NEU survey finds schools at breaking point as funding pressures hit support for SEND pupils

The results of a snapshot survey of 1,026 primary and secondary school teachers in England, shows the alarming levels of inadequate and underfunded provision for pupils with Special Educational Neesd and Disability (SEND). School and local authority budget cuts are making it nigh impossible to provide the quality of education that every child with SEND is entitled to and which teachers, pecial Edcational needs Co-ordintors (SENCOs) and school staff want to be giving.

When asked to describe the situation at their school, and whether there are enough appropriately trained staff to support SEND pupils effectively:

·      81% said that there was ‘less than enough’ staff.

·      Only 14% believed that there was ‘about enough’ or ‘more than enough’.

·       

Respondents went further, describing their personal situation in compelling detail:

·      “Half of the teaching assistants were made redundant. Only seven Teaching Assistants (TAs) for nearly 800 kids.”

·      “Number of SEND support staff is a quarter of what it was ten years ago.”

·      “Cut by over 50% due to budget cuts.”

·      “Class sizes too large, so even when support is available, it’s ineffective.”

·      “28 students on SEND register and no support. I teach a practical subject where it is dangerous.”

·       

When asked if there has been a change in the number of learning support assistants or TAs at their school since 2017, as a consequence of real-terms funding cuts:

·      73% confirmed there were now fewer posts.

·      As a consequence of these staff cuts, 94% of respondents confirmed that it was having a negative effect on the support which schools are able to give SEND pupils.

·       

The survey also asked what barriers are faced by SEND pupils in the school environment:

·      Excessive waiting times for access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), speech and language or behaviour support, is true for 95% of primary schools and 75% of secondary schools, according to respondents.

·      The situation is generally worse for primary schools. 84% reported excessive waiting times for assessment of need/Education. Health and Care plans, compared to 65% in secondary schools. 56% of primaries confirmed there are no local specialist services available to them, compared with 40% of secondaries.

·      Over one-third of primary school respondents (38%) said that a school or parent must personally fund pupil assessments as the local authority cannot. This compares with a quarter (25%) of secondary respondents.

·      Across the board, 82% of respondents confirmed that SENCOs do not have enough time to support classroom teachers.

90% of respondents said these barriers conspire to make it harder for pupils to access the curriculum or succeed in learning. 94% confirm that the pressures on teaching are increasing as a direct result and 59% said pupils miss school, part of the school day or part of the curriculum.

Finally, we asked respondents to consider the National Audit Office’s question as to how support, and outcomes, for pupils with SEND could be improved within current funding levels. 

The responses were overwhelmingly of a piece:

·      “Not within current funding levels. It’s impossible.”

·      “Less paperwork? But really, they can’t. Funding must be increased for improvement.”

·      “We need more people on the ground.”

·      “To be honest maintaining current funding levels is out of the question – education is in crisis.”

·      “Within current funding? No way. Schools are stretched tight!”

·      “Teachers want to meet the needs of all children but we are not experts. We now have to buy in to   essential services and we cannot afford to do so.”

·      “We have children on part-time timetables as adequate support cannot be given. We have staff off on stress as adequate support cannot be given. Both of these could be alleviated 

           by better funding.”

Reacting to the findings, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:

“These are shocking reports from the frontline of teaching. The infrastructure to support SEND pupils is wearing away. Schools do everything they can, but the barriers and waiting lists created by this Government’s actions, are having terrible effects on pupils who need help now. It is alarming that excessive waiting times are more pronounced in primary schools, where early intervention is so vital, and that so many children are on part-time timetables.

“These facts are plain to schools and parents. It therefore beggars belief that in spite of successive reports showing the real experience of teachers and school leaders, the Department for Education simply digs its heels over funding. The NEU will continue to campaign for our schools to get the funding they need to give children the education they deserve.”

Brent NEU condemns 'abject failures of governance' at Woodfield School - £400k in wrongful payments uncovered

Brent National Education Union responds to the ESFA report on Woodfield School financial irregularities. NEU statement below:

Damning ESFA Report exposes abject failures of Governance at Woodfield School.

£400,000 in wrongful payments uncovered.

An investigation by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) into financial irregularities related to the academy and Multi Academy Trust (MAT) conversion process between Woodfield academy school and The Village school in Brent has just been published.

£400,000 was wrongly paid to two consultants, one of whom was Greg Foley who acted simultaneously as Chair of Trustees, Member of the Finance Committee and Chief Financial Officer. (All this information can be found out from public records.) Those in charge at Woodfield failed utterly in their duty of oversight and care of monies that should have been spent on their special needs pupils.

Going onto the school Website and looking at the names of Trustees reveals that Kay Charles has been an ex-officio Trustee since September 2017. Kay Charles became the Executive Head of The Village and Woodfield school on the same date. Records show that she was in attendance at every Governing Board meetings for 2017/18.

Kay Charles Ex-officio (appointed 01.09.17)

Resources Committee

Evaluation & strategic development Head Performance management

Brent Schools Partnership

The Village School

None

In the ESFA report there are repeated references to the Chair and Chief Finance Officer (CFO) breaching and not complying with the financial regulations of academy trusts. This was under her oversight.  

Hank Roberts, Brent NEU President and National Executive member said:

“As whistleblower I feel totally vindicated by the findings of this report. The bankrupt academy system is an open invitation to help yourself to school funds. Kay Charles has proved herself inadequate to the task of halting this corruption. If she won’t put the interests of state education above her own, she should go. 

“Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council and Sandra Kabir, Chair of Governors of The Village were warned that there were questions over the finances at Woodfield a year ago, yet neither expressed opposition to the proposal that Woodfield and The Village become a MAT. Now is the time they should show leadership and call for this proposal to be dropped rather than support this disaster in waiting. This is the agreed policy of Brent Constituency Labour Parties and recently was unanimously confirmed by the Local Campaign Forum (LCF) and fully supported by the local Labour MP Barry Gardiner.” 

Governors and trustees of the two schools were aware of the financial situation and failed to act on NEU members’ concerns. Despite this, the majority of these governors and trustees are proposed as trustees and governors of the new MAT where they will be overseeing a budget almost twice as big.

Cllr Jumbo Chan, who has supported the campaign to stop the academisation throughout, said:

“The decision by the governing body of The Village to academise the school was wholly unnecessary and misguided. In light of the ESFA’s damning report into Woodfield School, it has further highlighted a dearth of wisdom at the heart of the decision.

“In addition to offering no concrete benefit, the decision to academise ignored completely the swathes of concerns voiced by parents, campaigners, and the school’s own outstanding teachers and support staff.

“Nearly a year later, the academisation process has left The Village School in limbo, demoralising and sowing uncertainty amongst its committed staff.

“That the ESFA has now produced a litany of gross failings with regards to Woodfield School – including procurement, related party transactions, governance regulations and register of interests, including large payments of thousands of pounds of public money to consultants – corresponds to problems in the academisation process elsewhere.

The ESFA report is a wake-up call that leads to the unavoidable conclusion that the whole academisation process should immediately cease. I urge the governing body to now finally listen to its staff, and withdraw its application to academise, and remain within the Brent Council family of schools.”

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Brent Council launch PR bid to win back angry Stonebridge residents over Bridge Park proposals as campaign prepares for the High Court

A press release on the Brent Council website today, entitled 'Building Bridges in Stonebridge', sets out revised proposals for the site but appears unlikely to satisfy those residents who accuse the Council of stealing  a Centre that was started by the community and owned by them. The artist's impression of the proposed building seems to rub that in with the Brent Council logo clearly visible on the facade.

Meanwhile the campaign will be going to the High Court in the Strand on Wednesday February 27th (10.30am) to challenge Brent Council's sell-off of the Bridge Park Complex: LINK

Neither the press release nor the report for the February 11th Cabinet mention the disputed ownership or the recent Raheem Styerling intervention.

 THE PRESS RELEASE (Unedited)

Bridge Park residents could see a new community hub on their doorstep if the revised proposals for the site are approved by Brent Council this month.

An enhanced proposal to replace the old leisure centre with a new community hub - including new leisure facilities, business space, a large community hall, accommodation for Brent's older residents and much more for the community - will be put to the council's cabinet on 11February.

The improved plans, which take on board feedback from a wide ranging consultation with residents in 2017, now seek to deliver a better environment, with modern flexible community facilities, affordable work spaces, jobs and much better leisure facilities

Subject to getting the necessary planning and legal approvals, the New Bridge Park Centre will contain:

• More than double the originally allocated community space - which will include meeting rooms and flexibility for other functions
  
• A modern enterprise space to support local businesses and jobs
• Up to 104 new homes to help vulnerable residents live independently
• A swimming pool - now with 6 lanes
• Additional space for a 'clip and climb' climbing wall
• A bigger car park - now with 72 spaces
• A larger gym with at least 80 stations and the ability to divide the space to create a separate gym to meet local needs
• 4 court sports hall
• Toning suite
• Consultation rooms
• Children's soft play area & party room
• Sauna and steam rooms
• Studios
• Changing facilities
• Café

Cllr Krupesh Hirani, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Culture & Leisure, said: "We know that Bridge Park is much loved and we now need to build bridges and work together to create something new and really special which caters for the needs of all of the residents in the Bridge Park and the wider Stonebridge area.

We've taken into account residents' feedback and the council is now proposing to deliver much more than a replacement leisure centre. We want to deliver a modern community hub that offers much more than was originally asked for. These revised plans include double the amount of community space, more affordable work spaces and much better leisure facilities.

It is only by working together that we will be able to create this community hub and provide much more for residents.

If approved, the council is keen to get residents involved in the detailed planning stage to finalise the specification for the community spaces. To view draft concepts and for more information visit www.brent.gov.uk/bridgepark

The report proposes an independent advisory group but significantly does not state how its chair would be chosen. Will the local community have a say on the appointment?

In order to fully involve the community to work alongside the Council’s Bridge Park development project team on the design, development, future operation and management of the new leisure centre and enterprise space, it is proposed to form an advisory group whose membership would be drawn from Brent residents. 
The purpose of the group is:

To bring an independent, community-focused perspective to discussions and decisions about the future specification and use of the new leisure centre and enterprise space. 


To engage with current and future users of the site and be an advocate and conduit for key messages about the progress of the development. 
The group will be chaired by an independent person drawn from the local community who is knowledgeable, credible and capable of bringing together a focused group of 6-8 individuals to undertake the role of an advisory group. 


 The full report is below. Click bottom right for a full-screen version:

ESFA find 'failings & weaknesses' that breach the Academies Financial Handbook at Woodfield School



Whistle blowers who raised concerns about financial mismanagement at Woodfield School, an academy, have been vindicated by a report into a review by the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).  The National Education Union had cited these issues as one among many reasons to oppose the academisation of the Village School and the formation on a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) with Woodfield.  Village School education workers have taken strike action against the academisation proposals. In addition to to the finance problems there have also been concerns over equality at the school and the treatment of BAME staff. LINK

The review found that Woodfield, with a current roll of only 157 pupils, had paid consultants £400,000 since 2013-14 for various HR and financial services. They also found breaches regarding procurement, related party transactions (when a governor or trust member sells servics to the school), governor regulations and register of interests.

The NEU had repeatedly requested Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt to meet with them to discuss their concerns about the school.

The Executive Summary states:

Multiple concerns were received on 24 April 2018 in relation to Woodfield School, (hereafter referred to as the trust), raising concerns about financial management and governance. As a result, ESFA commissioned a financial management and governance review of the trust which took place from 25 to 27 June 2018.  

The ESFA review identified a number of failings and weaknesses in financial management and governance arrangements that breach the Academies Financial Handbook (AFH) 2017, the accounts direction, the charities SORP and potentially tax legislation. These also validate the concerns raised. Key findings of the review have confirmed: 

•           in relation to procurement practises, non-compliance with the at cost requirements and the trust’s scheme of delegation (paragraphs 11 to 17 refer) 

•           failure to declare related party transactions with the former chair’s limited company in the audited accounts, as required by the accounts direction in relation to disclosure of material transactions with related parties and the Charities SORP relating to the disclosure of the remuneration and benefits received by charity trustees (paragraphs 18 to 21 refer) 

•           the trust engaged the services of two consultants, one from 2013/14 and the other from 2014/15 to July 2018. One of which held the role of chief financial officer (CFO) off-payroll, between 1 December 2015 and 26 June 2018, as well as being appointed as the chair of trustees and a member of the resources committee (paragraphs 22 to 24 and 31 to 34 refer) 

•           the trust have not reported their current governance arrangements and structure on their website and Get Information about Schools (GIAS) (paragraphs 25 to 30 refer) 

•           the trust’s register of interests has not been kept up to date (paragraphs 35 and 36 refer) 

It is likely that the MAT proposal will be delayed until the ESFA are satisfied that the issues have been dealt with or perhaps the whole MAT project will be abandoned.

The full report is available below - click bottom right for a full-size version:

New consultation on Copland/Ujima House redevelopment February 13th & 16th

There will be another consultation about the plans for the former Copland School and Ujima House sites on Wembley High Road.  The site of the former Copland School is very extensive and it will be a significant development not far from the 'Twin Towers' currently being built on the Chesterfield House site on the corner of Park Lane and next to the Brent House development.

Our report on the October 2018 consultation is HERE

The consultation by the PR agency 'Your Shout' who consulted on the South Kilburn development LINK will be on Wednesday 13th February 4pm-8pm and Saturday 16th February 10am-2pm at the SEIDs Hub-Community Centre, Empire Way, Wembley HA9 ORJ. LINK

Your Shout: Freephone 0800 955 1042
Email: WembleyHighRoad@yourshout.org

'See you at the Ace!' - hear about the iconic cafe's revival February 8th Preston Community Library

Opposite the Preston Pub which is on Preston Road/Carlton Avenue East

My late brother David, more than 50 years a motorcycle fanatic, would have loved this. I still remember (with terror) riding pillion with him on the mountain roads of Northern Thailand where he lived his last years.

Brent Council: GCSE results in Brent outperform London and national averages

Brent secondary schools are all either academies, some stand alone or others part of a chain, or voluntary aided but most still work closely with Brent Council or Brent Schools Partnership. Brent Council published the following press release yesterday:

Secondary schools in Brent have outperformed London and the national average for England at GCSE according to newly published figures.

Data from the Department for Education shows that the proportion of Brent students achieving 9-4 (A*-C) in English and maths is 69.7 per cent which is above the national average (64.4 per cent) and for the first time above the London average (67.9 per cent).

In addition to this, Brent's ‘Progress 8' score, which focuses on how much progress pupils have made between their primary school and GCSE results, shows Brent students making more than half of a grade more progress in each of their eight subjects than students nationally. 

This strong performance has put Brent well above the London and national averages. For the second year running, Brent has the second highest progress score out of 151 local authorities in England. 

Cllr Amer Agha, Cabinet Member for Schools, Employment and Skills said: 

Last year schools in Brent achieved great GCSE results and it is good to see that these have been reflected in the latest performance tables.  

Our pupils and teachers work extremely hard throughout the school year and these results are testament to all their commitment and dedication.  

I'm so pleased that Brent came second in London and England for the Progress 8 scores for the second year in a row. Brent schools are committed to giving the borough's children and young people the best possible start in life and with 96% of our schools rated "good" or "outstanding" by Ofsted I believe we are all doing that. 

In other measures, a higher percentage of students were entered for the five English Baccalaureate subjects (English, mathematics, science, foreign language and history or geography) in Brent than in London as a whole and nationally. Brent's Attainment 8 score is 49.9 which is above both the London average (49.4) and the national average (46.5).

Islamia Primary School (VA) parents call on Brent Council to help them secure a permanent building

Islamia Primary School

Parents of Islamia Primary School in Brent have launched an on-line petition asking Brent Council to provide a permanent building for the school after 10 years in limbo. Parents say that the children's education suffers from an inadequate building with Key Stage 2 pupils having to cross the busy Salusbury Road four times a day to reach the annexe. They have seen other borough schools expand with new build and free schools set up and feel that their children's needs have been neglected.

The school was founded by Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens before his conversion) with his own resources and after a long struggle became voluntary aided. It is known for the good results it achieves and is substantially over-subscribed.

The petition which is accessible on the Brent Council website HERE is reprinted below.

Support Permanent Building for Islamia Primary School VA (2 form entry)

We the undersigned petition the council to 1. Stop ignoring the needs of Islamia Primary School and its pupils. 2. Treat Islamia Primary School pupils, parents and staff fairly. 3. Secure Islamia Primary School with a permanent offsite building to house all its 420 pupils.

Context:

Islamia Primary School did Brent Council a huge favour by taking on all pupils from the Avenue School in 2007 and has made huge sacrifices over the past 10 years, operating under very difficult conditions.

21% of our pupils (90 pupils) continue to make four journeys a day across two busy roads to access the annexe building.

Due to the failed new build programme, a CDT room, art room, two additional classrooms, the kitchen and canteen were all demolished with nothing put in its place except a temporary marquee.

This arrangement has been in place for 10 years and our school has remained in limbo ever since.

The Facts:
Over the past 10 years, Brent has failed to adequately house 420 pupils from Islamia Primary School, whilst opening more and more schools and expanding almost every school in the borough.

1. Brent closed The Avenue School, 5-7 The Avenue, London, NW6 7YG, and transferred the pupils to Islamia Primary School in January 2007.

2. New £8 Million build was due to be completed by 2012 but did not happen due to delays from Brent and pressure from local group ‘We Love Queen’s Park’.

3. In 2012, a new 3 form entry school was proposed by Brent as part of the South Kilburn Regeneration project for a 2018 opening. This building has since been ear marked to house existing schools Kilburn Park Junior (2 form entry) and Carlton Vale Infant (2 form entry) and Nursery for a 2019/2020 opening.

4. Brent Staff Development centre (Gwenneth Rickus Building) closed in 2013 and was given to Leopold Primary School in 2015 for their expansion plan (840 pupils).

5. In February 2013, Brent council sold the Brent Town Hall building to The French Education Property Trust who transformed it into an international French school called the Lycée International de Londres Winston Churchill, which opened in September 2015.

6. New £8 Million build was revived and was due to be completed by 2016 but did not happen again due to unacceptable conditions placed on the Foundation, which included putting a cap on numbers for the Independent Girls Secondary School.

7. In 2013, Brent granted permission for a new free school (The Michaela Community School) to open at Arena House in North End Road (previously College of North West London Wembly Park Campus). It opened in September 2014 and will have 840 students by 2020.

8. In September 2014, Ark academy submitted a free school application to the Department for Education, to open a new 3 form entry primary academy in Wembley. Brent agreed for Ark to open Ark Somerville Primary Academy (2 form entry) on the car park of the York House to be opened in September 2019.

9. In September 2015, a new school (Kilburn Grange School) opened on the site of the newly refurbished state of the art College of North West London (Kilburn campus) on Priory Park Road, which was also temporarily shared with Marylebone Boys’ School (a free school from Westminster).

10. In September 2016, Brent Council granted Marylebone Boys’ School (a free school from Westminster) permission to demolish an existing nursery building to create a “purpose-built, modular” building on land at the junction between Brondesbury Park and Christchurch Avenue (480 students). The temporary building remained for two years until July 2018.

11. In July 2017, The Carlton Centre, Granville Road, Kilburn was advertised for a 5 year lease. Although Islamia Primary School made a formal bid, the property was given to the Penny Appeal charity for a non-school related community project.

12. Although Islamia Primary School has been using Winkworth Hall since 2007, it was informed by Brent in November 2018 that it could never purchase Winkworth Hall even if it was totally vacant.

13. In November 2018, Brent confirmed plans for a new 6 forms of entry secondary school to be built on the site of Chancel House, Neasden Lane. It will be a free school with Wembley High Technology College, an academy, as its sponsor

Sign the petition HERE