Boris Johnson praises Michaela Free School: 'rote learning, discipline and memorising'

Morning Star on Michaela: Schools versus communities

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Watch this powerful video on Ahmed and the refugee crisis by Lowkey

Brent Council and Cara Davani - at last some answers, but ...

On 21 July we published a guest blog from Philip Grant LINK , which asked some questions of Brent Council and its Leader, Cllr. Muhammed Butt, about the pay-off last year to its former Director of Human Resources, Cara Davani.

I am pleased to say that, unlike her predecessor Christine Gilbert last year, Brent Council's Chief Executive, Carolyn Downs has written to provide brief answers to the four points which Philip raised. A copy of her letter is shown below, and readers are invited to consider the information given, and to add any comments they wish to arising from what we now know about the pay-off arrangements.

Residents call for support for demonstration against Heron House development on Monday

 MONDAY, 1st AUGUST AT 6.30 P.M.

AT HERON HOUSE, 109 - 115 WEMBLEY HILL ROAD WEMBLEY HA9 8DA

Residents opposed to the planned redevlopment of Heron House in Wembley will demonstrate at the site on Monday and are calling for support from other local people. They claim that the redevelopment plans are inappropriate for what is a residential surburban area and a sign that the high-rise Quintain development around the stadium is encroaching on their homes.

They say:

This large redevelopment of Heron House will adversely affect every one of us  and it will be too late to complain if we get no support and the redevelopment goes ahead!  Your street could very well be next the speed with which these smaller developments are going up all over the Borough!

If this large monstrosity at Heron House is allowed to go up, traffic will increase and the parking situation will get even worse, if that is possible.

Many of us will be overlooked from the higher levels and in 2 years they are buying St Joseph's Social Club  to build yet another higher monstrosity to complete "The Gateway to Wembley"!  

Do we really want that right on our doorstep in our still very residential area?  We cannot do anything about the massive regeneration of the Stadium and High Road areas, but we can certainly try to stop these smaller developers, if we have the support

Inside Birbalsingh's Boot Camp - How Michaela Free School 'supports' pupil behaviour

'What's the problem?'   Headmistress Katharine Birbalsingh

Many thanks to the reader who sent me a link to the Michaela Secondary Free School's Behaviour Policy.

It is full of unfamiliar terminology such as 'SLANT-ing' - (apparently a 'good thing') and enough misdemeanours to keep most normal children in detention for weeks. Remedies, including 'self-quizzing' and 'Internal Isolation', remind me of the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

However, it is in its attitude to families that we can see a clue to the approach revealed in the school meals controversy LINK.  Families are subject to discipline through their childrem.

The policy states:

Families who choose not to support the school


If a pupil misses one day of Internal Isolation (II) either because the pupil or the family is deliberately avoiding the punishment, the pupil will spend two days in II. The period of II will double in line with the number of days that the family or pupil chooses to stay away from school. So missing two days of II will result in four days of II, missing three days of II will result in six days of II, and so on. There is no upper limit to the number of days of II that could be imposed. We need wholehearted support from all families to maintain our high standards of behaviour and academic progress. In choosing to attend Michaela, families are making the choice to follow our behaviour systems. We have a system of zero tolerance. We ask that all families respect our rules and follow them.

And, just an any good dictator does, Birbalsingh reserves unlimited powers for herself:

Discretion 

No behaviour policy can cover all eventualities. The Headmistress reserves the right to use discretion to help Michaela pupils make better choices and learn the right lessons.

This is the 2016-17 Behaviour Policy it is signed off by the Chair of Governors, Suella Fernandes who is Conservative MP for Fareham and a member of the Hosue of Commons Education Select Committee:

Preston Community Library Saturday: Freedom in South Africa the struggle, the film and the book

Preston Community Library will be showing a film about the struggle for freedom in South Africa on Saturday evening.

After the showing there will be two speakers, South African editor Mary Omond, and publisher Geraldine Cook, who were involved in the production of a book tied in with the film, and who are acquainted with personalities depicted in the film. 

They will be discussing what is involved with film tie-ins and the particular case of this book which proved to be a hair-raising experience taking place against against the rapidly imploding situation in South Africa when the world was tense with expectation of mass insurrection and bloodshed.

The discussion will be of interest to those who were involved in the anti-apartheid struggle as well as the new generation who are using lessons from that struggle in current international campaigns.

Films are for library members, but if you are not joined up already you can join at the door. Screenings are free but donations are needed in order to put on more films.

The doors open at 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start.

Green MEP slams 'totally discredited' EDF Hinkley project

The government's decision to delay a decision on the EDF Hinkley nuclear power station forced newspapers to rapidly revise their late editions obernight.  Before the delay announcement Molly Scott Cato, Green MEO for the South West, released the following statement:

This decision is a massive blow to businesses and consumers who will now be forced to pay for some of the most expensively generated electricity on earth. It squanders the huge potential we have for renewable energy resources in the South West. This is the sector where our efforts should be channelled; renewables can come on stream quicker, more cheaply and create thousands more jobs than nuclear ever can. Given EDF’s record to date, both here in the UK and in building other similar nuclear reactors elsewhere, we can expect further delays, even higher costs and blackouts to follow.
 
This project is totally discredited. EDF is not trusted either by its shareholders or many of its employees, both of whom have expressed grave doubts about Hinkley. The only thing that keeps this white elephant stumbling along is a blind ideological obsession with nuclear power from the Tories and a determination to show that Brexit Britain is still open for business. This is one business we could all do without.

EDF's announcement came on the day another board member of the company resigned, describing the project as “very risky” and saying he expected EDF to move towards renewables instead of pursuing more nuclear power. 

Just days ago the National Audit Office proclaimed renewables as a cheaper option and the now disbanded Department for Energy and Climate Change estimated the cost of keeping its promise to EDF has increased to £37bn over the life of the project.

It was also revealed last weekend that French finance authorities raided the offices of EDF due to suspicions over whether the company was reporting information accurately to shareholders.