Brent and Harrow teachers on strike unite to call on Bob Blackman to get the Government to negotiate a fair settlement of the pay dispute

 

 

With the Government refusing to negotiate, Brent and Harrow National Education Union members, on strike today, got together to deliver a letter to Conservative MP, Bob Blackman calling on hime to intervene with his Government to get them to the table to negotiate a fair settlement. 

The teachers marched the short distance from Headstone Lane Garden Centre to Blackman's office and held a short rally outside before delivering the letter. The railway backs on to the MP's office but despite the noise from the trains the message was loud and clear: negotiate.

 

Contribute to the independent 'Beyond Ofsted' inquiry into the future of school inspection

An independent inquiry, sponsored by the National Education Union, has been set up to look at an alternative system to Ofsted inspection.

“Everyone agrees that schools need to be accountable, and to ensure they are, there needs to be a robust system in place. However, what we currently have with Ofsted is an approach that stirs up stress amongst school leaders that trickles down to staff and pupils. Too often, it punishes rather than supports. The Beyond Ofsted inquiry will rigorously investigate the system and identify what is needed to make it fairer and more effective. A system that does not solely criticise but seeks to provide assistance, especially to those schools that need it most”.

Welcome From The Chair, Lord Jim Knight

 

Schools must be accountable to parents and taxpayers. They need to be safe and ambitious for their pupils. But they should also be happy and caring environments if they are to nurture the best in pupils and teachers. Our current inspection system creates the opposite.

 

Too many schools operate in a climate of fear and acute stress. More children are falling behind and dropping out of school, as more teachers are leaving the profession. Change is urgent.

 

I am delighted to be able to chair this inquiry into the future of school inspection. I am privileged to be supported by both academic experts and an exceptional expert advisory group.

 

We will carefully examine academic evidence, professional experience and international alternatives. We aim to gain a deeper understanding of the problems with the Ofsted system and then offer practical ways forward.

 

There is a growing appetite to change school inspections in England, and how their judgements are used in accountability. I am confident we can offer a fairer, more supportive, more consistent and more ambitious way to report on the achievements of our schools. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

Inquiry Board Members

 

Beyond Ofsted – An Inquiry into the Future of School Inspection

The need for the Inquiry:

 

Beyond Ofsted is a new inquiry established to develop a set of principles for underpinning a better school inspection system and proposals for an alternative approach.

Ofsted has lost trust as an agency, and there is a growing consensus that the full life of a school cannot be summed up accurately or fairly in a ‘one word’ judgement.

Increasing numbers of teachers, heads and MPs believe that the current inspection system is outdated and should be fundamentally changed in line with the needs of the 21st Century.

 

Education stakeholders are keen to see positive change around the way schools are inspected. Ofsted has become synonymous with being more punitive than supportive, driving untenable levels of stress for teachers and school heads, and detracting from what should otherwise be a rich and deep learning experience for children.

 

The composition and scope of the Inquiry:

 

Beyond Ofsted is chaired by Jim Knight, the Rt Hon Lord Knight of Weymouth and former schools’ minister. It will consider input from a wide range of well-informed voices, in order to set out a new framework for an inspection system fit for the increasingly complex needs of schools today.

 

The independent inquiry, sponsored by the National Education Union (NEU), will include members of the NEU, industry experts and academics and will provide the government and relevant stakeholders with a robust and carefully considered set of principles on which to build an alternative inspection system.

 

The inquiry will thoroughly examine evidence from schools across the country and will compare the current inspection system with those from other countries, taking lessons from the latter to build a set of proposals in the final report.

 

THE REPORT WILL BE PUBLISHED IN NOVEMBER 2023.

 

LINK TO INQUIRY WEBSITE AND SURVEY

 

Refurbished Harlesden Library now open - Kilburn Library is next on the list

 From Brent Council

Harlesden Library reopened on Monday after a £285k refurbishment that has improved the facilities and created a brand-new community space that local people can hire.

Residents will now see new IT facilities, quiet booths for study and a dedicated young adults' area, as well as new furniture.

The Brent Community Hub now has a dedicated area to suit customer needs. Brent Start now also has more classroom space for its adult learning classes.

The library boasts a new hireable community space, which will be available at reasonable rates to hire for events, meetings, workshops, classes and performances.

The cash used to revamp the library - £285k - came from the Libraries Improvement Fund, a programme of work funded by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) via Arts Council England.

Councillor Fleur Donnelly-Jackson, Cabinet Member for Customers, Communities and Culture, said:

Libraries are the cornerstone of our communities. Far from being places for people to just read books, they double up as support hubs, warm spaces, community meeting points and so much more.

It is wonderful to see such a transformation of Harlesden Library, creating more space for groups and residents to meet and hold events, as well as building on the vital services the library offers local people.

Local residents will be invited to a community launch of the new library on Saturday 1 July and our regular events such as Booktrust Story and Rhyme Time for under 5s will begin again soon. Subscribe to our e-newsletter to find out more.

In recent years, Brent has invested over £1 million in refurbishing libraries across the borough, helping make them more welcoming and accessible for residents of all ages.

We are pleased to also announce that Kilburn Library will also shortly begin a similar £765k transformation following approval by Cabinet last week (17 April), also supported by a £231k grant from Arts Council England’s Libraries Improvement Fund.

Visit our website to find more information on Brent’s library services.

Victoria and Abdul. A Film Night special with author Shrabani Basu. Saturday at Preston Library

 

Author Shrabani Basu wrote the book 'Victoria & Abdul: The Extraordinary True Story of the Queen's Closest Confidant', which was made into an award winning film starring Judy Dench.  She was present during the making of the film, and is coming to tell us both about her book and the film.  After her introduction we will screen the film, and there will be an opportunity to ask questions.

Poetry Book Celebration in Roundwood Park, Thursday 12.15pm - Cafe Area

 

The Roundwood Gardening Group's Poet in Residence, Susan Carberry, will be reading from her recently published collection, 'Eternal Ephemera', in the Roundwood Park Cafe area tomorrow lunchtime.

The event marks a one hundred sales of the book which is on sale at the cafe for £5.  Funds raised will be donated to the gardening club.

Susan says:

By purchasing this booklet, you will have help to support the work of the Roundwood Gardening Group,  a collection of local - and not so local - volunteers who give up their time every week to support the full-time gardeners. The members not only help with the maintenance of Roundwood Park's beautiful flora, but also give valuable support to each other. Everyone gains much from the exercise, social interaction, banter and belonging.

The event runs from 12.15pm until 1pm.

ROUNDWOOD PARK...

...is a silent world with

steaming mists rising

from rain-swollen ponds

Is this Paradise? I ask,

but question and 

answer are lost in

dragonflies' wings droning

loud as a passing storm

 

My canine companion,

thunder-growl spooked,

holds his head high,

his eyes ee all,

his nose quivers

at exciting new scents.

the park is recovering

its sensual persona.

 

The sun comes out

warming this oasis

in the heart of London.

Roundwood Park,

storm-battering over,

rises from the deluge:

once more a haven,

sanctuary for all.

 

Susan Carberry

 [Roundwood Park published with permission. It is the author's intellectual property]

Brent FoE's 'critical friend' presentation at Scrutiny on the Climate Emergency Strategy wins support

 Sheila Simpson made a presentation at tonight's Scrutiny Committe on behalf of Brent Friends of the Earth, ahead of the Committee's consideration of progress on the Council's Climate Emergency Strategy. Three members of the Committee declared an interest as members of Brent FoE and it became clear that several members of the Committee led by Cllr Tom Miller (not a member of Brent FoE) shared many of the concerns Sheila had expressed. The Strategy was too patchy and ignored some major areas.  It lacked any effective means of measuring local progress in terms of emissions and of comparing progress with other London boroughs.

There was diligent questioning of officers and Cllr Krupa Sheth, Lead Member for Environment, and the Committee made a number of recommendations. (Exact wording will be finalised by officers):

1. The provision of a framework and dashboard to enable assessment of progres.

2. As lack of resources was a major factor in making progress to lobby the government on the issue,

3. A review of progress to be brought to the Committee.

4. Every service in the Council should include a climate action impact statement in their reports as they do with equality assessments.

5. Explore ways that Strategic CIL could be used to deliver the infrastructure necessary to to tackle climate change.

 

Sheila Simpon's Presentation

 

 

Good evening, I’m Sheila Simpson a member of Brent Friends of the Earth with over 200 people on our mailing list. Thank you for the opportunity to speak on their behalf.

 

Deep concern about the urgency of the climate and ecological crisis and lack of government action is growing.  Our members were amongst many thousands of people on the streets of Westminster last weekend hoping to raise awareness, work on solutions and open dialogue with Parliament. 

 

Locally, too, we must work in partnership to make progress. No-one is outside the effects of climate change.  In this spirit, I’m sharing some of our comments, concerns and suggestions in relation to the Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy Update: Delivery Plan & Green Neighbourhoods. The aims are rightly ambitious.

 

The rationale for a narrower focus of resources on the selected Green Neighbourhoods is clear. Maximising impact and testing solutions in this way makes sense, but also risks taking time we may not have and leaving the majority of Brent untouched.

 

The commitment to consulting and co-designing plans with residents is welcome and key to creating a sense of community ownership. At a workshop for Church End and Roundwood Greener Neighbourhood, I saw how elements of our discussion were fed into the plan.

 

The resulting ‘patchwork’ of multiple, small-scale, individual projects can have some effect on carbon emissions within the area. But it is not clear which actions would be prioritised given limited resources, and some key proposals don’t appear.  

 

For example, increasing active travel: bicycle hangars will be of practical immediate help to some, whereas the longer-term vision of creating safe cycle/pedestrian friendly Green Corridors, is more tenuous, dependent upon feasibility studies, although it is more likely to get results. (Cyclists who feel themselves at risk from traffic are not bothered if the cars that present a danger use fossil fuel or electricity).

 

Aside from increasing the number of School Streets there is little action or clear aspiration to actively discourage or limit car use, this is effective in shifting behaviour away from harmful travel choices. Perhaps more action is envisaged, see para. 5.18 where the feasibility study may ‘consider potential for more ambitious interventions in the healthy streets agenda’?

 

Evidence grows for low traffic neighbourhoods improving safety and the quality of life for residents.

 

Supporting car clubs can provide affordable access to a low-emission vehicles and reduce demand for on-road parking. (see Dept. of Transport guidance)

 

Kingsbury Greener Neighbourhood focuses on schools Though a small number of schools are involved their enthusiasm and energy is promising; students have potential to be influencers at home, reaching diverse communities where extended families may well be living now with the consequences of our choices here.

 

We see further scope for quick wins with wider long-term impact.

 

Could the council be working more closely with Brent Pure Energy to get Solar Panels installed on school roofs?

 

Over-consumption of meat and dairy products as a major source of emissions, is not directly addressed in the plan. Work could start now to encourage plant-based diets in schools, (learning from the success of other local authorities, linking with organisations like ProVegUK and Plant Based Universities) leading to life-long switches to healthy low-carbon eating.

 

The Development Led Pilot with greater potential to impact the environment, is less formed and harder to comment on. Brent Friends of the Earth and individual members submitted considered and detailed views on plans for South Kilburn expressing many concerns including loss of tree cover, biodiversity and open space, and risk of flooding.

 

Brent’s 2021-2030 C.E.E. Strategy sees members of Brent’s Environmental Network as key to community-led behaviour change. Residents and businesses outside the green neighbourhoods also need to be informed and involved in these issues. The B.E.N. website is not always up to this task, (for example if you look at the section on Solar Power it leads to finding there is no current programme of support on offer or any signposting elsewhere.  It is also unclear how often the ‘regular’ newsletter can be expected)

 

Friends of the Earth distribute information and engage in climate conversations with the public; it would be good to be able to point them to council sources of up-to-date advice and information.

 

We will meet Cllr Donnelly-Jackson to discuss ongoing plans for meaningful Brent-wide public engagement.

 

Brent won’t monitor the effect of interventions, relying on UK government statistics to benchmark and demonstrate progress. This makes it almost impossible to see what the result of the planned actions is, and what is attributable to more general national and local trends. Without information linked to reduced emissions how will competing demands for resources be prioritised or effective action targeted towards net zero?

 

Public engagement needs credible feedback demonstrating results to avoid burnout or cynicism.

Friends of the Earth’s ‘Near You’ online database enables comparisons with similar local authorities, and we’ll follow progress closely.

Only 6.5 years to 2030. You have a vital task to keep the council on target to reach net zero emissions.  Given the urgency, size, and complexity of the problem we suggest this committee form a sub-group to focus on climate emergency issues.

 

We wish you every success.

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

If you go down to Roundwood today, you're sure of a big surprise...

 Aerial view of the southern edge of Roundwood Park (Bowling Green in centre)

I certainly got a big surprise when I visited the Gardening Club and other activity areas on the edge of Roundwood Park on Thursday at the invitation of Katie Mills of social enterprise Forest and Family. Full of passion and energy Katie has a vision for this space that already includes an independent gardening club, a Nature Connection Centre where events, talks and half-term activities are held and a Forest School area in a woodland glade. Working with children and their families from diverse backgrounds they reconnect with nature in an era of keyboards and screens.

 

The Gardening Club, made up of volunteers, even have their own resident poet in the person of Susan Carberry and I arrived just in time for a tea break and Susan's reading of one of her poems from her booklet Eternal Ephemera. (On sale in the Roundwood Cafe to raise funds for the Gardening Club)

 Susan told me of the benefits of the Gardening Club. It combines physical hard work, poetry, and socialising and in the process opens up new horizons for participants. People with little previous exposure to poetry become interested in Susan's poetry and that of other poets that she shares with the group, leading to a developing interest in literature.  Susan said that being: 'It fires me up to write!'

The hard work was visible in the garden area with its recently planted orchard, herb and strawberry raised bed and other beds being prepared for planting.

A toddler investigates the orchard

Raised beds

Weeding the herb and strawberry bed

Getting out the compost for use in the potting shed

Seedlings were being hardened off outside

Also in the Cafe compound is the Nature Connection Centre that can be used for events, work with children and all sorts of other possibilities.

A woodland garden is being developed behind the cafe. 

Beyond the Cafe area, walking towards Longstone Avenue, a tall fence and shrubbery conceals a bowling green and pavilion. Like that at Edward VII Park in Wembley it has fallen into disuse. The green has recently been mown and I understand that the pavilion, although currently full of rubbish, has a kitchen, centre space, toilets and changing rooms attached. It clearly has great potential, and it is a pity to see, in a borough lacking in green space, that it is unused.

But there is hope. Brent Council intend to lease it out and a consortium consisting of Forest and Family, the Scouts and others are interested in making an application.

The Bowling Green

The Pavilion

Walking on from the bowling green you come upon an asphalt path which used to be a vehicle entrance to the bowling green and next to it the children's playground currently being refurbished with the rather garish equipment common to most Brent Parks.

However,there is another surprise at the end of the asphalt path. The rustic entrance to semi-woodland that is used as the Forest School with visits from local primary pupils, enabling them to get in touch with nature and immerse themselves in activities. Katie Mills has brought the previously abused area back into positive use and given the right arrangements with Brent Council it could have a fully sustainable future and contribute to the Council's Climate Emergency Strategy and engagement with young people.

What child would not be thrilled to enter through this gate?

Another of Katie's projects, which has become a national outdoor campaign but runs locally with the cooperation of Brent Libraries, is Stories by Moonlight. Participants get an outdoor story book sack of activities to do at home with parents and carers on summer evenings, but even better, a network of participants has been formed. Children can come in their pyjamas to a park or green space and take part in storytelling and read books surrounded by fairly lights or lanterns in a magical space as day becomes dusk and night.

Looking again at the aerial view,  you can see that taken together the area around the cafe with its edible woodland gardens and meeting space, could be linked with environmental projects on the disused bowling green, and linked on again to the Forest School woodland area. This would be a tremendous facility that could serve as a model for other Brent spaces as well as further afield.

It just needs people to match Katie's passion and vitality and get behind the vision to the benefit of all.

I'll leave the last word to Katie: 

This is a big vision project about how Nature connects us to better health, wellbeing, and each other. I wanted to show how parks can become dynamic and innovative centres for Nature connection, outdoor wellbeing, green prescribing, and community cohesion in Brent. 

 

With support from NCIL funding we're achieved that; we're impacted so many people through the project and create an ambitious template with huge potential to be scaled. We're shown a huge appetite alongst local residents, schools and families for what we're doing. 

 

This work is urgent and vital, especially in Brent, and it needs a joined up, strategic and multi-partner approach. The council's buy-in to this vision is critical and if we can get the right level of support and momentum the benefits for all are huge.

 

LINKS

 

https://www.katiemills.co.uk/business/stories-by-moonlight/

 

 

https://www.katiemills.co.uk/business/forestandfamily/

 

 

 

Phil Porter to leave Brent for Chief Executive post in Sefton

 Phil Porter

 

Brent Council Announcement

 

Phil Porter is leaving his role as Brent's Corporate Director for Adult Social Care and Health to become the new Chief Executive of Sefton Council just north of Liverpool.

 

Phil has worked for Brent Council since 2011 in a number of senior management roles culminating in his current role overseeing adult social care, public health and the council’s leadership of the Integrated Care Partnership.

 

During his time in Brent, Phil has played a key role in improving health and well-being outcomes for residents, including better targeting of resources to vulnerable people and playing a significant role in the council’s successful housing building programme and Covid response.

 

He is due to take up his new post in the summer.