Time for concerted preemptive advice on primary forced academies

An initiative I fully support from the Education Reform website: LINK

It is time to create a concerted stand against the bulldozing DfE conversion of Primary schools to Academies.

Each school so far has had to fight its own cause with only minor support from other schools or unions.

The situation calls for forewarning advice to be sent to each school before they have a chance of a weak Ofsted inspection outcome, with DfE brokers swiftly moving in to undemocratically convert the school to an Academy.

This measure is needed - overdue in fact - for the very simple reason that democracy is being subverted or simply ignored, with the DfE selecting 'preferred' sponsors opaquely, and blatantly failing to listen to parental needs or concerns. The occasional parental consultation that they tolerate is operated mechanically, and the results effectively ignored.

I might be deemed 'an enemy of promise' by trying to stop these forced conversions, but the DfE are indeed bulldozing the educational landscape, with the title deeds of the doomed schools and their land give away for free to private businesses who often have no original background in education. There is rumour that they will be given the right to make a profit on the back of this free offering in the future.

But the real enemy is the DfE as they are the 'enemies of reason' - they literally care not one jot about the public opinion, nor the hard facts that Academies do not guarantee success. The DfE know what they want - to serve private enterprise. Why else pass the title deeds to charity-status sponsors that never need to own them in the first place?

Many Primary schools are quivering at the impending arrival of Ofsted inspectors - a stressful enough event in normal circumstance. With the threat of massive upheaval against their wishes via the long forced conversion process, the spirit of a school can be killed.

Are there any volunteers who are happy to accumulate the advice that should be sent to the primary schools? I am happy to help coordinate this effort.

Brent Civic Centre opening hit by line closures

The Brent Civic Centre was planned as a 'public transport destination'. Unfortunately the nearest tube station, Wembley Park, will be closed on Sunday when the grand opening ceremony takes place between noon and 7.30pm.

No Metropolitan trains are running between Aldgate and Northwood/Uxbridge and no Jubilee trains between Waterloo and Stanmore. The Overground will not run between Richmond and Camden Road via West Hampstead.

The Bakerloo should be running, albeit at its slow Sunday pace and there will be replacement bus services for the Met and Jubilee. South Brent people in Kilburn Park and Harlesden have the possibility of the 206 bus although it is not very frequent on Sundays. It stops close to the Civic Centre. Otherwise there is the 18 bus (alight at Wembley triangle and walk) and the 297, 83 and 182 stop at Wembley Park Station (walk along Olympic Way and turn right). There is a longer walk from  the 245 stop at Wembley ASDA via Bridge Park.

Brent's own Welsh village school is determined to survive redevelopment plans

Nestled between Stonebridge Primary School and Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School on Hillside, Stonebridge, and easy to miss,  lies one of Brent's hidden gems.

Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain (London Welsh School) has occupied the site since 2000 after its move from a Welsh Chapel in Willesden.

Now there are concerns about its future following the Brent Council Executive's approval of plans to expand Stonebridge Primary School, sell off its current Annex for housing and reconfigure Stonebridge Adventure Playground and the adjacent open space.

The school is a Welsh village school in the heart of London. Although the Executive report said that the number of pupils  was 'well below the maximum of 30' there are in fact 36 full-time statutory age children  attending and 41 if you include the nursery.

The school receives a grant from the Welsh Government and charges fees of £800 a term. However parents' ability to pay is means tested and the Chair of the Board of directors, Eleri Brady said they 'pay what they can afford to pay and we never refuse a place to a child'. The school has to find the difference and is involved in lots of fund raising. An earlier application to become a free school in  order to secure the school's future was not approved.

At present the premises are leased from Stonebridge Primary and the arrangement goes back to a period when Stonebridge was a one form entry in a cavernous building. The council report says that the arrangement needs to be 'regularised', and the lease 'put on a commercial footing or terminated'.

Eleri Brady at the school entrance

A commercial rent or termination would see the school looking for new premises or ending its existence although there is a ray of hope in the report where it states the council should 'carefully consider any impact on the Welsh language community' going forward. Certainly there is a determination on the part of the Chair of the Board of Directors to keep the school open: 'We want to keep it special'.

The bilingual school follows the Welsh curriculum and the children do not take SATs tests, although the school does follow theEarly Years and Foundation Stage curriculum.

When I visited today the atmosphere was relaxed but purposeful with very positive relationships between children and between children and teachers. The headteacher Julie Sullivan described how the children developed confidence quickly in the school with everyone from Nursery to Year 6 able to participate in presentations and productions because of the low numbers involved.  The school is regularly visited by the Welsh media and children participate in the annual St David's Day Service Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster.

Parents choose the school because they wanted to preserve their children's Welsh language and cultural identity and often because are were only working in London for a few years and want to ensure the continuity of the child's education. About half the children go on to an English secondary school and the others return to Wales for a Welsh secondary education as there is no equivalent Welsh secondary school in London. The children are drawn from across London by some families move closer i9n order to attend the school.

Clearly there are pressures on school places that have to be addressed but it would be a pity if the London Welsh School became a casualty of regeneration in a similar way to the fate of the much missed Willesden Bookshop. Cllr Pavey, lead member for children and families, referred at the Executive meeting to Cllr Crane's description of him supporting the Welsh School as an eccentricity. Crane is the lead member for regeneration and major projects. It would be a terrible pity if a place so unique were to disappear when the bulldozers move in and I hope a means will be found to help it survive.

Celebrating victory in an earlier threat to the Adventure Playground

Alongside the proposal for the Welsh School are plans for the Stonebridge Adventure Playground.  Presently run by the Brent Play Association, a charity of which I am one of the trustees, the report points to the possibility of reorganisation and resiting. At the Executive meeting Cllr George Crane spoke of the ' need to consult further and review the management and operation of the playground'. The Adventure Playground was funded by the Big Lottery and recently campaigned to maintain its council funding.

The report mentions the possibility of the Adventure Playground being used by Stonebridge Primary School during the day and the community after school and at weekends.

Neither the Welsh School nor the Adventure Playground seem to know much about what is planned for them so it is important that there is a full and transparent consultation about their future.

London Welsh School Contacts:

headlondonwelsh@hotmail.com
www.ysgolgymraegllundain.ik.org
Tel: 0208 965 3585

Sir Alan Davies gets 18 month suspended sentence for false accounting

Former headteacher Sir Alan Davies of Copland Community School, Wembley received 12 month sentence suspended for two years today on 6 charges of false accounting.

Full story on Kilburn Times website HERE

The ATL and NUT in Brent have issued the following statement:

Today in Southwark Crown Court Sir Alan Davies, who yesterday pleaded guilty, although at
the very last minute, to six counts of false accounting, was sentenced to one year's
imprisonment suspended for two years. In passing sentence the Judge said that he showed
‘dishonesty with criminal intent’ and that his conduct was ‘disgraceful’. She made it clear that,
had he not pleaded guilty, his conduct would have resulted in an immediate custodial sentence.

The judge was also minded to make a compensation order against Davies regarding the costs
of Brent's investigation. However, she was informed that Brent Council is considering
pursuing their costs through the civil court.

Before the trial commenced a deal was struck, involving Keir Starmer, Head of the Crown
Prosecution Service.

Hank Roberts said, “It appears that a school can set up a company, and legally pay the
headteacher hundreds of thousands of pounds out of the pupils education budget for project
management. At the moment technically legal it may be, but shouldn't a headteacher of a
secondary school paid over £100, 000 a year expend their energies on the children's education?

And shouldn't this legal loophole be closed? Sir Alan has been found guilty and sentenced and
now has a criminal record. That at least is some justice.”

Lesley Gouldbourne said, “What action is going to be taken to get back the money lost from
the kid's education? What action is going to be taken to remove his knighthood? ” 

Brent Officers recommend Veolia gets multi-million pound Public Realm contract

Usually well informed Brent Council sources say the the Brent Council Executive on October 14th will be recommended by officers to award the new multi-million Public Realm contract to the controversial French multi-national Veolia.

The contract covers waste collection, recycling, street sweeping, parks maintenance, cemeteries maintenance and grounds maintenance for Brent Housing Partnership estates.

The Bin Veolia in Brent Campaign has called on the Council to exclude Veolia from the lucrative contract on the grounds of its grave misconduct. The allegations relate to Veolia's operations in the occupied territories of Palestine where it helps maintain the infrastructure for illegal Israeli settlements on stolen Palestinian land.

Bin Veolia in Brent argue that Brnt council tax payers' money should not be used to enrich a company involved in the undermining of Palestinian human rights. Brent Council, representing a diverse population and committed to social justice, should ensure that it only awards contracts to ethical companies - just as pension fund investments are subject to an ethical test..

The Bin Veolia campaign's argument was backed by the General Committees of both the Brent Central and Hampstead and Kilburn Labour Parties, many individual Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green party members as well as Brent Trade Union Council and Brent members of Jews for Justice for Palestinians.

More than 2,000 people signed a petition calling for the exclusion of Veolia from the contract. There were speakers supporting exclusion at many of the last round of Brent Connects forums. Their comments were referred to Cllr Roxanne Mashari but the petition was referred to Fiona Ledden, head of legal and procurement and no response has been forthcoming.

Throughout the process Bin Veolia in Brent and Brent Palestine Solidarity Campaign have published their legal advice on the issue. For their part Brent Council officers have been obstructive and despite Freedom of Information requests have refused to publish the  legal advice  they have obtained.  This made it impossible for the campaigns to answer legal points taken on board by the council. It is likely that the council's failure to be transparent and answer genuine questions from residents could be grounds for a judicial review.

An attempt by Liberal Democrat councillors to raise the issue at a full council meeting was ruled out of order on the advice of officers.

A spokesperson for the Bin Veolia in Brent campaign said:

If the sources are correct then Brent councillors on the Executive need to seriously consider rejecting the officers' recommendation. The Council only recently awarded the Freedom of Brent to Nelson Mandela, a man who said he could never be free until the Palestinians are free. Back in the 80s the Labour Brent Council was in the forefront of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and despite officer advice at the time did take a stand against awarding IT contracts to firms operating in South Africa.

Brent Labour Council should stand up for the freedom of Palestinians, not give our money to a company that helps oppress them.

The agenda for the Brent Executive will not be available on the council website until the weekend.

Chalkhill Training and Employment Fair next week

Thursday 10^th October 12-4pm

Chalkhill Community Centre

113 Chalkhill Road, HA9 9FX (near Asda)

 Meet all these employers - bring copies of your CV!

BT (apprentices)                                                RST Security

Microsoft (work experience)                             Blue Arrow (Drivers)

Eleada Care (Healthcare)                                 Delaware (Hospitality)

Willis Property Service                                      Premier Events (Stewards)

Ernst & Young (Apprentices)                             KOTUKU (environmental)

Victoria's Care Home (care, beauty, bistro)

Holts Academy (Apprentices jewellery making)

Conway Aecom (Apprentices, highways)

Plus these training organisations, some leading to specific vacancies:

Sarina Russo                                            

Spear                                                    

Learn Direct                                             

Burleigh College

Catalyst Housing

Qstep

Free2learn  (Retail, fork lift, beauty etc)

Katherine & Kings College (Hospitality

The Teaching & Learning Group (Care Homes)

Acton Training Centre (Apprentices)

Sir Alan Davies pleads guilty to six charges of false accounting but conspiracy to defraud charges dropped

Sir Alan outside Copland with David Cameron

Sir Alan Davies, the former headteacher of Copland Community School in Wembley, on trial at Southwark Crown Court today, pleaded guilty to six out of the eight charges against him.

He was on trial with others for allegedly misappropriating school funds from the school to a total of £2.7 million. The six charges were for false accounting.

He had originally pleaded not guilty. Observers suggest a plea bargain  might have been struck whereby the charges of conspiracy and money laundering were dropped for him to plead guilty to the lesser charges.

Hank Roberts, the original whistleblower, said:

He has admitted to six charges of false accounting after years of claiming his innocence. Why has it taken four years to bring this to trial? It's a school not a multinational. He wasted thousands and thousands of pounds of tax payers money by maintaining this façade of innocence causing a lengthy and expensive Brent Council and 'Fraud Squad' investigation”.

I was justified in my whistleblowing. Scrutiny and oversight of school finances has seriously been tightened up in Brent and to some extent around the country. The growth of academies and free schools, however, is only making the problem of adequate oversight worse.

Lesley Gouldbourne, Joint Brent Teachers Association Secretary, said:

It has taken four long years but at last the truth has come out. Now he should pay back Brent the cost of the investigation and lose his knighthood.

In its coverage of the story the Kilburn Times LINK states:

William Clegg QC, defending, said it was agreed with the prosecution ‘that all monies paid to Sir Alan were honestly paid to him and honestly received by him'.

Sir Alan will be sentenced tomorrow on the six false accounting charges to which he pleaded guilty.

Copland Community School recently failed its Ofsted inspection and an Interim Executive Board was appointed to replace the governing body. There have been two teachers' strikes over moves to force the school to become an academy.

Greens hail community victory over Pinkham Way waste plant

Euro-MP Jean Lambert has welcomed the decision to scrap plans for a massive rubbish treatment plant in north London, in the face of opposition from community, environmental and human rights groups.

The proposed site at Pinkham Way between would have handled about 300,000 tonnes of waste each year – more than 1% of the national total – from seven London boroughs: Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest, despite being less than 80m from the nearest housing and

with 14 schools lying within 1.5km of the site.

Ms Lambert, the capital’s Green Party MEP, said:

I am delighted that the North London Waste Authority has decided to ditch the proposals for Pinkham Way treatment plant. It’s a massive victory for local campaigners.

Now the North London Waste Authority should think about using existing sites more effectively, working to reduce household waste levels, and building smaller sites, closer to where the waste is being produced, where these prove absolutely necessary rather than developing systems that rely on ongoing waste production.