Independent education investigative journalist Warwick Mansell has written about events at Byron Court on his blog and was recently interviewed by podcasters Two Heads about prospects for changes in Ofsted inspections and academisation under the new Labour Government.
Byron Court Primary School is no more and one of the podcasters described the eradication of its identity over the school holiday as 'Orwellian'. She was particularly concerned about its effect on the children.
It is early days, but I am already hearing reports that under the Harris regime discipline is much stricter and there are concerns about individual support for special needs pupils being withdrawn.
Parents, staff, Brent Trades Council and members of the community, as well as Labour candidate for Brent West, Barry Gardiner, were on the picket line for Byron Court Primary School again today - but this time with a difference.
They were joined by a big red traditional London bus to take a trip to Westminster to show the DfE and the incoming government that they mean business in their fight against a forced takeover by Harris Federation.
Spirits high and determination clear on the tops deck (Credit Jenny Cooper)
In the rain in Parliament Square (Credit: Pete Firmin)
Outside the Department for Education (Credit: Jenny Cooper)
Parent campaigner Matt Paul said:
Wow - what an incredible
show of unity and fighting spirit today with our very special ‘Byron bus'
taking staff, kids and parents, supporters (including the NEU Assistant General
Secretary) down to Westminster! Barry Gardiner joined the morning picket and
encouraged us to keep fighting before waving us off.
The bus was rocking away
with chanting, singalongs (including far too much Taylor Swift), and plenty of
support from other cars and passers-by. A quick stop in Westminster Square
opposite Parliament first, then on to the Department for Education where we made sure
they heard us. A brilliant, powerful and emotional day that I won't ever forget.
Byron Court strikers and their parent and community supporters took their protest from the picket line to Brent Civic Centre this morning. Their energery remains undiminished on the third strike day against forced academisation and determinations has, if anything, increased.
Daniel Kebede, NEU General Secretary joined the picket line and congratulated the campign on their 'push back' on forced academisation that would stand as an example to others:
Buoyed by the support, including that of three Brent councillors, the strikers and supporters were in good voice on the picket line and at the Civic Centre.
Yesterday one of the Byron Court NEU representatives, Alice Butterton, told Wembley Matters about the impact of the Ofsted judgement on staff and parents. (The Byron Court girls cricket team won their cricket tournament!)
NEU members at Byron
Court Primary School are continuing their strike in a fight to save their local
community school which is threatened with a forced privatisation by the huge
Harris Federation chain of academies. PICKET LINES OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL TUESDAY
21st and WEDNESDAY 22nd May.
[Subsequent dates: 4th/
5th/ 6th June]
Staff at Byron Court Primary School in Wembley
went on strike last week and will be striking again this week to save their
local community school from a forced “academy order” following an intimidating
Ofsted inspection which has left some staff fearing for their mental health and
their futures. Many of these long-serving staff served the school’s community
throughout the pandemic and face uncertainty in their jobs, pay and conditions as
they face a takeover by the hostile Harris multi-academy trust.
NEU MEMBERS,
PARENTS, COUNCILLORS AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN TURNING OUT TO SUPPORT
THE PICKET LINES AND PROTESTS FOLLOWING A HIGH PROFILE PARENT CAMPAIGN which is
also supported by the local MP Barry Gardiner.
Staff and parent supporters are continuing to lobby
the Secretary of State to get their academy order revoked, asking for a
reinspection, handled fairly and proportionately. There is a live complaint
lodged with Ofsted which has exhausted the internal complaints process in which
Ofsted “mark their own work” and will now be sent to the external complaints
process. It is hoped this may halt the takeover.
Jenny Cooper of the NEU national executive has
stated:
We
will not be stopping this fight any time soon as there is too much at stake
here and we know we have the support of the community. Gillian Keegan knows
what she can do: commission a reinspection and pause the academy order; this
could resolve our dispute.
MEMBERS OF NATIONAL
EDUCATION UNION STRIKING TO SAVE THEIR LOCAL SCHOOL
NEU members at Byron Court Primary
School are to strike in a fight to save their local community school which is
threatened with a forced privatisation by the huge Harris Federation chain of
academies. PICKET LINE OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL FRIDAY 17TH MAY 7.30-9.30am!
Staff at Byron Court Primary School in Wembley will be on strike to save their
local community school from a forced “academy order” following an intimidating
Ofsted inspection which has left some staff fearing for their mental health and
their futures. Many of these long-serving staff served the school’s community
throughout the pandemic and face uncertainty in their jobs, pay and conditions as
they face a takeover by the hostile Harris multi-academy trust.
NEU MEMBERS VOTED IN HUGE NUMBERS TO
TAKE STRIKE ACTION OVER MULTIPLE DATES FOLLOWING A HIGH PROFILE PARENT CAMPAIGN
which is supported by many in the local community including Councillors and MP.
Staff and parent supporters will protest at a picket line outside the
school from 7.30am Tuesday and will continue to lobby the Secretary of State to
get their academy order revoked. Staff are asking for a reinspection, handled
fairly and proportionately, while a live complaint lodged with Ofsted is being
looked at externally after reports that Ofsted lied during the complaints
process.
Jenny Cooper of the NEU national executive has stated:
These striking
members undertake difficult jobs every day and have the expertise and knowledge
that should be valued in our schools. There has been no consultation whatsoever
with any stakeholder and we do not believe it is the right decision to hand
this school to a glorified carpet salesman who is paid half a million a year
for the privilege. The NEU will NOT accept privatisation of our schools through
a politicised Ofsted process which is what we are seeing.
Staff of Byron Court Primary School in Brent will be striking against forced academisation on Friday May 17th. This is the first of a series of strikes that will take place in May and June against the takeover of this community school by the Harris Federation.
The National Education Union have asked for support on their picket line protest from 7.30am to 9am at the school in Spencer Road near South Kenton station.
Representatives of the Harris Federation of Academy Schools could not have failed to hear the chants and shouts of campaigners when they visited Byron Court Primary School to speak to staff after school today.
The quiet suburban streets echoed to 'Hands Off Our School', 'Whose School? - Our School!', 'Kids not Quids'(a reference to the half-million salary of the Harris boss), and 'Byron Court - Can't be bought.'
The recent LINK letter to the DfE by Gwen Grahl Brent Council Lead Member for Schools, was welcomed by many parents I spoke to as a stepping up of the Council's support for the camapign against the Harris takeover. Several councillors sent apologies for not being able to attend, Cllr Jumbo Chan sent a solidarity statement and Cllr Daniel Kennelly (Preston ward) used the megaphone to pledge support for the campaign aim to keep Byron Park as an academy overseen by the local authority.
The campaign demands are basic:
1. Give the new leadership team, helped by the local authority, a chance to demonstrate that they have addressed the issues raised by Ofsted.
2. Suspend the academisation process while that happens and then arrange an Ofsted re-inspection that will hopefully record an improvement and make academisation no longer necessary.
Meanwhile the NEU is conducting a strike ballot on the basis that academisation would change and worsen their conditions of service. Presently many Federation school union branches are in dispute with Harris over wages and conditions.
Several speakers expressed pride in the way staff and parents were united in the battle to Save Byron Court - and the children deserve a mention too. They were passionate in their support for the school and not afraid to shout it out loud and clear.
The bright yellow shirts of the campaigners were symbolic of the upbeat mood of the protesters - they are clearly refusing to be downhearted and will fight on.
Undaunted by Brent Council Cabinet's inability to intervene in the forced academisation of Byron Court Primary, campaigners will protest on Monday as the Harris Federation visit the school.
Parents and supporters will meet at the The Link off Nathan Road outside South Kenton Station at 2.45pm on Monday April 15th (opposite side of the station to the Windermere pub).
Today's NEU strike action and rally gave the NEU representative at Capital City Academy a chance to update members on what is happening regarding the takeover of the school by the Harris Federation Multi-Academy Trust - founded by a carpet millionaire.
The proposal was a shot out of the blue some time ago and came without any consultation with staff unions, governors, parents, the community or the local council. It is a sign of the increasing marketisation of education that there is no democratic involvement at all - schools can be traded as commodities.
There is resistance.
People who are opposed to the takeover are asked to join others at the school at 4.30pm on Thursday 4th May where the Harris Federation will be trying to smooth-talk parents into supporting their bid.
Government policy is now to push all schools into multi-academny trusts (MATs). This leaves stand-alone academies, that often converted from local authority schools for financial reasons, in a vulnerable position. Brent already has schools run by Ark and E-Act, and this would be the first Harris Federation incursion in the borough. Some stand-alone secondary academies (not in a multi-academy trust) such as Wembley and Preston Manor have also started primary departments. They all lack the democratic accountability previously derived from local authority oversight.
This is the announcement posted on City Academy's website on Friday. It will be the first Harris Academy in Brent. Questions are likely to follow about how a major school in the borough can be taken over by an academy chain without any apparent reference to teacher trade unions, local residents or the local authority.
Capital City Academy, a successful secondary school in Brent, has
announced its intention to join academy trust the Harris Federation,
from September 2023.
Founded more than 30 years ago by Lord Harris of Peckham, the Harris
Federation runs 52 primary and secondary academies in and around London.
Two-thirds of Harris secondary academies are rated ‘outstanding’ by
Ofsted – compared to less than a fifth nationally – and they receive
around four applications from parents for every place available.
Capital City Academy was founded by sponsor Sir Frank Lowe in 2004,
who built a state-of-the-art school, designed by world famous architect
Lord Foster, on the site of failing Willesden High School. The school
has thrived and provides exceptional facilities and an environment that
nurtures academic, artistic and sporting success.
Sir Frank Lowe said:
Sponsoring and opening this academy has
been a very fulfilling personal achievement for me. I first became
involved because I wanted to give something back and, in the nearly
twenty years that have followed, I have greatly enjoyed seeing our
pupils flourish. I am forever grateful to the children, families, staff
and governors who have shared my vision and helped make the academy what
it is today.
I have long admired the Harris Federation, an academy trust known
for consistently brilliant outcomes for pupils. The idea of joining
was initiated by the 2022 Schools White Paper, which called for every
Single Academy Trust to be in or on its way to joining a Multi-Academy
Trust by 2030. After meeting the Harris Federation, I clearly saw many
benefits and opportunities, and strongly felt joining was in the best
interests of the school. I am also keen for the academy to have the
stability that comes with being part of a successful larger trust –
particularly in these uncertain economic times. Capital City Academy is a
thriving school, but it can achieve even more as part of a like-minded
group, dedicated to providing opportunity for all pupils to reach their
full potential
As part of the Harris Federation, Capital City Academy will have
access to a consultant team of 70 leading subject specialists whose job
is to create excellence in every component of the curriculum.
Pupils from the academy will participate in initiatives such as the
Harris Experience, designed to broaden the cultural and academic
experiences of the most academically promising young people, and which
has helped ensure Harris pupils now attend Russell Group universities at
a rate of more than twice the national average.
The Harris Federation will provide training, support and career
development opportunities for staff as well as expert, hands-on teams in
finance, estates, IT, HR and recruitment, freeing up teachers and
leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding
education of their pupils.
Sir Dan Moynihan, CEO of the Harris Federation, said:
We are
very pleased to be welcoming Capital City Academy to our Federation and
know we can help it continue to deliver Sir Frank’s original vision for
the school, which was to help ensure local children had access to the
best quality educational opportunities. It is a successful school, and
we are looking forward to working with students, staff, parents and
governors to ensure a smooth and collaborative transition in time for
the next academic year.
Capital City Academy came out of Labour Party support for academisation of 'failing schools'. Harris Federation was started by Carpetright millionaire Lord Harris of Peckham (knighted by Margaret Thatcher and made a lord by John Major). The Harris Federation does not provide trade union facility time.
Jenny Cooper, co-secretary of Brent Education Union said:
The NEU are extremely concerned to hear this news second- hand and look forward to being invited to a consultation. We will support our members to exercise their rights to TUPE and a full and thorough consultation.
Press release from the Save Roke Primary campaign who, like Gladstone Park Primary in Brent, are fighting forced academisation:
Michael
Gove is now forcing well performing schools like Roke Primary in Kenley
to become academies, as well as long term failing ones. This fits in
with his desire to accelerate his academies programme. Roke may be one
of the first but many are likely to follow.
Roke
Primary, a previously ‘outstanding’ school, is not underperforming but
the DfE are handing it to the Harris Federation, run by David Cameron’s
personal friend and major Tory donor, Lord Harris. The decision was made
just 4 months after one poor Ofsted report caused mainly by computer
failure. The Guardian published claims that Gove may be flouting his own
guidance on forced academies, “…his department’s official direction say
this should only happen when a school has been underperforming for some
time and if the problems are not being tackled”. Guidance set out in the 2010 Schools White Paper is very clear.
“Where there has been long-term underperformance, little sign of
improvement and serious Ofsted concern, we will convert schools into
Academies,…” (Section 7.18).
Parents believe that forced academy at
Roke is going against this guidance. Roke has no consistent history of
low performance. The latest SAT results are above the national average.
Roke has never been below floor targets. Both Ofsted and the Local
Authority agree that Roke is improving. Ofsted’s recent monitoring
verdict, received by parents on Friday, was that satisfactory progress
has been made. This was the best rating Roke could achieve without a
longer time between inspections to show improvements had been sustained.
It is clear that Roke has improved without the need for academy status
or sponsorship by the Harris Federation. Despite this, forced academy is
still going ahead.
Parents
are campaigning against forced academy, and the complete lack of
consultation or right of appeal. They are concerned about the speed and
manner in which forced academy has occurred. They oppose Harris as
sponsor. Their choice is Riddlesdown Collegiate, the local secondary
academy, to which most Roke pupils progress. A long term partnership
with Riddlesdown has become closer since Roke was issued a ‘notice to
improve’. It is clear, from the progress made, that the partnership is
working. If, forced academy must go ahead, Riddlesdown, not Harris is
the governor, parent and staff choice of sponsor.
Roke
parent, Angeline Hind said, “I thought sponsored academies were all
about improving schools which have been underperforming for years. Roke
is a good school which wavered before turning itself around very
quickly. To force us into academy with a sponsor used to dealing with
seriously failing schools seems like an extreme reaction”. Parent Debbie
Shaw commented “Roke is a great catch for an academy chain like Harris,
our results are already good and they will be able to claim the credit
for improvements that have already happened”. Father Nigel Geary-Andrews
said “It is alarming that the government is rushing through forced
academies on schools like Roke, where there is no proven record of
failure over any length of time, without any consultation with parents
at all and no way of appealing. This does not seem democratic or
transparent to me”
