Supplementary school seeks volunteer teachers

 

The Supplementary School above is looking for volunteer teachers  or teaching assistants:

As a registered charity which has been running for the past 5 years, we have reached a point where we need to look further afield for teachers as our usual resource (high schools, friends, family) appears to be drying up.  Our search is for voluntary teachers whether qualified or newly qualified to support the school across the core subjects of Maths, English and Science. 

ICT underpins all lessons as laptops are regularly used.  We are also happy to accept unqualified teachers working as Teaching  
Assistants. Travel expenses are paid on a termly basis.

Contact Joan Poorman on poormanj@live.co.uk or telephone 07989 323 910 or 07984 441 688

Brent governors out in the cold on radical education proposals

School governors are the largest group of unpaid volunteers in the country and their role has become increasingly onerous with successive governments. They remain a vital chain in terms of the democratic accountability of schools with elected representatives from staff and parents, representatives from the local authority according to the political make up of the local council, and co-opted members of the local community. They oversee the strategic management of the school and provision on special needs,equality,  child protection, health and safety and safe recruitment. They have a specific role in terms of financial management and the setting of the school priorities.

You would think that given all the above that the local authority would be working closely with Brent governors in the current state of educational flux where all sorts of proposals for future education provision are being mooted. Unfortunately this is not the case,

Last year, following rumours that some schools were looking at joining together in a Cooperative Trust or conversion to Cooperative Academy status I wrote to Cllr Mary Arnold, Brent Council's lead member for children and families to suggest a one day conference open to headteachers, governors and professional associations to discuss the issues. I followed this up with a letter to the Willesden and Brent Times calling for an open debate about the future of schools provision in Brent.

Unfortunately events have overtaken such a conference. Last night there was a meeting of the Wembley cluster of schools where headteachers invited their Chairs of Governors to head a speaker from the Cooperative College make a presentation on options open to schools. These were a Cooperative Education Improvement Partnership, becoming a Cooperative Trust School, joining a Cooperative Trust Cluster of Schools, becoming a Cooperative Academy, or becoming a Cooperative Trust Cluster Academy.  Just that sentence tells you how complicated the issue is. The Teachers Panels asked for a speaker to address the meeting for three minutes at the beginning but their request was refused. It was emphasised that this was an information giving meeting and not a decision making one. The meeting followed a similar presentation which was made just to Wembley headteachers. The Cooperative College has had separate discussion with the local authority.

Although there was some governor representation at that meeting there is none at a meeting which is happening about now. The School Improvement Service is presenting a possible model for future service provision in Brent where the Council will retain only core services and others will be handed over to a Social Enterprise or external providers. LINK This is quite similar to the Cooperative Education Improvement Partnership above. The local authority appears to be agreeing with those who say that the service cannot continue as it is, which makes it extremely hard for someone like me to argue that we should retain the local authority and not cooperate in its dissolution.

If the local authority is not offering services to schools or those that remain are inadequate, why stay with it? My main concern is that the alternatives remove or reduce local democratic accountability - the Cooperative College argue that their alternatives, including their Academy model, offer more accountability than other provision. I argue that it contributes to the break up of the post-war local authority school system and introduces privatisation and centralised control of schools at the same time.

Complicating the picture even more is that Brent Labour is holding a meeting about academies, free schools and other issues to which only Labour appointed governors have been invited along with teacher organisations. The full range of governors listed in my introduction are not being involved. I understand that the meeting is at the Stonebridge Hub on Wednesday January 18th.

So we end up with a picture where one group of Brent headteachers (Wembley) is discussing possible Cooperative arrangements but other headteachers are not involved. Chairs of governors in the cluster have had an initial briefing but other other governors and teacher associations have not been involved.

Governors and teacher associations have not been included in discussions of a new model for school improvement services and non-Labour governors have been excluded from a discussion organised by the Labour Party about academies and other issues.

I believe in the provision of full information to encourage transparency and open debate amongst all concerned. What is happening at the moment doe not provide that and instead feeds suspicion and feelings of exclusion. Not the way to reorganise vital provision such as schools and educational support services.

One person remarked after yesterday's meeting, "Did you notice that no one once mentioned the children?"

Something to think about.

Rousing seven minutes on all that's wrong with academies

Brilliant rousing stuff from  Christine Blower, General Secretary of the NUT, on the fight against acadsemies and free schools. She was speaking at Downshill Primary School in Haringey where a community campaign is resisting Michael Gove's attempt to force it to become an academy.

Beware - he may try similar things in Brent soon.

Only a few days left to have your say on future of Brent Town Hall

Brent Council is consulting on a Supplementary Planning Document for the future use of the Brent Town Hall once the new Civic Centre is open.  The consultation closes on Monday January 16th. CONSULTATION LINK

The Town Hall is a Grade 2 listed building.

The Council state:

In 2013, Brent Council is moving to a new state of the art New Civic Centre which means that our grade II listed Town Hall on Forty Lane, will be retired from civic duties.  The Town Hall has been at the centre of local governance in Brent since 1940; but is now unable to provide the facilities that our residents and clients expect of an efficient up to date public service.  However, the Council is very keen to ensure that the Town Hall has a dignified, productive and useful new life and to ensure this happens has produced a development guide for prospective new owners of the building.

A draft Development and Planning Brief for Brent Town Hall has been produced to help with the marketing and sales campaign and will help guide the expectations and aspirations of potential buyers. It gives helpful planning and listed building advice on appropriate new uses, alteration of the existing building and the potential for extensions and new development within the site.

It is intended that the Brief will be adopted as a “Supplementary Planning Document”, which will help confirm it as a standard by which future applications for alterations and additions to the building and the site will be judged.  Before the guide is adopted, the Council is keen to hear your opinions on its contents and has set up this consultation exercise to ensure that all views are considered and reported to the Councils’ Executive at the adoption meeting in March.  The consultation will close at 12:00noon on the 16th January 2012.

HS2: FOE lays down the line

Responding to reports that Transport Secretary Justine Greening will announce the first phase of work on the High Speed 2 rail link today (Tuesday 10 January 2012), Friends of the Earth Director of Policy and Campaigns Craig Bennett said:
 
"We need to revolutionise travel away from roads and planes - but pumping £32 billion into high speed travel for the wealthy few while ordinary commuters suffer is not the answer.
 
"High Speed rail has a role to play in developing a greener, faster transport system, but current plans won't do enough to cut emissions overall - Ministers should prioritise spending on improving local train and bus services instead.

"Just a fraction of the massive budget for High Speed 2 would rescue the 30,000 solar jobs under threat from Government cuts - investment of this kind would take us a lot further, faster to a safe and prosperous future."

Jenny Jones makes the case for a Green London Mayor

Leader of Brent Council under investigation

The Brent and Kilburn Times LINK is reporting that a allegation against Cllr Ann John, leader of Brent Council is being investigated by council officers. The allegation is that she told  Labour councillors on the Planning Committee, which is supposed to be independent and where councillors should make up their own minds, to vote against a 2010 application to turn the old Union Hall,  Union Road, Wembley into a Hindu place of worship.

The BKT saysthe complaint is said to have been made by one of her own party colleagues.Ann John told the paper that the allegations were a load of rubbish and she had nothing to hide.

Are we hearing the true voice of Brent Youth?

Protest against threatened youth centre closures last year

 In January 2010 Barry Gardiner MP accused the the Brent Council (Lib-Dem and Conservative Coalition) of trying to intimidate members of the Brent Youth Parliament and raised the issue in the House of Commons. My report on it HERE attracted  40 comments so it was clearly an issue people felt strongly about.

Two years on I have received a message from a local youth activist who wants to publicise what s/he sees as new problems. I believe in giving youth a voice so reprint what s/he wrote below and invite youth and those involved with the Youth Service and Youth Parliament to respond. I make no personal judgment about the veracity of the comments but it is important that the issue is aired.

Dear Blogger,

I see you are writing a blog about Wembley as this came up during my searches for Wembley news. It is very good indeed. I have recently been getting wind of anger from teenagers in Brent about the youth service.. people are complaining about officers taking control of youth activities and "children and young people" are being left out in the cold. I draw your attention to one Facebook status:

"I cannot believe that a Brent Council officer in the Youth Service can get away with refusing to allow Brent youth radio members to have a Lead Councillor present in a meeting with them and him.

 X is correct when he says that this is serious and suspicious stuff and exactly what the prime minister has been talking about.

Council officers need to be more accountable and transparent in their dealings.
More young people should be educated about the need to Vote."

Extremely worrying I'm sure you will agree. I am also hearing that the BYP or Brent Youth Parliament has had members arguing  the same thing.. One person contacted me saying:

"BYP has become rigged. We have elections next month and the officers are showcasing who they want to be elected. Nobody else stands a chance."

If something is written on the matter by yourself something could be done! Please consider it.

 Please use the Comment facility or send me an e-mail with your views.

BMYVOICE - YOUTH PARLIAMENT
BRENT YOUTH RADIO

Work less, consume less, LIVE more

This morning's Start the Week on Radio 4 had an interesting discussion on austerity and future economic models with an airing of New Economics Foundation ideas on a sustainable economy as well as reflections on the situation in Ireland. Well worth listening toAnthony Gormley, David Kynaston, Anna Coote and Fintan O'Toole get down to basics. Listen here:  LINK

'Oh Lucky Jim, I don't envy him' - more cuts ahead

In the old days of the Soviet Union there were a select group of journalists called  Kremlinologists whose job it was to analyse Soviet journals, party statements and even the order in which the Kremlin leadership stood at military parades in order to understand the subtle power shifts and policy differences within the apparently monolithic leadership.

I feel sometimes that I am performing a similar role regarding the Brent Council Labour leadership. Ann John, although not a Stalin, does rule extremely firmly, can be fierce to colleagues as well as enemies and takes few prisoners: a cross between the Iron Lady herself and Ann Robinson in her Weakest Link role. Cllr James Powney plays the part of a humourless and insensitive apparatchik convincingly. Neither can be said to have been a great PR success.

On this blog and in the press I have argued that Labour does itself no favours by claiming that the cuts are terrible but they are managing to make them without hurting anyone. That line appears to be shifting and the 'revisionist' Executive member who is leading on this is Cllr Jim Moher. Representing 'Brent Council with a human face' he has been prepared to engage, appearing on the platform at the Brent People's Assembly to debate the Council's cuts and being ready to admit in the Council chamber that there are some streets that are suffering as the result of the street sweeping cuts. His letter on libraries and Sarah Teather in the Brent and Kilburn Times this week is in sharp contrast to the comments about library campaigners that James Powney makes on his blog LINK (can you imagine him being called Jim or even Jimmy?).

Moher says: '... I accept that a lot of people have been upset by this particular cut' but qualifies this by going on to say, '(less so it seems, about the other £41m [cuts] to our services imposed  by Mrs Teather's government)'. Later he states, 'If however, the campaigners get leave to appeal and the Supreme Court overturn those other judgements, the council will have to change the decisions. That is our system of democracy. ' He says he understands why campaigners would want to appeal to the government 'to overturn an unpopular local council decision' but asks the legitimate question whether 'a cabal of ministers can interfere in decisions lawfully and democratically taken, when they are mainly responsible for the expenditure cuts which required the decision?'

My answer to his question would be 'Yes, if the cuts mean that the council is not meeting the requirement of national legislation to provide an adequate library service.'

Moher's change of tone, if it represents internal shifts of emphasis, or even power, within the Labour administration, does lead on to other questions. If the cuts in Brent's budget are so large (and they are enormous) does it mean that the Council is faced with an impossible task to maintain services at an adequate level? One example is that the number of park wardens has been cut from 17 to 5, with only 3 on duty at weekends. The number of park vehicles has been cut in line with staff reductions. Is it possible to lock and unlock parks and cemeteries, provide security, enforce the new Dog Orders, and deal with emergencies with that number of staff. What will be the impact on parks in terms of fly-tipping, anti-social behaviour, rough sleeping and public use if people no longer feel safe? Across the council fewer staff are doing more work and morale is often poor.

If it is an impossible task, what should the Council do about it? Well before the ACF budget presentations they have already ruled out an increase in Council Tax, so that option which would be unpopular but might save some services has gone. They have rejected not setting a budget on the grounds that cuts made by the Chief Executive Gareth Daniel and his team would be worse - although senior officers and the Labour leadership are so much in cahoots there probably wouldn't be any difference. That leaves the option of working with local people on a 'needs led' budget, working out exactly what would need to be spent to ensure quality local services, and campaigning with local residents and organisations for that budget - uniting with other Councils to take on the Coalition government.

Putting to one side the issue of whether the Council could have made different cuts and the particular issue of the new Civic Centre, which now looks rather redundant if the Council shrinks as much as forecast, Labour is faced with the problem that they are getting kicked in the teeth by the public because they are doing the Coalition's dirty work for them.

Cuts get passed down the line and this Spring we are going to see them arrive in the laps of school governing bodies. The Lib Dem PR machine has been busy suggesting that Sarah Teather is giving extra money to Brent schools via the Pupil Premium. It is true that the amount across the country has been increased and that entitlement has been widened, but the problem is that other parts of the education budget have been cut and ring-fencing removed. Brent will be particularly affected because two more secondary schools became academies last year, and there is a possibility that more will go before the financial year end. This will top-slice the education budget. Cuts will hit special educational needs funding, the music service, arts projects and other projects which add the real 'buzz' and creativity to pupils' learning,

Governors will be in a similar position to councillors: under pressure to make cuts to balance the budget but recognising that the cuts will damage the quality of children's education. In addition the staffing cuts will fall on teaching assistants and other support staff, the number of which expanded under the Labour government. They have been trained in special 'intervention projects' for group and 1 to 1 teaching of children who have fallen behind and have done much to raise standards in Brent schools, which are now above the national average in many areas despite the disadvantaged nature of much of the population.

These staff are paid low wages on a term-time only basis, often on short-term or agency contracts,and are mainly women, working class and members of an ethnic minority. They contribute enormously to schools as positive role models from the local community.

Tough times and decisions are ahead.

The range of education services provided by the Brent School Improvement Service and an account of their impact on raising standards can be seen HERE

Taking action on the housing crisis

Following the November housing crisis meeting at the Town Hall which was organised by Barry Gardiner MP for North Brent, Jacky Peacock has circulated the following notes on behalf of the Tenants Steering Group:
Comments and additional ideas on how to take things forward for private tenants are welcomed:

email jacky.peacock@bptrg.org

WEBSITE: www.bptrg.org

 

HOUSING CONDITIONS IN THE PRIVATE RENTED SECTOR

FOLLOW UP ON MEETING AT BRENT TOWN HALL ON 20 NOVEMBER

What is wrong	What should we do about it?
RENTS Rents are increasing by 5.7% annually -> due to increasing demand in renting properties (fewer people can afford to buy their own) Excessive rents are pushing poorer individuals out from the capital On average, the rent for a two-bedroom apartment in London costs 1,600 pounds -> 2.5 times more than in the rest of the UK As a result, poorer people will be squeezed out from the private market People spend so much money on rent that they will not be able to afford to buy their own property in many years in the future Average salary in Brent is 22,000 pounds/year which means that due to the Housing Benefit Cuts, many people will not be able to afford housing in Brent anymore Young people can’t afford to leave the parental home	It is legally possible to challenge unreasonable rent increases If people could not afford to live in Brent, they should move out Rent control - we should not focus on controlling the initial rent, but rather on controlling rent increases
HOUSING BENEFIT CUTS As a consequence, thousands of people will not be able to afford to pay for the rent Tenants receiving housing benefit comprise about a half of all the tenants living in Brent
PHYSICAL CONDITIONS Over a third of private rented homes fall below the Decent Homes Standard Many homes are very energy inefficient There is a positive relationship between health and adequate living standards  Tenants suffer from “fuel poverty” -> individuals would rather go to bed to keep themselves warm than pay for the gas because they cannot afford it	Energy poverty needs to be eradicated Energy bill will stop landlord letting the most energy inefficient homes but not until 2018. We could be campaigning for Government to highlight need for landlords to start improving properties now.
MANAGEMENT Many private tenants face harassment by their landlord and illegal evictions are common Letting agents rip off private tenants	Implement the Landlord Accreditation Scheme Campaign to expose bad practises.
GENERAL This is the worst housing crisis during the last 80 years There is no more social housing available in Brent 350,000 individuals have been placed on the Council’s waiting list for social housing Brent Council found private lets for 548 families last year The landlord/tenant relationship is weighted heavily in favour of landlords Why does the private rented sector remain unregulated? The local authority should have more power over the housing situation Councillors do not have answers to all the questions Housing crisis has a negative impact on the education of young people Brent is focusing its cuts on middle management and will be merging Housing Resource Centre (dealing with homelessness) and Housing Solutions (advice and rehousing into private renting)  Private Housing Services  (deals with enforcement of physical standards) hasn’t been reviewed yet.	The issue of empty houses in Brent -> they could be converted into usable houses Brent is committed to developing a CPO policy with teeth Why does not the Council have hostels in Brent?  Good quality hostels for young people used to be appreciated.  They were affordable and provided social life for those who had recently left parental home. Landlords would listen to the tenants if many people organized themselves into a larger group Housing & economic growth -  create more jobs in the construction sector How do we build a consensus on the need for better standards?  Access to a decent home is a basic human right. Petitions may help to get heard Letters from bishops get published – can’t we get them on side? If we all used the social media effectively on this issue we could build a groundswell of opinion – should we organize a workshop to learn how this is done? How can we influence decision on the Council’s services?  How could enforcement be made more effective?  Selective Licensing? We need more events like this one Can we use the Mayoral election next year to be raising profile of conditions in private renting? Politicians don’t give enough priority to private rented sector because most private tenants aren’t registered.  Should we mount campaign to increase registration? Labour Party is in listening mode as it develops its housing policies – how can we take advantage of that? We need to coalesce with other campaign groups like the National Private Tenants Organisation, Housing Voice, Pro-Housing Alliance, anti-cuts campaigns.

Willesden Green redevelopment - what do you think?

Willesden Old Library - scheduled for demolition

 Following my posting on the proposed Willesden Green redevelopment several people have asked me what the new building will look like and what type of housing is proposed.  The answer is that we don't know as Brent Council has 'cascaded' these matters to the developer Galliford Try. The very tight timetable that envisages work starting in September has the planning application down for April 2012 and consultation obviously has to take place before then.

People have also asked what the Cultural Centre will contain. Again there is little detail but the Equality Impact Assessment LINK states:

At a minimum the new cultural centre will incorporate a library, extensive study space, IT provision, customer contact centre, museum, archive, archive store, entrance foyer, three creative cluster spaces (which will facilitate an array of programmed creative events), café, conference room, office space, staff toilet & shower, public toilets, data centre, hygiene areas, multi faith contemplation room, delivery and distribution area, public realm and a maximum of 8 designated car parking spaces.

Following the recent High Court action there is a long section of the report devoted to the Equalities duties of councillors. The initial Impact Assessment Completion Form is brief LINK but there is documentation in the Appendices LINK

There is a useful but not very legible mapping of  Willesden Green library users HERE

Talking to local residents at the Library yesterday another issue that came up several times was 'Why are we doing away with a comparatively new building?'

Several arguments are contained in the report going before the Executive.

• The building has failed to realise its potential as a truly local cultural destination and is 'essentially not fit for purpose'.
• Areas within the existing buiulding feel unsafe an this intesifies at night when small, dark areas attrract vandalism and anti social behaviour. This discourages 'people from Brent's diverse communities to explore or congregate wihin the WGLC especially after dark'.
• The site is a second tier building (in the jargon 'major customer facing offering') in the south which would complement the new Civic Centre in the north. This recognises that 'a large proportion of our high need customers reside in the south'.
• The physical condition of the WGLC is extremely poor and repairs would require an initial investment of £657,000.
• The redevelopment hs the potential to act as a catalyst for wider regeneration of the area

The report makes it clear that the project can only go ahead if it is self-financing, delivered at zero net capital costs to the Council and that the Council retains the freehold of the new Cultural Centre.

Some residents argued yesterday that the building had been deliberately run down and that there had been a failure of leadership in running it with enthusiasm, imagination and flair. They pointed to the recent success of an arts project in the old cafe area. Theye were against developemnt and instead wanted new management and marketing strategy.

Opinions were also expressed that the project handed too much power over to the developer and questions over whether the Council could be both a de facto partner of the developer and also make an independent decision on the developer's planning application.

A major issue that arose was the loss of study space with students scoffing at the inadequacy of the alternative provision offered in the report. Brent SOS Libraries are expected to continue to push for the reopening of the Cricklewood and Kensal Rise libraries at least during the rebuilding phase to provide study and lending facilities, although that option is rejected in the report.

Some passers-by and long-term residents were aghast when they realised that the locally listed old library building would be demolished in the new development and there was anger when it was realised that the Willesden Bookshop would go.Locally listed building don't have legal protection but existing Brent Council policy (LINK) states:

BE24 LOCALLY LISTED BUILDINGS

The special character of buildings on the local list will be protected and enhanced. Proposals for the demolition or unsympathetic alteration of locally listed buildings (including parts of buildings) will be discouraged unless alternative use of the building is unviable or the planning benefits for the community substantially outweigh the loss resulting from demolition.

Presumably the Council will be arguing the latter case although how that stands against the preservation of the facade of the nearby Spotted Dog is a matter for conjecture. There's some interesting historical background on the area, including the library and the Spotted Dog, HERE

I would welcome comments on the issues raised by the redevelopment proposals.

And this guy has the audacity to tell teachers how to teach!

Michael Gove bores the pants off Haberdasher pupils. I would have run out screaming...

Emergency meeting on forced academy conversion

Click to enlarge

 Michael Gove is trying to steamroller primary schools into applying to become academies but is encountering opposition from teachers, parents and governors. At the same time he is considering proposals to make it easier for the Church of England to take control of state-funded schools.

Haringey primary schools have been first in line but I suspect there will be moves over at least one Brent school soon.

There will be an emergency public meeting on Monday 9th January at 7pm at Downhills Primary School, Philip Lane, N.17, to discuss Michael Gove's proposal to enforce academy status on several of
Haringey's primary schools. Downhills is one of several Haringey Schools under threat of mandatory conversion to academy status, even though it has been judged an improving school in September 2011 by the last OFSTED inspectors. Normally schools have between 12 and 18 months to show carry out the expected improvement.

Not only is there no evidence that conversion to academy status ensuressuccess,  but the parents and teachers at Downhills are completely against Gove's attempt to impose his will.

Gove can do this because of the new powers which he took on through the the new education act which passed into law in November last year. Only collective public action is likely to sway him, since neither the individual schools nor the Local Authority has any power to resist.

Further details can be found HERE