Pavey won't act on Copland chaos

Guest bloggers have given a vivid picture of events at Copland Community School as the new management take action. I have been arguing that Brent Council needs to look at its own role, not least the effectiveness of  its support for the school in the period previous to the Ofsted inspection when Brent Council leader Cllr Muhammed Butt was a member of the governing body.

The Council has sacked that governing body and imposed an Interim Executive Board which has appointed senior management. The Council can't just leave it there but should be monitoring closely how the IEB and senior management are going about school improvement.

The guest bloggers have revealed a troubling picture which, as I state in the Twitter exchange below with Cllr Michael Pavey, lead member for children and families, seems to be killing the patient in order to cure it.

I have been a headteacher responsible for turning round a primary school in special measures, as well as Chair of Governors at two primary schools which under the lead of the headteacher and supported by governors have also come out of the category.

Of course tough measures have to be taken to remove inadequate teaching and tackle issues such as poor attendance, but in the process you have to build on your strengths, boost morale, win the confidence of teachers, parents and pupils and get everyone on board. When you do have to take action on capability this should be done following the agreed procedures ensuring fairness and transparency.

The guest bloggers' contributions seem to indicate that this is not happening and led me into the following Twitter exchange with Cllr Pavey:
 
Wembley Matters: Whistleblower's plea for .@MikeyPavey to intervene in Copland debacle http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/coplands-summer-bizarre-continues.html …
Michael Pavey: Have they filed a grievance? That's the most appropriate first step.
Wembley Matters LA appointed IEB/new head who are killing patient to cure it. You representing LA must take responsibility. Grievance takes time
Michael Pavey: I fully support IEB in turning round Copland's dismal failure of kids. Any complaints need to follow proper process.
Wembley Matters: Washing of hands - RIP Copland then
Michael Pavey: Says who? I see a committed new team keen to reverse educational failure.
Wembley Matters: History will judge - by Autumn half-term?
Michael Pavey: It will take much longer than that to reverse historical failure.
Wembley Matters: The consequences of current management action will be obvious by then: staffing, morale, and pupils' well-being
Michael Pavey: The consequences of current levels of teaching are already apparent.
Luca Salice: IEBs in some circumstances can be a good solution to avoid academy conversion and improve schools.
Wembley Matters: I agree Luca but in this case Brent Council put in IEB to PREVENT the governors opposing forced academisation.

Mel Smith: Conservative Party Election Broadcast

Thanks to Romayne Phoenix for tweeting the link to this 'topical again' Not the Nine O'Clock News spoof:

Copland’s Summer Bizarre continues

Guest post by 'Mistleflower'

Sources close to my partner tell me that Copland staff are becoming increasingly concerned about the strange behaviour of new Head Richard Marshall. Following the actions set out in recent blogs on this site, Mr Marshall has set aside next Tuesday for a game of musical chairs involving the English and Humanities departments. 

Staff taking students on end-of-term trips have been told to cancel their plans, come to school in old clothes and be prepared to spend the day moving all the English books, resources, wall-displays, stock, personal effects and other paraphernalia out of the English rooms and over to the Humanities block, a separate building some distance away. 

Humanities teachers have been instructed to do the same thing but in the opposite direction. The instruction came out of the blue, followed the new management style of ‘no consultation, no discussion, no sense at all’ and was ‘explained’ as somehow providing some dubious benefit to the English department ( none of whom believe the reason given or want the move). Humanities Faculty teachers have individually and collectively decided to resist the move. This has been met with the immediate threat of disciplinary proceedings which are rapidly becoming the principal means of management communication under Mr Marshall’s headship. 

How did we get to this ludicrous state of affairs? 

For the real motive we need to look not at the English department but at Humanities. The faculty has historically been one of the most stable at Copland and has contained some of the most experienced, most able, most intelligent and most committed teachers in the school. It has a very strong record at GCSE and particularly at A level. 

Particular faculty individuals have worked tirelessly over the years to help Copland students gain admission to the top universities. Faculty members have recently been active on the school’s governing body, in liaising with outside social and cultural organisations, with taking students on visits to English courts and residential visits to European Community centres in Brussels, in forging links with moderate Muslim organisations and in establishing a ground-breaking anti-homophobia group which brought Copland huge media coverage and national recognition and respect; in general, striving to broaden the horizons of students in one of the country’s more deprived boroughs.

It would take very little time or effort to collect tributes from a huge number of former students who would attest, with affection and respect, to the way in which Copland’s Humanities Faculty ‘made a difference’ to their lives. It would surprise no one at Copland if a Facebook page to this effect was under construction at this very moment.

So why would the new Copland management led by Mr Marshall want to attack (and that is precisely how it is being described) this apparently exemplary faculty? 

Here’s why. The Humanities staff’s qualities of care and involvement in the school and the progress of its students are the same qualities which mean that 2 of the school’s Professional Association reps come from the Humanities faculty as does one of the longest serving staff representatives on the school’s governing body. The Humanities faculty was also particularly bravely involved in the risky whistleblowing which resulted in Sir Alan Davies imminent fraud trial. The efforts of these teachers helped halt the alleged hemorrhaging of Brent taxpayers’ money into the pockets of a corrupt management. 

But while they’ll applaud such qualities at a distance, authoritarian managements really don’t like such independence of thought and such readiness to question their ‘tough’ decisions, (especially those which seem to make no sense or to be transparently vindictive). And a vindictive attack on the school’s professional associations is precisely the interpretation of the Copland management’s action which was expressed very clearly at a packed Joint Union meeting of Copland staff on Friday when it was decided unanimously to support the Humanities Faculty in whatever manner was deemed necessary. A vote of confidence in the union reps, their principled resistance to the recent use of bogus capability procedures and the dignified part they played in resisting the recent ‘sickness’ absence fiasco described elsewhere on this site, was also unanimously passed. 

Maybe the new Copland management wasn’t aware of the qualities the Humanities faculty embodies. Maybe they would be more aware if they hadn’t rejected all attempts at dialogue with the staff using the established JCC and other channels which have avoided this kind of unpleasantness in the past. Maybe the IEB or Brent’s Children and Families Lead, Michael Pavey could have a word.

Meanwhile we face the prospect of an undignified standoff next Tuesday between security men and Copland Humanities teachers which would really enhance the school’s reputation and the new management’s respect in the eyes of the rest of the staff. Especially if footage of it were to become the biggest YouTube success since Fenton the deer-chasing dog. The likeliest outcome seems to be that this ridiculous plan will (like Sports Day!) be ‘postponed’ and then clandestinely carried out during the school holidays. As a way of continuing this ‘war against the teachers’ into the next school year, that would take some beating. Which, under the current regime, makes it all the more likely to happen.

It really is time for someone to have a word.

Pinkham Way Alliance calls for support on ill-considered waste plan

 

The Pinkham Way Alliance, has launched the petition below calling on the North London Waste to abandon the current contract presently being negotiated.  Please sign, and distribute to friends and other networks in North London, urging them to sign.

 

Rest assured, that this development could impact financially on all council tax payers in all seven boroughs of North London. It does NOT only concern the Alexandra and Bounds Green Wards of Haringey.

 

North London waste contract negotiation should stop NOW

The Pinkham Way Alliance (PWA) initially fought crazy plans for a colossal waste plant – one of the biggest in Europe - in a residential area.  But we have since found profound flaws with North London Waste Authority’s (NLWA) whole waste strategy.  This should be fundamentally rethought now, otherwise ill-considered decisions will be implemented, and for 30 years North London taxpayers will pay over the odds, with corresponding cuts in services. Here’s why:

Non-competitive, poor value, potentially illegal

Only one bidder remains for each NLWA contract, for waste treatment and  the production of fuel pellets for incineration. When the original plans were abandoned, these contracts fundamentally changed. The procurements infringe Government rules, which stipulate three bidders, to ensure competition. Only huge multi-national operators were permitted to bid; smaller and perhaps more innovative UK companies were thus forced out. Lack of competition = poor value for money.

 

Over-long 30-year contracts

Based on inaccurate ‘upwards only’ waste predictions. If insufficient waste is produced, this ‘failure’ (NLWA words!) is paid for by the Councils (us).  Aren’t we supposed to be preventing/reducing waste and increasing recycling?

 

Inflexible strategy

The NLWA plans to build large plants immediately; these will not be able to adapt to changing technology. Waste has declined since 2006/7 and was flat before then. Habits and attitudes are changing; waste is seen as a resource and better processing methods constantly appear.

 

No accountability

The NLWA claims ‘partnership’ with its 7 member councils saying they ‘scrutinise’ its actions and strategy. We wrote to the councils about this. Most replies were virtually identical.  The councils confessed they’d been written ‘in consultation with the NLWA’, admitting they’ve ‘no formal ability to influence or scrutinise NLWA decisions’! 

 

Planning process not transparent

Trying to re-designate Pinkham Way as ‘industrial land’ to fit London Plan requirements; the distorting influence of NLWA requirements on the failed North London Waste Plan, highly questionable scoring/ criteria in site assessment, are some examples. NLWA secretly bought Pinkham Way outright (for £12m) – without planning permission. Last December it admitted it didn’t need it for the proposed use.

 

Conflict with Government policy

The Government has pledged, by 2050, an 80% reduction in CO2 emissions. Yet NLWA proposes manufacturing, for 30 years, fuel pellets in which waste plastic provides the main energy content. No disposal method emits more carbon. Furthermore, continuing development and increase in plastics recycling will probably reduce the guaranteed quality of the pellets (more financial risk for us). 

 

 

Demonstrate to Save the Welsh Harp on July 23rd

Barnet Planning Committee will be considering the planning application for the West Hendon Estate on the Welsh Harp on Tuesday 23rd July.

Those opposed to this development which will ruin a much loved and valuable open space and nature reserve will be protesting outside Hendon Town Hall at 5pm on July 23rd. Please join us.

In order to mobilise support there will be local leafleting this coming weekend and campaigners are urged to join us.

Saturday 20th July Meet at The George, Church Lane Kingsbury at 2pm

Sunday 21st July  Meet at McDonalds,Neasden Lane North/Blackbird Hill 2pm

Greens must make their alternative voice on education heard

I confess that what attracted me first to the Green Party was not the environment, although that has always been an important issue to me,  but its policy on education. It was refreshing to see a political party recognising the importance of play, being aware of child development and the dangers of one size fits all teaching methods, targets and curriculum. More recently all the three major parties have embraced the marketisation of education and the narrowing of its focus to competing with 'our major economic competitors'.

Childhood is being industrialised and education outcomes  reduced to a product measured by test results. Yesterday's suggestion of the ranking of all primary pupils in 10% bands and testing at five years old rightly caused consternation amongst educationalists, parents, governors and parents.

The Green Party is the only party to offer an alternative but must speak out loudly so that voters know we offer something fundamentally different. At present our voice on education is not being heard.

The ranking proposal was a dreadful blow to primary teachers who at the tail end of the summer term, are writing reports, holding parents' evenings,out in the heat with 30 children on school trips and organising end of term productions. Now as they rally to keep going until the end of term Michael Gove delivers notice that stress will be even greater in the future and that the labelling of children as successes or failures will start even younger.

Huge damage will be done to young people as a result and we can expect problems of low self-esteem, poor motivation and disaffection as a result.

I fully support the Letter to the Press initiated by the Charter for Primary Education  LINK which has been signed by some of our best children's writers including Malory Blackman, Michael Rosen and Alan Gibbons as well as educationalists, teachers and parents.

It is essential that Green Party leader Natalie Bennett signs this letter and I  hope my readers will sign it too:

We are writing to express our concern over the announcement on Weds of an increase in primary school floor targets, an increase in the amount of testing for primary school pupils and the intention to place all pupils in a league table ranked on ability. Rather than a philosophy of every child matters, this is a world where only the person at the top counts. Any child struggling to pass tests due to a special educational need is automatically labelled a failure.

Last month we held a conference to launch the Primary Charter. This was a conference which brought together teachers, parents, governors and teacher educators. We have produced a ‘manifesto’ for primary schools, outlining how we think pupils learn best. This includes trusting the professional judgement of teachers, allowing children to learn at their own pace and through play, while taking account of their own experiences. It involves giving pupils an opportunity to develop a love of learning and nurturing their ability to interact with others. We have already seen the damage done to children in this country through over-testing.

Research has shown that our children are unhappy and more worried about tests than in any other developed country. Crucially this does not lead to improved educational outcomes. There is no evidence to show that testing and ranking children improves their learning,but plenty that demonstrates the effect being labelled a failure has on their self-esteem and confidence. We prefer to look to the model of education we see in Finland where no inspections, no punitive lesson observations and minimal testing leads to consistently high standards, huge levels of teacher satisfaction, minimal social selection and an education sector that is lauded throughout the world.

Instead we see an announcement today that the attainment thresholds schools must reach is to be increased from 60% to 85%. The government want to test children earlier and force a more formal education, learning by rote and parroting facts driven right down into the early years. We suspect this is part of a move to hand publically owned education over to the private sector though an increase in the number of schools forced to become academies. The signatories of the charter reject this model of education and appeal to parents, teachers and support staff to engage in a dialogue with schools to reject Gove’s vision. The primary charter can be found on primarycharter.wordpress.com

'Mums hold the trump card' on Queensbury development

Guest blog on the redevelopment of the Queensbury pub in Willesden Green by a local parent.

As well as being a concerned mum who took great confidence and sometimes solace from attending the National Childbirth Trust sessions,Tuesdays in particular, at the Qeensbury, I am also professionally, involved in Planning and Development so I have an idea of how the process works and what the developers are trying to do.



The exhibition run by Fairview is intended to consult locals on their revised proposals. They did this last year (9 months ago for their previous scheme) but the invitees to the exhibitions were a very short list and didn't include Busy Rascals or the NCT. Fairview recorded at that time only 22 comments from locals - I suspect that none of these 22 comments came from local parents who use the pub regularly for NCT/Busy Rascals.



If you can make it down to the exhibition it is most important that you leave a comment inside with the Fairview team so that this time they will have a more representative selection of comments to submit to Brent. These comments have to be formally presented to the council, they will not be ommitted or ignored. If you can't make it down they are opening some web pages on the 17th July where you can view the proposals online and I presume leave a comment (see below).The exhibition is online HERE



Just a few pointers so that you cannot be fooled: the new proposals as I understand it, include a space for community uses and a cafe on the ground floor. You may think this will be adequate for Busy Rascals but I think not...here's why:

1. The management team and staff at the Queensbury that are so welcoming and accommodating won't be there. This space will be leased to someone else who may not want children and babies running round their space. There is absolutely no way that Fairview can guarantee that the operators of this new space will take on the groups in the same way as the Queensbury people do.
   

2. There will be a period - if this happens - during demolition and rebuilding when there will be no venue at all for the groups. So how do Fairview guarantee a temporary venue for the groups? The Council are I think very concerned about the survival of the the children's groups into the future and Fairview will HAVE to address this point. How do they do this?
   

I would also like to say that the Queensbury is only under threat if there is no support for its retention. So far the team at the Save The Queensbury, along with support form local residents groups, CAMRA and hundreds of local individuals have delayed the application decision by at least 9 months, have forced Fairview to revise their plans (at great cost to Fairview) and raised a huge amount of profile for the pub in local press and within the local area. Please don't do anything because you think the closure of the pub is inevitable - I assure you it isn't!!



In many ways you mums hold the 'Trump Card' - Fairview cannot be seen to be closing down children's groups - bad for the company reputation, AND the council would be much, much less concerned about this application if the Queensbury was 'just a pub'! Please use your trump card!

Pavey: No Copland sell-off

Cllr Michael Pavey, Brent Council lead member for Children and Families has reacted to the Guest Posting below with this statement:

"Copland School will not be sold off. The site will be redeveloped, but as an improved school - not for non-educational uses. 

All the steps Brent Council have taken have the sole purpose of improving teaching and learning in the school. The recent Ofsted report found that two-thirds of teaching is inadequate or requires improvement. This is a tragedy which is desperately failing local families. 

Turning around this terrible situation requires tough actions. However there is absolutely no question of running down the school to sell it off. Quite the opposite: we are determined that Copland will become a successful school that parents are proud to send their kids to."