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