Battle against forced academisation is a fight for democracy - Roke parents

With Gladstone Park Primary parents continuing their campaign against the school being forced to become an academy and suggestions that this might happen to other Brent primary schools, it is worth hearing about the experience of parents in other parts of London. Roke Primary in Croydon has also experienced the bullying nature of the DfE's  'brokerage' department and the parents' campaign has written to the local paper about the experience: LINK

Parents recently received a copy of a letter about forced academy at Roke Primary school from Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Schools to Richard Ottaway, our Conservative MP for South Croydon.

Lord Nash's letter casts Roke Primary as an 'underperforming' school, yet our school is not underperforming under any possible definition of the word and certainly not over a 'long time', which is specified in DfE's own guidance for forced academies. The latest SAT results are above the national average and place the school in the top 20% of Croydon schools. Teaching is regarded by Ofsted, the Local Authority and parents as at least good. Let's be clear forced academy at Roke is NOT about substandard education at Roke.

The reason the school is being forced to academy is that it was placed in an Ofsted category of 'Notice to Improve', mainly due to a lack of data caused by computer problems and leadership/management issues. The Ofsted report was published in mid June 2012. Areas for improvement were outlined and the school, LA and Riddlesdown (as partnering
school) sprung into action and made positive changes very quickly. Yet only 3 months later, in September the DfE informed the head governor that Roke would become an academy.

Factoring in the school summer holiday, the school was given less than 6 weeks to improve. There was no return visit by Ofsted to check on the improvements made and no chance to prove that they could be sustained. This action defeats the purpose of giving a school 'Notice to improve', if they are then denied the chance to demonstrate improvements made.

Lord Nash states that improvement is required in relation to leadership and management. This could happen without removing the school from Local Authority control. It does not need such drastic action as being forced, against the wishes of parents, governors and local community, to become an academy and to be sponsored by Harris.

It would be far more cost effective to simply replace the leadership. Let's make no mistake this is about political ideology not standards.

Lord Nash omits the fact that the Ofsted monitoring visit happened in January 2013, the day after parents launched their campaign and a damning article appeared in The Guardian, stating that Oftsed had not visited before the decision was made. He also omits to make it clear that this was not a full Ofsted inspection and therefore it did not matter what rating for improvement was received it would not lift Roke out of the 'Notice to Improve' category. His letter reads like Roke somehow failed to improved enough to be reclassified which is untrue.

Furthermore, we have been told that the Ofsted inspector said on arrival before the monitoring inspection took place, that Roke would not get a rating better than 'satisfactory' because there was insufficient time between inspections to prove that improvements had been embedded or were sustainable. This is the real reason which, as Lord Nash writes, there is 'limited evidence that (improvements) are secure and sustainable'. It has little to do with the school's efforts but rather with the government failing to give the school enough time to achieve this within its' own inspection frameworks, before rushing to turn the school to an academy.

Lord Nash says, 'Harris has confirmed that it wishes to support notice to improve and bring about the improvement needed' at Roke. Therein lies the crux of the matter. It is highly likely, if a full inspection was to take place today that the school would perform much better, and would come out of 'Notice to Improve' or its new equivalent category.

As it stands, Harris will simply come in and take all the credit for improvements that have already taken place. We believe that Roke may have been targeted as a school where, a relatively small nudge is needed to return us to our previous 'outstanding' status. This will give Harris and academy policy false credibility.

Lord Nash says that the government recognises the 'importance of formal local consultation' and that it is 'a legal requirement before any school can open as an academy'. We suggest that his definition of 'consultation' is different to everyone else. His letter makes it clear that all decisions about Roke, its future as an academy and its sponsor have already been made. To suggest that consultation takes place after the fact is ludicrous. Moreover, to suggest that the consultation is most meaningful when it is run by the preferred Sponsor, in this case Harris, is also ludicrous and bordering on corrupt.

The consultation must be operated legally, and cannot be a presentation or a deliverance of a decision already made - it must be legally meaningful. It must be an actual consultation - you consult and decide as a result, not in advance.

As it stands key decisions about our school have been made behind closed doors before consultation has taken place. The DfE is withholding crucial information about the decision making process, as evidence by failure to disclose information requested by parents under the Freedom of Information act. The DfE has also flouted its own rules regarding forcing a school that is not actually failing. The DfE is not operating by the Principles set down by the Committee of Standards in Public Life (1985) particularly the principles of accountability, openness or honesty.

Put simply, our own British government is breaking all the democratic values that this country holds dear.

The Save Roke Campaign Committee

Now a secondary free school in Wembley Central based on preparation for work

Madison House, London Road, Wembley

I have written before about the lack of detail provided by would be free school starters and that is appeared to be the case with another proposed secondary free school in Wembley.

The Gateway Academy is reported to have found premises in Wembley Central off Wembley High Road. The entire information posted on their website LINK is reproduced below:

A group of experienced educationalists are looking to establish a new free school in the London Borough of Brent to be located in central Wembley offering education to students from Year 7 through to A-Level.

Gateway Academy shall provide a well-rounded education that will equip today’s generation to compete in tomorrow’s world. Education is in many ways an introduction into the world of employment and it is essential that our students leave school fully equipped to deal with the demands and challenges that employment immediately brings. We therefore seek to equip our students with the skills, abilities, knowledge and experiences necessary to prepare them for this transition and this shall be a focus of the school.

The school shall operate on the following principles:

Global citizenship
Academia
The Arts
Enterprise & Entrepreneurship

For our school to be considered for operation, we need to show evidence of parental and student demand. If you feel that you as a student, or you as a parent, feel that our new school would provide the type of education that would bring out the best in your child, please do complete our online survey at,
www.surveymonkey.com If you have any questions about our potential new school, please do email us to selva@rtc.uk.net or call us at 020 8966 9900

This would leave plenty of space on the back of an envelope! There are no other pages or details on the website..  I understand that the application is for a three form entry school. It will be close to Copland High School which is the only remaining  local authority secondary school in Brent (the others are either academies or faith schools now)  which has been going through a difficult period and is not full in Year 7. A rival secondary free school could further destabilise Copland.

However, following up the website given on the e-mail I found that this led to the Regency Group LINK which specialises in supplementary education and classes for entrance examinations for  grammar and independent schools.

Their Wembley address is

 Regent Learning Wembley

Madison House, 24-28 London Road

Wembley, HA9 7EX

Madison House is a Brent Council property  with several users including BACES.At one stage the entire office building was on sale for £1.7m.

The description of the school above makes it clear that the school sees education as narrowly linked to employment.  The Managing Director of Regent Group's profile is revealing:

The Managing Director of the Group, Mr Selva Pankaj, graduated from the University of SDA Bocconi, Milan with a Master in Business Administration. He has also gained membership of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and The Chartered Institute of Management.

His major achievement is the foundation of Regent Group in 2000 and the development and nurture of it into the multi faceted entity that it is today.

His wealth of corporate experience over 20 years includes work at Prudential Financial Inc, Goldman Sachs, Fortress Investments, Grosvenor Property Fund Management, Rockspring Property Investment Managers, Schroders Property Investment Management, Pricoa Property PLC and Legg Mason Real Estate Inc. His notable successes include:

- Involvement in major capital raises amounting to over €1.5 billion of capital alongside Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Merrill Lynch

- Restructuring the tax structures of closed end investment companies that invest and manage a diverse portfolio of Commercial Real Estate, derivatives and investments.

- His direct involvement, including negotiating deals and establishing a purchase price, in the acquisition of Legg Mason Real Estate Inc whilst working for Grosvenor Property Fund Management.

- Co-ordinating IPOs in the NYSE, the LSE and European stock markets.

- Has worked in various corporate entities in the United Kingdom, United States and in Europe, in particular Germany, at a range of senior positions.

It appears that this proposal is another step towards our taxes going to groups intent on the eventual privatisation of our schools.

Green Party Deputy's personal experience informs his statement on mental health discrimination

I thought this item was worth sharing as it represents another step forward in fighting the stigma associated with mental health issues:

Will Duckworth, Green Party Deputy Leader, has spoken openly about his mental health experiences.
Mr Duckworth addressed a small meeting at the Green Party Spring Conference, which had been called to discuss the Party's plans to challenge mental health discrimination and stigma.

He said:

I have bipolar condition. It is normally called bipolar disorder but in my case it is more of a blessing than a curse. I have been a teacher for thirty years including twenty as head of maths in a comprehensive school and am now a Councillor and Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales.

I was diagnosed as having manic depression more than thirty years ago.  Since then I have had just two manic episodes. I do not take any pills for the condition and am in control of the situation and I can schedule my depressions, so they do not interfere with my work.

I recognise that many people suffer greatly from the condition but for me it is simply that most of the time I am happy and very friendly but every six weeks or so I have to go through a few hours of deep depression and I can even control when that happens.

Many of you may have seen the ‘It’s Time To Talk’ campaign currently in the national media, aiming to encourage people to speak about their mental health, to help other people understand the issues and help destigmatise mental health conditions.

I have chosen to speak out about this because I want to help to dispel the myths and fear that surround any type of mental health issues.

As one in four of the population suffer from mental health issues at some time then it means that a quarter of us are personally affected.

That means that there are probably more than 150 of our MPs and 200 members of the House of Lords who have mental health issues but are restrained from telling people about it.

Many of us have spent years hiding the fact, but now is time for this oppressed minority to ‘come out’. 

'Mental health issues can affect anyone and it certainly does not prevent people from performing well in all sorts of careers but the knowledge that someone has suffered can often prevent them from getting a job. 

After the meeting he added:

I'm speaking out now because it's time to change. It's time to be open. If you had a broken leg you wouldn't try to hide it, and this is no different. It's time to be open and honest. And I would like to thank everyone here, and the Green Party as a whole for creating an atmosphere which is comfortable enough for me to say what I have said.

 The Time to Change organisational pledge is HERE

Campaign to stop Veolia getting its tainted hands on £145m of Brent's money

 Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign is to step up its campaign to get Veolia excluded from the current Brent Public Realm contract procurement process. The contract covers street cleansing, waste management, recycling and parks and BHP grounds maintenance and is worth £145m over 9 years.

The campaign has been escalated following the Procurement Panel's decision after considering detailed evidence from the PSC not to exercise its discretion and exclude Veolia from the process. The evidence gave legal grounds for exclusion on the grounds that Veolia's activities in the Occupited Territories of Palestine constituted grave misconduct.

A letter from Richard Falk, UN Special Rapporteur on the West Bank and Gaza Strip,submitted to the North London Waste Authority, where Veolia withdrew from the bidding process, was sent  to the Panel. It said:

It is my view that Veolia’s violations of the UN Global Compact principles and its deep and protracted complicity with grave breaches of international law make it an inappropriate partner for any public institution, especially as a provider of public services.

....I urge you to follow the example set by public authorities and European banks that have chosen to disassociate themselves from Veolia and take the just and principled decision not to award Veolia any public service contracts. Such a measure would contribute to upholding the rule of law and advancing peace based on justice. 

Brent has chosen not to take this 'just and principled decision' and has so far failed to provide Brent and Harrow PSC with the detailed grounds on which it based its decision not to exercise its discretion to exclude.

Petitions will be circulated calling on Brent Council to exclude Veolia and public meetings and lobbies are being arranged.

A copy of the petition can be downloaded below. Please circulate it in workplaces, trade unions, communities and places of worship.   A borough committed to social justice and serving a diverse community should not be handing residents' money over to a company such as Veolia.

Further information can be found on the Brent PSC website HERE

Brent budget passed in the midst of indulgent pantomime

Protestors outside Brent Town Hall tonight

 Brent Council tonight approved Labour's budget which includes further cuts.  A last minute amendment moved by Council Leader Muhammed Butt aimed to spike the Opposition's guns by reducing parking charges at the cost of  reducing ward working funds by £210,000. £10,000 for each ward.

A previous last minute amendment at a Budget meeting by the then leader Ann John had doubled ward working funds. This time she spent the entire meeting reading what appeared to be a novel on her Kindle and made no contribution to the meeting.

The Lib Dem amendments which included £500k for volunteer libraries and reduced expenditure on the senior management team of the Council were voted down by Labour.  No Labour councillors challenged the budget despite cries of 'No Cuts' and 'Resign' from the public gallery.

Much of the meeting was taken up by the usual grand-standing speeches and barracking which Councillors seem to enjoy as a sort of Pantomime Politicians' Club but there was a measured, coherent contribution from Cllr Alison Hopkins in her role as Chair of the Finance and Budget Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Her colleague Cllr Hunter drew disbelieving gasps when she appeared to suggest that the way to tackle child poverty in Brent was to  have more effective family planning now that the Council is in charge of public health. The Rev David Clues was not present but Cllr Gavin Sneddon made a sober speech criticising the pantomine and extolling the virtues of cross party cooperation.

When the vote was finally taken there was considerable confusion with some councillors heard to ask each other, 'What are we voting on? and it was certainly hard to follow the Mayor's chairing from the public gallery.

Below the surface of the debate loomed a recognition that next year's cuts of £19m (nearly 12% of the Council budget) will be disastrous. Perhaps, by then, the pantomime will have stopped.

The DfE's 'Big Sister' sends another disdainful missive to Gladstone Park

The lofty, superior and high-handed attitude of 'Big Sister' at the DfE can be seen in her latest letter to the Gladstone Park Primary Chair of Governors.

The letter written by Caroline Cane of the Brokerage and School Underperformance Division (now there's a friendly child-centred name for you) is notable for taking a swipe at the National Governors Association:

Firstly, I would like to make it clear that the National Governors’ Association (NGA) guidance mentioned in your letter is not statutory

As an independent body, the NGA’s views and advice do not necessarily reflect the Department’s position on how Academy sponsorship is brokered

So it is not only the governors at individual schools that are ignored but also their National Association. Remember, these are unpaid volunteers who give up hours of their time and despite the DfE's disdain are held accountable for the strategic and financial management of their schools with an ever-increasing workload. It is hard to discern any respect for this in Ms Cane's missive.

She goes on later in her letter:

With regards to your final point on consultation, the Department’s view on when this is most meaningful was set out in my letter of 24 January.  The legislative position on Academy consultation is defined in the Academies Act 2010, not guidance produced by the NGA.  The legislation states that ‘the consultation may take place before or after an Academy order, or an application for an Academy order, has been made in respect of the school.”

That is a wonderful definition of consultation. If it applied to the NHS the surgeon  could 'consult' with you about amputation after she had removed your leg!

It is clear the Big Sister always knows best:

Where a school is underperforming and eligible for intervention, it is not the case that schools are usually given a choice of sponsors. The Department leads on identifying potential sponsors as we have the complete view on individual sponsor's capacity and capability to deliver.

On the possibility of an arrangement with Queens Park Community School via the Cooperative College her remarks have a sting in the tail:

The Co-operative College is not an approved Academy sponsor and our records show we have not received an application from Queen’s Park School .  As a secondary school wanting to sponsor, its GCSE performance and Ofsted judgement would be taken into consideration.  It would also need to demonstrate that it has experience and a proven track record in working with and improving primary schools.  I note that in 2012 the percentage of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE’s including English and maths at Queen’s Park was 53%.  This is a drop of 9% percentage points compared to 2011 and means it is currently performing below the national average, so this school faces a number of challenges of its own

Brent Executive to agree Community Right to Challenge arrangements

The Brent Executive is to discuss the borough's policy on the Community Right to Challenge at its April Meeting.

Although it sounds like a right to challenge some of the more dubious decisions of the Council it is in fact the right of specific groups to bid to run current services which came into being under the Localism Act of 2011. It can be seen as a further move to end local government as we know it, introduction of the Big Society by the back door, and an escalation of out-sourcing. However, some Brent services such as the special needs playscheme are already run by such organisations.

This is some of the information already available elsewhere:

Only relevant bodies can make an Expression of Interest in running a service. The Localism Act lists the following as relevant bodies: 

• A voluntary or community body
• A body of persons or a trust which is established for charitable purposes only
• A parish council
• Two or more employees of the relevant authority
• Any other person or body specified by the Secretary of State by regulations. 

A voluntary body is defined here as a body that is not a public or local authority, the activities of which are not carried on for profit. It can generate a surplus provided it is used for the purposes of its activities or invested in the community.  A community body is a body which is not a public or local authority, the activities of which are primarily for the benefit of the community. The definitions of a voluntary or a community body are intended to cover a wide range of civil society organisations. They reflect the required characteristics of such bodies rather than referring to your organisational structure. This allows for flexibility to accommodate future forms of civil society organisation. The way in which groups demonstrate community benefit will vary depending on their legal form and the associated requirements. The statutory guidance gives more information.

In fact Brent is behind other local authorities in publishing details on how it will administer the scheme. An officer in response to an FOI request earlier this year said the delay was due to officer sickness.

An example of an Expression of Interest form can  be found on the Haringey Council website HERE

It is likely that in the future this, along with the Community Right to Bid, Community Asset Transfer and Community Right to Build,  may be used by campaigners seeking to save local services but sustainability, as with the library volunteer bids, is likely to be a major issue.

Further information can be found at the My Community Rights website HERE 

Trades Unions vital in the long march to equality- Green Party

The Green Party today put itself firmly on the side of the trade union and working class movement when they passed a motion moved by Pete Murry of Brent Green Party and the Green Party Trade Union Group, on the party's relationship with the unions.

The motion said in part:

The Green Part believes that the Trade Union movement plays a vital role in defending the interests of working people and continues to play a leading role in the long march towards equality and social justice in Britain and around the world. Therefore the Green Party encounters all its members to be active Trade Unionists wherever this is possible.