointly to continue their opposition to the imposition of an Interim Executive Board (IEB) and a forced academy.

Key demands are a secret ballot of all staff and parents before any decisions are made and a commitment from the Government to rebuild the appalling school buildings that the HMI said were not fit for purpose and adversely effected pupils' education.

Parents and staff, as well as the Headteacher and Chair of Governors, were very disappointed that neither Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of the Council and a Copland school governor, nor Cllr Michael Pavey, Lead member for Education attended the meeting despite claiming that parents views were important. No-one came from Brent Children and Families either despite claiming to support the school and its Headteacher.

It was clear that the parents remain loyal to the school and are prepared to defend it. Questions asked by Hank Roberts, ATL President in his letter to Labour Councillors at the end of May (see below) remain unanswered. 

The Unions and Action Groups have also asked to meet with Michael Gove. The letter reads:

You will be aware of the situation at Copland Community School in Brent. After a parents meeting last week to discuss the Ofsted report and its ramifications, parents set up an action group which will be co-ordinating with the staff action group.

Representatives from these action groups request an urgent meeting with you before any decisions are made about Copland's future. We are aware that you have met with representatives from Gladstone Park Primary School. We would hope and expect, therefore, that such an invitation be extended to Copland as well.

 The joint unions are looking for another day of strike action before the end of term if  they cannot get agreement from the Local Authority and the DfE that Copland will not be forced to become an academy.

Questions yet unanswered by Councillors

1) What actual educational evidence, other than Government propaganda, do you have that turning a school into an academy improves teaching and learning?
2) Why would you seek to ignore the Ofsted Report's recommendation that there be “an external review of Governance” at Copland, which is not an imposition of an IEB?
3) How do you answer the detailed points raised in the Chair of Governors letter, written on behalf of the Governing Body, explaining what had been done and crucial background information?
4) If Brent is claiming to be acting in the best interests of pupils' education then will you be asking the Governors to call a meeting of parents and carers to actually establish their views, or do you intend to have no consultation with parents?
5) As the last IEB at Copland failed to overcome the school's problems, what leads you to believe, and what evidence do you have, that it will succeed this time, especially if the staff did not want to co-operate with this imposed undemocratic body with no proper staff or parent representation?
6) Why would you and a Labour Council be acting to implement Gove's policies and do his 'dirty work' for him?

Pavey attacks Copland strikers and accepts the school's academisation

Copland High School was closed yesterday by a strike involving members of the ATL, NASUWT and the NUT. The strike followed the DfE's decision that the school should become a forced academy following a Grade 4 Ofsted report.

If the school become an academy the staff's employer changes along with their pay and conditions.

Michael Pavey, the new lead member for children and families, despite the fact that pupils taking national examinations were able to do so, tweeted: 

To those teachers who went on strike today: children's needs must always come first. Striking during exams harms kids’ education.

Logically his comments means that teachers should never strike which is a strange position for a Labour politician to take. It presupposes that strikes are never in the interests of children which is clearly an assumption that can be challenged. Striking against academisation is striking against privatisation of education with money being diverted from educational provision to fat salaries for academy sponsors, as well as worsening conditions for teachers which give less time for lesson preparation and marking and longer hours, and enabling the employment of unqualified teachers. I would argue that striking against those changes IS striking in the long-term interests of children.

 Pavey went further at the Hampstead and Kilburn Labour Party meeting last night saying that he had 'become convinced' that the only way to 'save' Copland was through academisation, while admitting that it was no 'silver bullet', dashing hopes that his ascent to the children and families position would mark a change in the Labour Council's acquiescence to academisation.  Copland's conversion would mean that all Brent secondary schools are academies or faith schools. This is in marked contrast to neighbouring Camden where there is only one academy.

Cllr Pavey went on to assure Labour Party members that he wanted to work with the unions. It will be interesting to see how he will go about this given his comments.

Meanwhile Jenny Cooper, Health and Safety Adviser to the Brent Teachers Association has drawn attention to the impact of the poor state of Copland's building on the quality of the school students' learning environment - an issue that the Ofsted report particualrly focused on and an issue out of the control of teachers.

News of the outcome of the Ofsted inspection at Copland school makes for very sad reading. Inspectors placed great emphasis on the state of the school building which, many of us agree, is a very poor physical environment for its students and staff. Previous risk assessments and safety reports have highlighted poor conditions, maintenance and the presence of risky asbestos.

Isn’t it ironic, then, that the week that this Ofsted report was published coincided with the physical handover of the new Village School building and the grand opening of its Short Break Centre. After years of campaigning, by unions and the schools, Brent Council recognized that the former Hay Lane and Grove Park school (now The Village) buildings were not fit for purpose and were riddled with dangerous asbestos. These were demolished and we now have one of the best school buildings in the country for some of our most vulnerable children in Brent.

Just the week before, it was announced that the Village School had achieved its “Good” report from Ofsted. What a complete travesty and dis-service to the children of Brent that the abolition of “Building Schools for the Future” meant that Copland missed out on its promised rebuild and was left to struggle on in an environment not fit for the 21^st century.

We must all get behind the teachers and students of Copland and make sure that the real story behind this school is heard.

 Will the local authority and Michael Pavey 'deliver' on that last sentence?

12 year old Khadija drew David Cameron's attention to the poor state of the Copland building in March and this was followed up by the World at One on which Khadija was interview by Martha Kearney. The World at One's Facebook page carried picture of the state of the school building which should have shamed the government.

Martha Kearney interviews Khadija

E-ACT scandal should make Brent Council pause for thought on academies issue

As the Ark academies chain announces its takeover of Kensal Rise Primary School, renaming it Ark Franklin Primary Academy and appointing a new headteacher fresh from Dubai, LINK there is news of another academy chain, E-ACT,  which runs the Crest Girls' and Boys' academies in Neasden.

I would hope that the report below will give headteachers, governing bodies and councillors pause for thought before rushing into academy conversions or supporting forced academies. Conversions are often undertaken for financial reasons with governing bodies and headteachers saying they would let pupils down if they did not go for the extra academy funding - instead much of it may end up lining the pockets of the sponsors through high salaries for the chain bosses or 'extravagant expenses'.

This report is from the BBC:

A leading academy chain has been criticised for widespread financial irregularities in an official report. The Education Funding Agency report highlights a culture of "extravagant" expenses, "prestige" venues and first class travel at the E-ACT group. The report obtained by the Times Educational Supplement and seen by BBC News adds that E-ACT spent public money on unapproved consultancy fees. The group currently runs 31 state-funded free-schools and academies around England that have opted out of local authority control.

E-ACT was set up in July 2009 as an independent educational charity and company with the principal purpose of "establishing, maintaining, managing and developing schools colleges and academies". Its director general, Sir Bruce Liddington, resigned last month. The report found that E-ACT's systems of internal financial control were "weak" and lacking "rigour" - and noted that the governance of the group was "unusual". In particular it notes that "the controls around expenses for trustees are weak".

"Expenses claims and use of corporate credit cards indicate a culture involving prestige venues, large drinks bills, business lunches and first class travel, all funded from public monies," says the report. The report says the director general's expenses may not have been "subject to proper scrutiny". "Expenses claims and card payments by senior managers in E-ACT have occasionally stretched the concepts of propriety and value for money. Controls have been lax and some payments have tended to extravagance... however we found no evidence of fraud."

The report also highlights a wider "culture of acceptance of non-compliance with E-ACT's own policies for awarding contracts." The investigation found that hundreds of thousands of pounds of public money was spent by E-ACT on purchases that were not in line with its own spending policies. Many purchases were made by Sir Bruce himself. "Our review of the director general's cost centre indicates that £361,000 has been spent on consultancy fees from 2008-9 with £237,000 of this not having an order," note the authors.

The report also raises concerns that trustees on the E-ACT board were paid for consultancy work, stressing that "payment to trustees is unusual in the charitable sector, where the basic position is that trustees should not benefit personally from their position so that they can exercise independent scrutiny over the charity's operations." ”Around half of the 13 current board members have or have in the past had contracts for service or services provided." The investigation came after the group's auditors KPMG raised concerns that its financial administration was "playing catch-up" with its rapid expansion.

In particular the report notes that some of the group's financial practices were inappropriate for an organisation with a turnover of many millions of pounds and that the boundary between E-ACT and its money-making subsidiary E-ACT Enterprises Limited (EEL) was blurred, with some EEL expenses being paid out of public money.

E-ACT stresses that it has taken swift action to address the report's concerns. Chairwoman Ann Limb, who joined the group a year ago, said: "We have overhauled both the governance and the culture of E-ACT to ensure that this can never happen again. As well as the departure of the director general, the finance director and two trustees have also left the organisation. E-ACT is about educational excellence and the changes we have made will ensure we have operational excellence to support that.

"We are implementing a robust action plan which addresses all concerns raised and are working closely with the Education Funding Agency to ensure these changes are embedded throughout the organisation."

A Department for Education spokeswoman said "Any misuse of public money meant for schools is completely unacceptable. Academies cannot hide from their responsibilities. All their accounts must be externally audited and they are held to account by the Education Funding Agency so any issues of impropriety are immediately investigated.

"That is exactly why the EFA has written to E-ACT requiring them to take swift action to improve financial management, control and governance. We are monitoring the situation closely and will take any further action necessary."

Butt and Pavey refuse to back Copland teachers' action against forced academy status

Well that didn't take long! Brent Council released this statement a few minutes ago:

Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council has today urged teachers at Copland school not to go on strike, after they announced their intention to take action at a Governors meeting last night. Copland was placed in special measures by the Department of education earlier this month after it received a ‘failing’ Ofsted report. Under DfE rules, the School most now become an Academy.

Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council said:

“Nothing is more important than our children’s education. I am a trade unionist myself and hugely supportive of workers’ rights but our children’s education is at risk at Copland and strike action can only make things worse. I strongly urge all teachers at Copland to reconsider and to work together with me, children's parents and the Government to deliver the best possible outcome for the school.”

 Cllr Michael Pavey, Lead Member for Children and Families said:

“I am opposed to forcing Schools which are not failing to become academies, but this is simply not the situation at Copland. Our children deserve a better education than they are currently receiving there and no governance arrangement is more important than that. I urge teachers to stay at work and be part of the solution.”

Testing time for Pavey as Copland strikes against forced academy status

Cllr Michael Pavey, who took over as lead member for children and families at the weekend, has hardly filled up his ink well and manoeuvred his long legs under his desk, but already a big problem has landed in his lap.

Teachers at Copland High School have decided to strike next week on Thursday May 23rd in the first of what could be a sequence of actions over the DfE's decision announced yesterday to force the school into academy status.

Pavey, who has signalled a more robust approach to free schools and academies, will have to decide whether to support the staff, and possibly the governors, in resistance to forced academy status.

On Monday Cllr Pavey had a discussion with the Parent Action Group at Gladstone Park who have fiercely campaigned against a similar move at their schools. An extraordinary meeting of the Gladstone Park Primary School's governing tomorrow will hear a report-back on the recent meeting between some governors and Michael Gove which was held at the DfE.

Battle likely at Copland following critical Ofsted report

Following Ofsted's designation of Copland High School as Grade 4 Inadequate and requiring special measures battle lines are being drawn over the possibility that the DfE will attempt to force the school to become an academy.

Unions representing teaching staff are overwhelming in favour of industrial action against any such move. School support  staff have still to reach a decision but they are the group of workers most likely to suffer a deterioration in conditions of service on academisation.

There are reports that Ark Schools, already running the Ark Academy in Wembley and negotiating to take over Kensal Rise Primary, have their eyes on Copland which is the last remaining secondary school in Brent which is neither an academy or faith school. 

Copland governors are unlikely to favour Ark as a sponsor.

The views of parents are mentioned but only 11 parents completed the on-line Parent View and there are 1,487 pupils in the school.

The report LINK gives an Inadequate grade to achievement of pupils, quality of teaching and leadership  and management and a Requires Improvement grade to behaviour and safety of pupils. In summary it states:

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

Ofsted acknowledge the difficulties the school has been through following the allegations of financial mismanagement against the previous headteacher, deputy head and other staff and terms it 'an extraordinary turbulence in leadership.'

Significant weaknesses in the quality of senior and middle management remain. A number of senior staff, subject leaders and pastoral managers are currently absent or subject to capability.

Other background factors have not helped the school including the scandal of its poor buildings:

The building remains in very poor condition. This was also reported in the 2006, 2009 and 2010 inspection reports. Some classrooms provide a completely unacceptable environment in which to teach and learn. The budget deficit has been reduced significantly over the past two years, but still stands at around £1 million. The reduction in student numbers has meant that further budget cuts are necessary. The building and the budget are adversely affecting the school’s capacity to provide an adequate education for students.

Significantly, apart from eliminating the budget deficit and action on the  building, the role of the local authority is scarcely mentioned.The local authority's response to the Ofsted report and any support and improvement plan it puts into place will be of vital importance in resisting forced academy status

12 year old student gets national coverage on poor state of Copland's building

In a piece recorded the day before the recent Ofsted, Copland High School 12 year old student Khadija was on the World at One today. She had raised the issue of the school's crumbling build with David Cameron a year ago in a face to face meeting and he had promised to investigate. Little has happened since.

The DfE were unable to supply a spokesman to answer her criticisms.

There are pictures on the World at One Facebook HERE You do not have to have a Facebook account to see them,

Labour must get behind the Gladstone Parents' campaign to defend our schools

Turmoil in the school system is increasing to such an extent that soon the word 'system' will not apply. This was one of the underlying themes at this weekend's AGM of the Anti-Academies Alliance.

The meeting coincided with news that Kensal Rise Primary as a result of its difficulties is now beginning a consultation on the possibility of having ARK Schools, which run the ARK Academy in Wembley and 17 others academies, as its sponsor. Meanwhile Copland High School, the only remaining local authority secondary school in Brent, is anxiously awaiting the outcome of its recent Ofsted inspection. Its performance table LINK position makes it vulnerable to be putting into a category leading to forced academisation. It is worth noting that Crest Boys' Academy is below Copland on several of the outcomes. The staff at Copland  are likely to put up a strong fight agaionst any attempt at forced academisation.

Hearing reports from around the country it became clear that one of the most important elements in the resistance of forced academisation was the role of the local authority. Where they strongly supported their local school AND showed that they had the capacity to support its improvement, the possibility of resisting forced academisation was strengthened.

I share the view of many parents and teachers involved at Salusbury Primary and Gladstone Park that Labour councillors and  Brent Council officers  have been pretty supine in the face of Gove's bullying policy. Promised letters to the DfE stating the local authority's confidence in Gladstone Park Primary's ability to improve with the support of the local authority have failed to materialise.

 The School Improvement Service is being cut back to its core functions and many of its non statutory, but important, functions are to be taken over by the untested Brent Schools Partnership. This is a consortium of schools that will be both a clearing house for bought-in services and a means of providing mutual support between schools. Headteachers point to the success of a similar grouping in Harrow.

There is now some doubt whether the core School Improvement Service retained by the Council will be fit for purpose with staff leaving ahead of the restructuring and some schools deciding not to buy into the additional services offered. It seems that Haringey Council was unable to guarantee that it had the resources to support Downhills Primary which led to its forced academisation - we don't want Brent schools to have the same experience.

One of the most powerful contributions on Saturday was from teaching staff at an academy who gave a vivid account of the bullying by management that had begun after a honeymoon period. They now feared so much for their jobs that they asked not to be named at the meeting. They told us that in the primary department of the all-through academy 75% of the teacher had left and half of those had done so without another job to go to.

Bullying now appears to run right through the system from the top with Michael Gove, down to individual staff rooms. Parents say it reaches their children in the classroom with the example of Year 5 children (9 and 10 year olds) threatened with being kept in at every break with additional work at home because their mock SAT test results did not meet school targets.

Bullying is clearly evident in the behaviour of DfE 'brokers' , usually private providers, who are employed by the DfE to 'manage' the conversion of primary schools into academies. This has been a key focus for campaigners and has won sympathetic coverage in the press.

One parent summed it up saying:

How can Harris (academy sponsor) come into our school and educate our children when they have so much contempt for the children's parents and families.

 Over and above the bullying theme and the telling personal anecdotes we must continue to emphasise issues of democracy, local accountability and back door privatisation.

The formation of a Parents Against Forced Academies was welcomed and there was a strong call for a nationwide campaign for education to save it from Gove's wrecking strategies along the lines of the  Save Our NHS campaign.

Here in Brent it would be good to see Muhammed Butt and councillors stop shilly-shallying and get behind Gladstone Park parents who have been left to fight for democracy and accountability all on their own.

Brent defends record on school finances monitoring

Krutika Pau, Brent's Director for Children and Families, has written to the Times Educational Supplement after they published a critical article drawing attention to the number of cases of financial mismanagement in Brent Schools, which obviously raised the question of  the effectiveness of Brent Council's monitoring and auditing processes. I posted on this issue recently LINK asking why there was no report from Children and Families on this issue tabled for Monday's Executive Meeting.

I was very dismayed to read the article entitled, “Financial scandal continues to plague Brent Council” that appeared in the TES on 4 May, accusing Brent Council of being negligent in its duty to oversee school finances robustly and effectively.

Brent Council takes its role in ensuring sound financial management in schools very seriously and takes firm action against schools whenever there is evidence of it taking place.

In the case of Malorees Primary School, a thorough audit of the school identified that a number of improvements in financial management were necessary and the current head teacher is actively engaged on making these changes.

Brent has over 80 schools which receive an audit on a two or three year basis. It would be impossible within current resources to audit every school each year. Auditing schools on a rolling programme basis, so that each one is audited every two to three years, is very normal within local authorities and Brent does more than most in relation to school audits and has a very detailed audit brief.

In fact, the very detailed nature of our audit brief is precisely why Brent has managed to uncover these, thankfully rare examples of financial mismanagement that have occurred in the four schools your article mentions, over a fairly long period of time.

Schools have a duty to monitor their financial position on an on-going basis and this can throw up potential overspends that could worsen in the future unless corrective action is taken. In the case of Malorees School, the current head teacher has identified potential issues and is working proactively with Brent Council to take decisive action now to ensure that any potential problems are averted in the future.

Whenever irregularities occur we do not attempt to conceal them but are open and transparent at all times about our investigations and provide appropriate support to schools so that corrective action can be taken.

Yours sincerely,
Dr Krutika Pau
Director of Children and Families

Arrests over allegations of financial mismanagement at Copland High School

Three people were arrested today in connected with the long-running financial scandal at Copland High School. Newspaper sources suggest that those arrested were Sir Alan Davies, former headteacher, Dr Richard Evans former deputy headteacher, and Lesley Evans his wife who was also employed at the school.

Brent's Director of Education to Retire

John Christie, Director of Brent Children and Families, has announced his imminent retirement a few days before he is due to address Brent Governors at their annual conference which is being held on Friday at the Wembley Plaza.  The theme of his address? 'The Future in Brent'.

Christie, who will retire from September 6th after 8 years in Brent, says that this is a good time for a new appointment with a new council, a new government, and new challenges. These will include redundancies and conditions of employment changes, which have already been set in motion by Christie in his department.  There will be intensive pressure on schools, including primaries, to seek academy status with the incentive of up to 10% increase in funding from monies that are presently withheld by the Council to provide central education support services. There will be a consequent loss of funding to non-academy schools and deterioration in support services. This will force schools to buy in support from the private sector.  In  addition cuts in  central government funding for particular programmes which went directly to schools will mean that schools will have to either end those programmes or pay for them from their depleted funds.

Christie started his career in Brent with a great deal of goodwill.  His quiet and friendly approach was in stark contrast to his abrasive and divisive predecessor. During the hiatus after the hung  election in 2006, when the political parties failed to negotiate a new administration and officers ran the council, he continued to push the previous Labour administration's academy policy. When the Liberal Democrats belatedly formed a coalition with the Conservatives, they were persuaded to ditch their opposition to the Wembley Academy that had formed part of their election manifesto, on the basis that there was no alternative. The Conservatives were opposed to an academy on the Wembley Playing Fields site, however their failure to secure a written 'double majority' agreement (a policy only goes forward if a majority of councillors in each of the coalition parties agree it) meant that the Lib Dems out-voted the Tories on academy policy, and anyway had the support of the Labour councillors on this particular policy.

The decision to go ahead with the academy created a huge wave of opposition uniting local residents, trade unionists, Brent headteachers, Barry Gardiner MP and Bob Blackman, then leader of the Conservative group on the council and now a Tory MP.

Opposition was on varied grounds:
Objection in principle to the privatisation of state funded schooling, concern over the shady nature of the first sponsor, opposition to the loss of green space, concern over the impact on the local residential area, the possibility of conflicts between academy pupils and those from the nearby Preston Manor High School.  A constant theme, which continues, was the argument that a new secondary school was needed in South Brent, rather than the North.  As the planning process began the limited nature of the consultation also became an issue. Christie found himself faced with opposition at consultation meetings and the occupation of the playing fields by a Tent City (above).

Christie attempted to take on Hank Roberts, NUT and ATL activist, and one of the leaders of the Anti-Academy campaign threatening to end the agreement whereby the Authority paid for his cover whilst he was engaged in union duties. Eventually through a series of legal cases and with the Parks department taking over security at the playing field, campaigners were removed from the site and the council rushed through planning permission for a temporary primary school.

Planning permission for the permanent, all-though academy, now sponsored by ARK who are funded by a hedge fund speculator, followed. As building work began John Christie was faced with Hank Roberts on another front. Roberts whistle blew on financial mismanagement and alleged nepotism at his own school, Copland in Wembley, which led to suspensions, resignations and sackings. The situation raised serious issues about the role of the Brent Children and Families Department and the effectiveness of their monitoring of school financial management.

John Christie began as Director of Education in Brent but following the re-organisation of Children's Serrvices, which joined education and children's social work in one department, he became Director of Children and Families, taking on responsibility for children's social work, child protection, safeguarding and other similar areas. This was a huge extension of responsibility and the pressure on someone from the 'education side' must have been enormous. The Baby P case and the lessons to be learned from it loomed large in all local authorities and Christie was instrumental in introducing changes aimed at increasing the effectiveness of processes and multi-agency work in the borough.

Despite these difficulties Christie retains a considerable amount of goodwill and can point to many improvements in Children and Family services under his watch including the fact that Brent educational standards, as measured by examination results, are better than those of many similar authorities and a more stable and responsive approach to children's social needs.

Although policy is in theory made by councillors, the Director of Children and Families (or possibly Director of Education if Brent follows the Coalition example of separating the roles again) is extremely powerful and his or her educational philosophy and perspective on current educational issues vitally important. Will the  Labour Council appoint someone with the ability to stand up for children and schools, with an independent mind and the strength to resist government pressure; or will they appoint someone who will manage 'efficiency savings' and implement poorly thought out 'innovations' and in the process oversee the deterioration of Brent's education system?