Guest blog by 'Antediluvian'
Having earlier had to extend the job application
deadline by 2 weeks for reasons which can only be guessed at, Copland has now
found a new head teacher for September when the school is scheduled to be taken
over by Ark Schools, an academy chain.
The new head, currently a primary head at Wembley Ark, will work with
the associate head designate, Delia Smith, currently head of Wembley Ark (and
who she already works with), and is a product of the Future Leaders programme
which was co-founded by Ark.
(Previous Future Leaders products at Copland have been very impressive in their ability to spout the standard
nostrums about passion, driving change, transformative visions, making a
difference etc etc, though not
sufficiently impressive to conceal an absence of both independent thought
and, it has to be said, emotional intelligence. It has been remarked before that, if these are going
to be the Leaders then the Future
doesn’t look too bright).
The announcement by Ark of the appointment of an
Ark-trained Ark product as the new Ark head is likely to increase staff concern
that this year’s ‘staff
reorganisations’ (4 so far and more to come),
the decimation of the 6th form and the introduction of the new, unattractive slimline Austerity
Curriculum are part of a planned near-complete purging of staff and students preparatory to a running
down of the school while the new building
is erected. In this 2 year interim
period, radical Arkification can be expected in which any grizzled old
Copland diehards will be got rid of to allow re-stocking with young, compliant, conformist and
obedient Ark-product teachers in
preparation for the phoenix-like ‘re-opening’ in 2016. After this, unless the
school intake radically alters, expect a new Ark school name, an aspirational
new Ark uniform, enhanced verbiage levels, an embarrassing ‘vision statement’, rapid staff turnover (
termed ‘teaching unit refreshment’) and
ultimately a possible slight
improvement in exam results, ( yes I know there is no evidence that academies
in general or Ark in particular have any beneficial effect on educational
standards, but doesn’t that contrast
piping on the blazer lapels look classy! ).
Things look grim indeed and with the recent
biblical weather, the country plagued with floods and even a film called Noah
currently playing in cinemas, it might seem that a certain school brand’s time
has come and any resistance is futile. However, Copland teachers should take
the longer view and find solace in the fact that, despite countless exhaustive
searches over many years in and around the Mount Ararat area, there has never
ever been found any remaining vestige, trace, remnant, scrap or relic of anything
remotely resembling an Ark.
