Copland IEB to recommend ARK takeover to Michael Gove despite overwhelming staff opposition

The telling graph from the Consultation Report

The Interim Executive Board has written to staff at Copland Community High School informing them that they have decided to recommend to Michael Gove that the school becomes an ARK academy. This follows five strikes by school staff to secure a democratic ballot over academisation and the ARK takeover.

Grahame Price, chair of the IEB says that they have done 'everything required by the Secretary of State' this does not of course involve a democratic vote, or even taking account of the overwhelming opposition of staff. and students.

This is the letter

Dear Staff

The Copland Interim Executive Board has approved the report summarising the activities that took place during the consultation period.  We spent time reviewing the report to make sure it reflects the feedback we received as part of the consultation. We also spent time considering what Copland requires to ensure the long-term improvement that it needs. 

Under Section 5 of the Academies Act 2010 the IEB was required to consult with staff, parents and community representatives on the proposal that Copland Community School becomes an ARK academy in September 2014. We have now done everything required by the Secretary of State, and are satisfied that the best way forward for Copland is to become an academy. We believe that ARK will build on the work already done by the IEB and Dr Marshall to provide leadership, support and focus for the school, using their proven experience to turn Copland into an exciting place to learn. 

The IEB will write to the Secretary of State to make this recommendation.  

The IEB will now work with ARK, to prepare to open the school as an ARK academy in September 2014.  ARK will therefore begin detailed transition planning, including starting a recruitment campaign for the principal of the proposed new academy. The final of the process is the signing of the funding agreement by the Secretary of State and this would confirm that Copland will become an ARK academy.

I have attached the consultation report.

Best wishes

Grahame Price

Chair of the IEB

The Full Consultation Report is available here: LINK

Brent teachers' leader hits out at Ark Academies

Hanks Roberts, Brent Branch Secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) has circulated a hard-hitting letter to union members at Copland Community School condemning the plans of the Interim Executive Board, supported by Brent Labour Council, and the DfE, to hand over Copland Community School to Ark Academies.

He says:

So they propose ARK, but don’t worry, there will be a 'consultation'. Really? At the meeting on Monday, to ensure no awkward questions were asked, no questions were allowed at all.

Grahame Price, Chair of the IEB, told us that there was “a strong steerage from the DfE to become an academy.” When he finally agreed to meet union reps after numerous requests in the summer term, he said that there was no choice - the school would become an academy. This was necessary, he said, to turn the school into a good school.

We pointed out Grahame Price's school had been transformed from a "failing" into a “good” school, and it was a Trust not an academy! Clearly becoming an academy is not necessary to being a good school. Equally, being an academy is no guarantee of not being in special measures – Crest academies in Neasden being our nearest example.

If Brent wanted to do something useful for the pupils and staff at the school why haven't they sought to get back any of the money taken from the school by Sir Alan Davies et al?

ARK is run by the ex-joint MD of a News International subsidiary, Lucy Heller, and a handful of multimillionaires including Stanley Fink, Treasurer of the Conservative party, and Paul Marshall, the biggest donor to the LibDems. It was founded by, among others, Arki Busson, a playboy who modestly named the initials of this "charity" after himself - Absolute Return for Kids.

The main aim in life of these hedge fund speculators is increasing their already substantial millions. Any promises from this lot are worthless. When they wanted to build an Academy on the Wembley Park sports ground they promised that local kids would still be able to use the pitches. Needless to say all pitches are now hired on a strictly business footing, with no non-commercial community provision.

ARK staff work longer hours, having to undertake at least an additional 370 directed hours each year. ARK management is even less consultative and collegiate than our present management. Overuse of learning walks is standard practice in ARK academies. Many staff have left or are leaving what was formerly Kensal Rise Primary, now ARK Franklin, because of the restrictive curriculum, expected total uniformity and no creative freedom allowed. Teachers in other ARK academies agree.

A national newspaper is currently investigating concerns over ARK's exclusions policy and admissions in general. Ironically even Ofsted agrees; in their report on Evelyn Grace Academy it states, 'the number of fixed-term exclusions is high relative to secondary schools nationally.' And this ARK academy is judged as only 'satisfactory'.

If anyone consciously supports Copland being taken over by ARK as part of Gove's academy programme they must be bARKing!