Brent Cabinet approve move of Islamia Primary School to Leopold Brentfield Road site. Swaminarayan bid to purchase the building and lease to Islamia rejected.

 Yesterday the Brent Cabinet, as expected approved the proposal to move Islamia Primary School to the ex-Leopold Primary site in Brentfield Road, Neasden.

The Swaminarayan Temple apparently put a spanner in the works in a representation but unfortunately there was a technical hitch in the recording so it cannt be viewed on the webcast.

 

Brentfield Road buildings

The gist seemed to be that the proposal was detrimental as the site formed part of a Master Plan for the area devised by Swaminarayan involving the Temple and its car park the ex-Swaminaryan/Sladebrook School  building (currently empty), and the Gwynneth Rickus Leopold building. They proposed buying the latter and leasing it to Islamia Primary pending any redevelopment. This would have encountered difficulty because any change of use from education would require the permission of the Secretary of State. It would go against the guarantee of stability provided by Brent Council and the Islam Yusuf Foundation when Brent Counil hands the site over to the latter.

The Foundation offered the Temple a seat on the Governing Board  of Islamia Primary School to ensure good community relations between the Hindu and Muslim communities.

Islamia Primary School's new site

 

Moving the proposal to move Islamia to the Gwenneth Rickus building, Cllr Grahl, lead member for schools said:

We've done a really good consultation. Borth informal and formal processes showed really strong support ffrom families and the wider community. We've hadd 50 responses in the formal consultation that were fullt supportive, many people saying the move was long overdue. Parents highlighted how the proposal would bring children together under one roof, improve learning outcomes and safeguard theeducatioal offer the school has.

Of course rhere have also been concerns raised. We will continue to listen and we're happy to work woth local schools, residents and comunity groups. 

An education officer said the Authority thought thate there would be no threat to the rolls of neigbouring schools as Islamia had a wider catchment area.  However, it was pointed out that Stonebridge Ward has one of the highest Muslim populations in the borough.

It has been very hard to get details of the result of the informal consultation but I don't think it was as supportive as claimed. Islamia School did not respond to an FoI request for details. 

 

The Cabinet Decision Record: 

 

Prior to considering the report, Cabinet noted the representatives received from Jitu Patel (as Chair of the Board of Trustees representing BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir - Neasden Temple) accompanied by Girish Patel (as a separate Trustee) and Zafar Ashraf (Executive Director - Yusuf Islam Foundation).

 

In highlighting the position of the Board of Trustees, Jitu Patel outlined their interest in the Gwenneth Rickus site as a key component in their long-term vision for the area along with the representations made in response to the statutory consultation and alternative offer to acquire the site from Brent Council and grant a medium-term lease to Islamia School.  As an alternative, should the decision be made to proceed with the proposed transfer of the site to the Yusuf Islam Foundation the Board of Trustees advised they would be seeking the opportunity, should the site no longer be required in future for educational purposes, for acquisition, subject to the necessary legal consents being obtained.  In seeking a way forward, it was confirmed that the Board of Trustees remained committed to working collaboratively with the Council and the Yusuf Islam Foundation to create a model of co-operation, and to promote and protect faith-based educational provision and community use.

 

In terms of the position outlined by Zafar Ashraf (on behalf of the Yusuf Islam Foundation), members noted the long running and extensive work undertaken to identify options for future provision of Islamia Primary School (as the only Muslim faith voluntary aided school in the borough) with the proposal, as set out in the report, therefore supported as a viable solution that would meet the needs and approval of key stakeholders.  Whilst aware of issues raised by the Board of Trustees representing BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir it was felt that these could be addressed working in collaboration including an invitation for a representative of the Board to join the Schools Governing Body as a Foundation Governor and confirmation that the new premises (subject to approval) would be made available for local community use outside of school hours for which the Foundation would be willing to engage with the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir regarding any needs they may have.

 

Having sought technical advice and assurance from officers at the meeting regarding the issues raised as part of the representations received and recognising the exhaustive nature of the process undertaken in seeking to identify a suitable site for relocation of the school, Cabinet RESOLVED:

 

(1)       To note the outcome and analysis from the formal consultation.

 

(2)       To approve the proposal to relocate Islamia Primary School to the Gwenneth Rickus site on Brentfield Road as a 2FE school from 1^st September 2027.

 

(3)       To note that the Gwenneth Rickus site would be transferred into the name of the Yusuf Islam Foundation, who would be required to hold the site for the benefit of the Islamia Primary School. Further details in terms of ownership would be set out in a Trust Deed. This would ensure that the primary school would be protected from eviction in future.

 

 

Brent Cabinet to approve Islamia Primary School move to Brentfield Road site from 1st September 2027

 

It is more than 5 years since Yusuf Islam (AKA Cat Stevens) gave Islamia Primary School and Brent Council notice of eviction. The search has been on for a new site ever since with the South Kilburn site earmarked for a merged Carlton Vale Infants and Kilburn Park Junior rejected by Brent Council  and Strathcona vacated by Roe Green Primary, rejected by Islamia parents,

 

 

Following the decision to close the Leopold Primary Brentfield Road site I suggested in a Wembley Matters article LINK that this might be suitable for Islamia, the only state-funded Muslim School in the borough. 

 

 

In November 2024 Gwen Grahl, lead member for schools, responded to my question at Full Council pursuing that possibility by saying:

 

As set out in the refreshed School Place Planning Strategy 2024-2028, agreed by Cabinet on 12 November 2024, consideration will be given to opportunities to use any spare capacity within the primary school sector to expand provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, given the increasing need across the borough.

 

The Gwenneth Rickus site of Leopold Primary School will continue to be used for mainstream primary provision until September 2027 and the Council has not determined the future use of the site, that could also include provision for SEND.

 

Now next week's Cabinet, after a formal consultation is set to approve a recommendation that Islamia Primary School transfer to Leopold's Gwenneth Rickus site from 1st September 2027. The Islam Yusuf Foundation (IYS) has extended the eviction period to enable this to happen. The Leopold site will be transferred to IYS, despite the eviction order:

 

[The IYS] would be required to hold the site for the benefit of the Islamia Primary School. Further details in terms of ownership would be set out in a Trust Deed. This would ensure that the primary school would be protected from eviction in future.

 

The Strathcona site would be used for SEND provision.

 

It appears likely that the present Islamia site in Queens Park will be used to expand IYF's private secondary schools. 

 

A majority of respondents rejected the Leopold proposal at the informal consultation stage, but Brent Council reports the result of the statutory consultation as the basis for going ahead with the move:

 

56 responses were submitted to the Brent Have Your Say consultation portal, 6 responses were submitted directly to the school and one response was handed in to the Civic Centre.

 

50 responses were fully supportive of the proposal. 13 respondents either opposed the relocation or raised concerns about it. Of these, 7 were explicitly opposed or objected to the proposal, while 6 were generally supportive but raised concerns regarding the relocation without explicitly opposing or objecting to the proposal.

 

Three local primary schools had raised concerns that the relocation would put further pressure on them at a time of falling schools rolls. 

 

Concerns were raised about journey times, lack of public transport and other issues that are dealt with in the full Cabinet paper HERE.

 

The Equality Impact Assessment LINK  addresses areas likely to be of interest to readers. Here are some key points:

 

AGE

 

The relocation of Islamia Primary School to the Brentfield Road site would ensure that children are taught in a suitable provision setting which will benefit all pupils in the school. Currently pupils are taught in split-site accommodation on the Salusbury Road site and in classrooms in Winkworth Hall, a building leased from the Council.

 

The proposed site would offer improved indoor and outdoor facilities on a single site which would enhance the children’s learning experience and would support the school to sustain a good quality of education for pupils. Being on one site will also allow for improved use of resources, ensuring budgets are used effectively to enhance learning opportunities and experiences for all children.

 

Information will be provided in the Council’s Starting Primary School September 2027 brochure (published September 2026) to advise potential applicants of the planned relocation of the school so that parents are aware before they apply for a school place.

 

DISABILITY

 

The proportion of children at Islamia Primary School with an EHCP is 2.4% compared to 4.0% across schools in Primary Planning Area 4, the planning area within which the school is proposed to be located.

 

The proportion of children at Islamia Primary School receiving SEN Support is 16.5% compared to 18.6% across Planning Area 4.

 

The proposal will not disproportionately impact any person on the basis of special education need or disability. The new site will provide better facilities for all pupils, including those with SEND. It will allow all pupils to be educated together on one site (rather than the current split-site arrangement), supporting the school’s inclusive ethos.

 

Children with an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) who transfer to the new site will be able to make an application for transport assistance if they meet the eligibility criteria.

 

RACE

 

The top ethnic groups attending Islamia Primary School (Black African 38.8%, Any other ethnic group 30.6%, and Pakistani 13.4%) are similar to those of schools in Primary Planning Area 4 (Black – African 27.1%, Any other ethnic group 18.9%).

 

It is not considered that relocating the school would have a negative impact on the basis of race

 

RELIGION

 

Islamia Primary School is the only Muslim faith school in Brent. Relocation to the proposed site will ensure the long-term future of the school, ensuring diversity of provision across the Brent educational landscape.

 

There are both denominational and non-denominational schools with spare places in Primary Planning Area 4 where the new site is located, so relocating the school to the area will not impact on local choice for parents and carers.

 

Consideration has been given to community cohesion concerns in the context of moving Islamia Primary School to a site near to the Neasden Temple. The area where the site is located is diverse, reflecting Brent’s mixed communities. Within the context of Brent’s diversity, the Local Authority works proactively with communities to address any community cohesion concerns. Supported by the Council, the Brent Multi-faith Forum also works to develop understanding and shared belonging through bringing communities together.

 

The YIF, and its schools, have a track record of interfaith work, including representation at the former London Interfaith Centre for a number of years, working with the former Three Faiths Forum (now called, The Faith and Belief Forum), hosting the launch of Nisa-Nashim, a Jewish and Muslim women’s network, some recent discussions with representatives of the Brent Multi-Faith Forum, participating in borough-wide interfaith walks and other activities.

 

If the relocation to the Gwenneth Rickus site proceeds, the YIF has indicated it would be supportive of working with the local community to ensure that local considerations are reflected in the school’s decision-making processes. This might include, for example, exploring options for local representation on the Governing Board and, through its broader activities, creating space for dialogue via a forum that brings together faith representatives, community groups, residents and council members to consider inclusive engagement and to explore, with the Governing Board, how the site might also support wider community benefit.

Cllr Tariq Dar circulated a jubilant message that assumed (rightly given the rubber-stamping role of Cabinet) that Brent Cabinet would approve the recommendation:

Fantastic News – Islamia School Brent is Saved
Cllr Tariq Dar MBE

Islamia Primary School, founded in 1983 by Brother Yusuf Islam, grew from a small nursery into the first Muslim school in Britain to receive state funding, following the Parents’ Campaign for Voluntary Aided Status in 1984.

After years of uncertainty, Alhamdulillah, the school has been saved and will relocate to the Gwenneth Rickus building (formerly Leopold Primary School), 242–250 Brentfield Road, London, NW10 8HE.

Our heartfelt thanks go to the Leader of Brent, Cllr Muhammad Butt, Cllr Grahl (Cabinet Member), council officers, councillors, staff, governors, parents, and the community for their tireless efforts.

Massive thanks all around — Alhamdulillah, Islamia’s future is secured.

Cllr Tariq Dar MBE
Chairman, Islamia School Parents Campaign for Voluntary Aided Status 1984

 

 

 

 

 

The future of Islamia Primary School on the agenda for Brent Cabinet's May 19th Meeting

 From the school website

 

Readers will remember the controversy over  state-funded Islamia Primary School currently housed in Queens Park. The school was given an eviction notice by the land owner, the Yusuf Islam Foundation, as it wanted to expand the neighbouring private secondary schools.

An informal consultation was held that rejected the school moving to the Strathcona site in Preston ward. Calls for it to be housed on the site in South Kiburn set aside for the merged Carlton Vale Infants and Kilburn Park Junior schools was rejected by Brent Council. Islamia parents cited the very low pupil numbers at those schools compared with the over-subscribed Islamia Primary. Brent Council argued that the numbers at the new South Kilburn Primary would increase as the regeneration progressed and attractive new resources were offered.

My suggestion in a question at Full Council asking if the soon to be closed Brentfield Road site of Leopold Primary School could be allocated to Islamia Primary received this response from Lead Member for Schools, Cllr Gwen Grahl in November last year:

The Yusuf Islam Foundation is still considering whether it wishes to proceed with the relocation to the Strathcona site following consultation in autumn 2022. No timescale for the relocation has been agreed. Should this proposed use of the Strathcona site not proceed, the site will be used to develop additional provision for children with SEND. In this event, the local authority would continue to work with the Yusuf Islam Foundation to identify a suitable alternative site for the school.

 

As set out in the refreshed School Place Planning Strategy 2024-2028, agreed by Cabinet on 12 November 2024, consideration will be given to opportunities to use any spare capacity within the primary school sector to expand provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, given the increasing need across the borough.

 

The Gwenneth Rickus site of Leopold Primary School will continue to be used for mainstream primary provision until September 2027 and the Council has not determined the future use of the site, that could also include provision for SEND.

A new SEND school is to be be opened in London Road, Wembley.

After a long silence the issue has reappeared as 'The Future of Islamia Primary School' on the Brent Cabinet Agenda for the  May 19th meeting 'for determination'.

There is little more information except a note stating 'There could be an exempt appendix as legal guidance.'

I will update readers as soon a I have more information,

 

Brent Council to go ahead with formal consultation on halving the size of Leopold Primary School despite overwhelming parent opposition - Gwenneth Rickus site to close

 

Site proposed for closure

Brent Council Cabinet on Monday is set to launch a formal consultation on the closure of the Leopold Primary School Gwenneth Prckus site, Brentfield Road, despite overwhelming opposition at the informal consultation stage. LINK

The Governing Body of the school opposed the proposal as did 86.7% of the consultation respondents.

Brent Council's rationale is based on the need for forward planning as pupil numbers drop and the additional expense involved in running a school on two sites.  They admit that parents' perception is that despite a shared senior management team and governing body, it runs as a separate school from the Hawkshead Road site. 

Certainly it seemed a school in its own right when I visited several times a few years ago and I was bowled over by its ethos and the vitality and talent of the diverse staff and pupils. It was (is) very special. Leopold School (both sites) had a period of difficulty which saw the appointment of an Executive Headteacher to stabilise things and came through with flying colours and improved pupil achievement. It made a postive contribution to the Black Achievement project.

Considerable capital investment was made into the building when it was decided to refurbish what had been  the Brent Teachers Centre into an annex to Leopold Primary to accommodate the 'bulge' of pupils that was moving through the system at the time. 

The Cabinet paper states:

The Local Authority remains of the view that the proposal is required to address the level of spare places in the local area. While concerns raised by parents would need to be taken into consideration if the proposal was implemented, officers are of the view that the Council should move to consult formally on the proposal to cease provision on the Gwenneth Rickus site of Leopold Primary School.

The building would be used for other educational purposes according to the Cabinet paper but there is no mention of it as a possible site for the Islamia Primary School which is under notice to quit its Queens Park site. SEND and alternative provision are mentioned as possibilities so building expenses would remain.

The closure would lead to job losses and proposals are put forward to manage this process involving talks with trade unions and possible re-location of some staff to the Hawkshead site or re-employment elsewhere.

I embed below officers' responses to the consultation.

Informal consultation opens on closure of Brentfield Road site of Leopold Primary School

 

The informal consultation process on the closure of the Brentfield Road (Gwenneth Rickus building) site of Leopold Primary School began yesterday with a letter to parents:

 

Brent Council has launched an informal consultation seeking the views of the public regarding the closure of the Gwenneth Rickus site of Leopold Primary School. This is being proposed in response to falling pupil numbers in Brent, resulting in a high number of spare places in local primary schools.

The proposal will not result in changes to the provision of education on the Hawkshead Road site.

No decisions have been taken yet, but if the proposal to close the Gwenneth Rickus site was to be implemented it would begin to take effect from September 2025.

It is important you have a chance to have your say on this proposal. A consultation document and response form is available on the Brent website at www.brent.gov.uk/neighbourhoods-and- communities/have-your-say, via email LeopoldConsultation@brent.gov.uk and hard copies are also available from the school’s reception. All documents are also available on this webpage www.brent.gov.uk/leopoldconsultation where you can find facilities to translate them into different languages.

There will be six public consultation meetings where you will be able to find out more about the proposal and express your views. Public consultation meetings are being held at:

• 9am, 3.30pm and 6.00pm on 14 November 2023 at Leopold Primary School, Gwenneth Rickus Site, Brentfield Road, Neasden, NW10 8HE
• 9am, 3.30pm and 6.00pm on 15 November 2023 at Leopold Primary School, Hawkshead Road, Harlesden, NW10 9UR

The informal consultation runs from Wednesday 1 November until Wednesday 13 December 2023.

Please note that when I went to the webpage this morning it was not accepting submission at present.

For ease of reference I embed the consultation document below:

 

As funding crisis begins to hit Brent schools join Education Cuts Hurt - Fund Our Schools Rally November 22nd 6pm

 

 

Parents, students, governors, support staff, teachers and councillors are being urged to make their voices heard over school funding as long-term underfunding begins to hit local schools by attending the above rally tim ed to coincide with the Autumn Statement.

'Restructures' are taking place in many schools with support staff likely to be hit by redundancies. As Wembley Matters has pointed out before support staff have become vital to the achievement of higher quality education in Brent schools. They run special programmes of support in primary schools with a focus on maths and literacy, deliver 1:1 programmes on speech and language that may have previously been delivered by speech therapists, and provide behaviour and pastoral support. 

A long way from the 'washing paintpots' role of the 70s that readers may have experienced. 

Teaching support staff are so integrated into the classroom that many children see them as another teacher.

The differences are hidden and include low pay and for some term-time only contracts. In Brent they are overwhelmingly women and ethnic minority and if the main wage earner, often have to take on another job in order to make ends meet.

By far the biggest proportion of the  school budget is spent on salaries. Essential equipment and materials prices have increased with inflation. not to leave out soaring energy costs, so it is staffing costs that bear the brunt of budget cuts. Every class or subject has to have a teacher, so inevitably it is support staff, the often invisible backbone of the school, who face redundancy.

The situation is so bad that the National Education Union now runs training sessions for its school representatives in restructuring and redundancy - and resistance:

 

 

Local authority schools (as distinct from academies) that are unable to balance their budget can request a 'licensed deficit'. This means the LA will support them over a period of several years to bring their budget back into balance. They have to submit plans to reduce costs over that period to gain a licence and this can mean  more time to allow 'natural wastage' to take effect, as long as it includes a rationale that maintains the quality of education in the longer term. A difficult task. The LA's capacity to do this is limited by its own financial constraints so it is not the answer to widespread difficulties.

Falling pupil numbers also contribute to the budget crisis as schools are funded per pupil. If schools cannot fill their classes the staffing costs for a teacher (and a class teaching assistant) remain the same for a 24 pupil class as for a 30 pupil class. Smaller classes are welcome but need proper funding.   Brent Council is currently reviewing primary provision and will be proposing changes such as reducing some schools by a class per year with the possibility of mergers or closures in the longer term. They are currently consulting on the closure of the Brentfield Road site of Leopold Primary School.

There have been decades of under-investment in schools. This year was going to be difficult anyway but the situation has been made worse by the Government's mistake in the simple foecast of the number of  pupils in schools, so that schools have a lower budget than promised.

Leaders of the teaching unions wrote to the Secretary of State on October 15th:

On 17 July, Schools Minister Nick Gibb told the House of Commons:  

“Funding for mainstream schools through the schools National Funding Formula is increasing by 2.7 per cent per pupil compared to 2023-24.  

“The minimum per-pupil funding levels (MPPLs) will increase by 2.4 per cent compared to 2023-24. This will mean that, next year, every primary school will receive at least £4,655 per pupil, and every secondary school at least £6,050.  

“The core factors in the schools NFF (such as basic per-pupil funding, and the lump sum that all schools attract) will increase by 2.4 per cent.”  

On 6 October we were informed that there had been an error resulting in an underestimate in forecasting pupil numbers, and that the NFF tables issued in July were being revised and republished to stay within the already announced Core Schools Budget.  

Funding for mainstream schools through the schools NFF will now increase by just 1.9 per cent. The minimum per-pupil funding level for primary schools will be £4,610 (£45 less per pupil) and for secondary schools it will be £5,995 (£55 less per pupil). The core factors of the NFF will now only increase by 1.4 per cent.  

Government’s revisions to the NFF, in light of higher than forecast pupil numbers, effectively reduce the value of the NFF by £370 million. Schools are already having difficulty balancing their books; some will now face the very real prospect of cuts to provision.

Brent teachers and parents are already hearing about the difficulties and proposed cuts to provision. The November 22nd Rally organisers say:

After more than a decade of underfunding of education, we see the results in crumbling buildings, a profound teacher recruitment crisis and redundancies and restructures in schools across the city.

Cuts to Special Educational Needs provision are damaging the education and life chances of millions of children and young people.

Hear from those organising and fighting for the money we need, including trade unionists, parent campaigners and politicians.

Join the short demonstration beforehand as parliament meets to hear the Tories' Autumn Statement. Bring friends, colleagues and family to demand better. Save our schools, fund education.

Join the Resistance - book your place HERE

 

Leopold Primary School, Brentfield Road site, earmarked for eventual closure. A potential site for Islamia Primary?

 

Leopold Primary School, Brentfield Road

Falling school  pupil numbers and subsequent school closures and amalgamations were a feature of my early years in teaching in the 1970s and the issue has returned post-Brexit as pupil numbers fall. 

Camden has already been hit and  there was a local warning when the Strathcona site closed. Now Brent Council is wrestling with managing pupil numbers and school provision. in the borough.  A review of primary provision was promised last year and focused on Planning Area 4:

The above table shows how the actual admissions compared with the PAN (Planned Admissions Number).  30 is one form admitted at reception, 60 two forms and 90 three forms, 45 is a class and a half and results in either two small single age classes or mixed age classes.

The only two oversubscribed schools were Donnington (single form entry - one class per year) and St Joseph's a Roman Catholic school.  There are parents who prefer a small school such as Donnington where vulnerable children feel less threatened than they would in a school with  large numbers of pupils and a big site.  Our Lady of Lourdes is also one form entry.

Single form entry schools are becoming much less common in London but this may change in time. Brentfield, Furness, John Keble, Newfield, St Mary's C of E and Stonebridge are all around or well below one form of entry. They tend to have higher per pupil costs than larger schools.

The two sites of Leopold Primary have a combined form of entry of 4 classes.

 

Brent Council explains the background to their proposal to close the Brentfield Road site of Leopold Primary in phases from September 2025. The site was previously the Brent Teachers Centre andPupil Referral Unit.

Leopold Primary School currently has capacity for 120 places in each year group with 60 on the school’s main site on Hawkshead Road and 60 on the Gwenneth Rickus site (Brentfield Road). Leopold Primary School achieves good outcomes for pupils across both sites and was rated by Ofsted as ‘Good’ in June 2022.

 

Leopold operates as a split-site school with one leadership team and staff who work across both the main school site on Hawkshead Road and the Gwenneth Rickus site.

 

On national offer day in 2023 for Reception places in 2023, 60 places were offered and there remained 60 spare places across the two school sites. As with other schools across the borough, the actual Reception cohort now on roll is higher due to late applications, which would have been diverted to other schools had Leopold’s capacity only been 60. Demand for Leopold Primary School has been falling since 2018 and the Gwenneth Rickus site operates as one form of entry in some year groups, including Reception and Year 1.

 

The Leopold Gwenneth Rickus site was opened in September 2013 as annexed provision in response to increasing demand for primary school places. The site was previously used by the borough as a school improvement centre, running courses for education professionals. Now that demand has reduced, there is no longer a need for this additional site to be retained as there are sufficient spare places on both the Leopold Primary School main site and in other local schools to accommodate future demand for primary provision in the area.

 

In January 2023, there were 628 pupils at Leopold Primary School compared to 767 in January 2019, with 282 pupils educated on the Gwenneth Rickus site.

 

The proposal is for the status of Leopold Primary School to return to that of prior to 2015 when the school operated with two forms of entry from one site only (Hawkshead Road). A phased closure of the Gwenneth Rickus site is recommended to avoid disruption to as many pupils and their families as possible. As the Hawkshead Road site has a central location within the planning area, it is anticipated that over time pupils from the Gwenneth Rickus site would move to the main Leopold Primary School site. Other local schools will be able to accommodate any pupils who wished to move school.

 

Parents of future Reception children would continue to have a range of schools to choose from. Only two schools in the area (Donnington Primary and St Joseph’s RC Primary School) were oversubscribed on national offer day for the September 2023 intake. There are several schools with spare capacity close to the Gwenneth Rickus site.

 

There were built-in problems with operating on two sites that are some distance apart including staff movement and travel time and the difficulty of shaping the two sites into one school with a shared ethos.  Despite the difficulties the  school has been very successful.

Many felt that it would have better if they operated as two separate schools but Government rules did not allow it. School expansion was allowed but not the opening of new community schools - any new school had to be an academy or free school.

The proposal is for a phased closure, as in the Strathcona case. The site would be used for other educational purposes so that it would be available for any recovery in pupil numbers. Several alternative uses are mentioned in the Cabinet paper but not the possibility of it being used by Islamia Primary School.  There is likely be a reduction in staffing as the school shrinks.

Also included in the proposals is a reduction in the size of Mitchell Brook Primary so that it takes 60 pupils a year rather than 90. This proposal is supported by the school:

 

The proposed reduction of the Pupil Admisison Number at Mitchell Brook Primary School from 90 to 60 would help to reduce spare places in other schools in the planning area. Mitchell Brook Primary Schools is rated as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted (September 2021). It is anticipated that Mitchell Brook Primary School will remain a popular school. However, any children who are unable to secure a place at the school would be able to access places at other local schools in the immediate area.

 

The school is in support of a reduction of the school’s PAN and has raised concerns about the constraints of continuing to operate as three forms of entry due to the school’s confined site. Although forecasts indicate low demand in Planning Area 4 in the short and medium term, the spare building capacity created by reducing the school’s PAN could be brought back into use in the future at a time when demand rises again

 

The proposals would have to go through a consultation process. An indicative timeline is included in the paper. 

 

 

Lead councillors respond to residents' demands for the renaming of Gladstone Park and Leopold Primary School

 Given recent articles and exchanges on Brent heritage I thought readers would be interested in these questions and answers to be heard at tonight's Fill Council Meeting:

Question from F. Lee to Councillor Donnelly-Jackson (Cabinet Member for

Customers, Communities and Culture)

 

In August of 2020 the Mayor of London launched the initiative for Diversity in the Public Realm to review statues street names and landmarks in London, to reflect its diversity.

 

Given that Gladstone Park was identified as such for a review and given the obvious link to Leopold II with a Primary School in Harlesden, why has there been no effective council led public consultation in relation to the issue, in keeping with the Mayor's stated initiative?

 

Councillor’s response:

 

In 2020 the council undertook a review of the name of the park as part of the Mayor of London’s Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm. This involved a review of statues, street names and landmarks in London including the possibility of a name change for Gladstone Park, and community engagement was part of this process.

 

The review was completed in in August 2021, and the decision taken by the Black Community Action Plan Steering Group was not to rename the park, but instead to develop a public art commission in partnership with the community to both acknowledge the Gladstone family’s role in the slave trade, whilst celebrating the considerable contribution and influence of African heritage to the cultural landscape of Brent. This is in line with heritage sector best practice to retain and not obscure the significant associations of a place, and where the significance of a place is not readily apparent, it should be explained by interpretation.

 

Interpretation should enhance understanding and enjoyment, and be culturally appropriate, which is what we have strived to do with the heritage trail installed in the park.

 

In reference to Leopold School, there is no direct evidence to suggest the school is named after King Leopold II of Belgium. The school was originally named in 1874, with the high likelihood that it took its name from Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Leopold (1853-1884), who was known for his interest in education. Unable to pursue a military career because of his illness (haemophilia), he instead became a patron of the arts and literature. The school has worked with pupils to explore the history of the school and produced history boards documenting its historic timeline. In doing so, no further origins of the school’s name were found in the archives.

 

 

Question from N. Scott to Councillor Donnelly-Jackson (Cabinet Member

for Customers, Communities and Culture)

 

In light of recent proposals made to the Council to change the name of Gladstone Park, due to the Gladstone family’s abhorrent role in African / Caribbean slavery, could you please let me know who and when it was decided to hold a Windrush Tea Party in that particular park from 12-4pm on 24th June?

 

With regards to the Mayor of London’s stated initiative, I am particularly concerned that the Council have made no meaningful attempt to address concerns of local residents and initiate a wider public consultation in relation to ethical name changes regarding Gladstone Park and two Leopold educational establishments - named after families who exploited, traded, tortured and profiteered from slavery.

 

Councillor’s response:

 

The council has a duty to mark Windrush Day – and does so each year. This year’s Windrush 75 celebrations follow the land art – known as The Anchor, The Drum, The Ship – which opened in the park in October 2022, and was curated by the Brent artist Linett Kamala. The Windrush Tea Party, also curated by Linett Kamala is being held close by to the heritage trail which has been installed in the park to highlight untold histories, and to recognise and celebrate the hugely valued contribution made to Brent by Black African Heritage residents and to further the conversations that the art exhibition and accompanying heritage trail began. The Brent Windrush 75 community tea party’s location reflects the council’s commitment to continue the conversation with communities about the history of Gladstone Park.

 

With regards to Gladstone Park, in 2020 the council undertook a review of the name of the park as part of the Mayor of London’s Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm. This involved a review of statues, street names and landmarksin London included the possibility of a name change for Gladstone Park.

 

Engagement with the community was part of this process, which was completed in August 2021. The decision was not to rename the park but instead to develop a public art commission in partnership with the community to both acknowledge the Gladstone family’s link to the enslavement of Africans, whilst celebrating the huge contribution and influence of African heritage to the cultural landscape of Brent.

 

This space in the park, including The Anchor, The Drum, The Ship land art and the history trail, are now a space for learning, reflection, healing, gathering and celebrating.

Strike planned at Leopold Primary School over bullying allegations

National Education Union (NEU) members at Leopold Primary School in Brent have voted by a clear margin to take strike action over alleged bullying and harassment by the Headteacher. The first strike action is scheduled for 20^th to 22^nd March.

Last Autumn 13 members of staff, the majority NEU member,  submitted formal grievances against the Head. An independent investigator was appointed who submitted his report to the Governing Body and the London Borough of Brent in December. 

 The NEU claim that the complainants have still not been informed of the outcome of the investigation, in clear breach of the Grievance Procedure. Meanwhile they allege that several of those members have been subject to disciplinary allegations, at the instigation of the Headteacher.

The NEU have asked that the Head be suspended on full pay, and have no involvement in any disciplinary procedures until the issues arising from the grievances have been resolved. The NEU say that Brent  Council and the Governing Body have failed to respond.

Phil Pardoe NEU Regional officer said:

This is outrageous. The allegations are very serious. It is completely unacceptable for the Governors and Brent to sit on the report, and refuse to take any action to protect our members. We still hope to find a negotiated solution, but our members have reluctantly decided that they have no option but to take strike action in the face of the unacceptable behaviour of the Head and the seeming indifference of the Governors and Brent.