WEMBLEY MATTERS News and views on local politics, the environment, climate change, culture and local history
This was the scene that confronted me today at the end of the footpath from Northwick Park station towards the hospital.
This is the first phase in the building of new flats by Countryside Partnership that look a more dense development than I envisaged from the planning application images.
The future extent of the development can be seen from this early image:
Further details HERE
Guest post by Aidan Reilly, parent
Why the Proposed Amalgamation of Malorees Schools Raises Serious Concerns
The proposal to amalgamate Malorees Infant and Junior Schools may appear administratively convenient on paper, but beneath the surface lies a troubling situation filled with unanswered questions, broken assurances, and widespread community concern. Far from being a clear-cut improvement, this amalgamation risks: destabilising a successful federation, undermining community trust, and delivering uncertain educational and financial outcomes.
A Timeline of Cautionary Lessons
In 2014, Brent Council’s Cabinet approved, in principle, the amalgamation of several school pairs, including Malorees, as part of its School Place Planning Strategy. While some, like Lyon Park, proceeded with amalgamation in 2016, Malorees did not.
What followed at Lyon Park stands as a cautionary example. After amalgamating its infant and junior schools, the newly formed Lyon Park Primary was rated “Requires Improvement” by Ofsted in 2019. The report highlighted a turbulent post-amalgamation period marked by significant leadership and staff turnover, which resulted in declining educational standards, particularly in reading and writing. Financial troubles followed, including a licensed deficit agreement with the council. In 2020, Brent Council federated the school with Wembley Primary School to address the dire finances, and by 2023, staff were striking over pay restructuring and potential redundancies.
A Federation That Works
Malorees Infant and Junior Schools have operated under a single leadership and governing board since 2017. Staff move seamlessly between buildings; parents and pupils experience the schools as one. By all practical measures, the federation functions as an integrated, effective primary education provider. Parents and carers often and consistently praise the efforts of dedicated staff who we rely on to care, nurture, and educate our children.
As one teacher voiced at the April 2025 Brent Cabinet meeting: “Malorees already is one school in everything but name… amalgamation will add almost nothing to that.” This raises a fundamental question: If it’s not broken, why fix it?
Broken Promises, Ignored Feedback
Perhaps most damaging to trust is how the council handled its consultation process. The original consultation documents clearly stated that if there was no agreement among consultees, the schools would remain separate. Yet, despite overwhelming opposition from teachers, support staff, governors, and parents, the council recommended formal consultation, and the Cabinet voted to proceed.
Figure 1- Extract from Informal Amalgamation Proposal (Jan, 2025)
Consultation data showed that 81.7% of respondents opposed the proposal, and a mere 8.7% supported it. A petition with 260 signatures was submitted, but this was omitted from the summary report. The National Education Union, representing staff at Malorees, submitted an open letter condemning the proposal, referencing both educational harm and fiscal recklessness.
Figure 2 - results of amalgamation consultation
The community submitted representations to Councillors to ‘call-in’ the decision to progress to formal consultation, as it was in contrast to the stated criteria within the proposal. However, these representations were either ignored or not given proper consideration, and the controversial decision remains lacking proper scrutiny.
The Funding Gamble
The key incentive behind the amalgamation is capital investment. The Department for Education (DfE) has agreed to rebuild the Junior School and suggested that this could extend to the previously refused Infant School, but only if the schools amalgamate.
This proposed incentive has serious strings attached. There is no detailed design, concept, or budget for a unified rebuild. Meanwhile, the already-approved Junior School project remains on hold pending the outcome of the consultation, and enhancements such as an awarded grant for a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) have been effectively abandoned. Enthusiasm for the rebuild is cautious at best, especially given that by late 2024, only 23 out of 500 schools in the national building programme had been completed.
Financially, the amalgamation comes with a confirmed loss of at least £186,000 per year in “lump sum” grants and additional funding. Additional yearly cuts of around £35,000 were revealed at the April Cabinet meeting, taking the deficit to above £220,000 per year, although there will be an initial phased reduction. With most of the school’s budget allocated to staffing, such a cut virtually guarantees reduced support for children and an increased workload for staff. As staffing accounts for the majority of the school’s budget, such a financial hit almost certainly means reduced support for pupils and increased pressure on staff. While some savings have been suggested through lower maintenance costs, the infant school’s average annual maintenance and improvement spend is around £30,000, rising to £42,300 in 2022–2023. These figures fall significantly short of what’s needed to offset the financial burden of amalgamation.
Figure 3 – Malorees Infant School, published Schools Financial Benchmark (.gov)
Staffing, Stability, and the Risk of Academisation
Although assurances have been given that there will be no redundancies or restructuring, the experience of other amalgamated schools tells a different story. With school budgets already under pressure and staffing accounting for the majority of expenditure, any significant funding reduction, such as the projected £186,000+ annual loss post-amalgamation, inevitably increases the risk of job losses through attrition, unfilled vacancies, or reorganisation.
It’s also important to note that certain cost-cutting measures, such as not renewing agency or temporary contracts, are not legally classified as redundancies. While technically accurate, this distinction does little to reassure staff or parents, particularly when those roles provide crucial support for pupils, including those with special educational needs and other vulnerabilities.
Even more troubling is the potential for forced academisation. If amalgamation leads to a drop in Ofsted ratings, just as it did at Lyon Park, current government policy allows for intervention, potentially transferring the school to a multi-academy trust. While Cabinet members have offered verbal assurances that this is not the intention, the fate of Byron Court Primary School (now Harris Primary Academy South Kenton) reveals the stark reality: once standards are deemed to have slipped, local councils, school communities, and even elected representatives have little power to prevent conversion.
There is a further uncomfortable parallel between Malorees and Byron Court, namely, a troubling lack of parental representation during a critical period. When the amalgamation proposal was published for Malorees, the governing board had no active parent governors. A long-standing vacancy had gone unfilled, and another parent governor stepped down before the launch of the consultation. This mirrored the situation at Byron Court, where a similar absence of parent governor voices coincided with decisions that ultimately led to academisation. In both cases, the absence of formal parent oversight has intensified concerns around transparency, legitimacy, and the erosion of community voice in shaping school governance.
Questionable Gains, Clear Risks
The proposed advantages of amalgamation, such as smoother transitions between Key Stages, a unified school identity, and more efficient resource use, are in practice already being effectively delivered through the current federation. Malorees Infant and Junior Schools operate with shared leadership, coordinated teaching approaches, and effective well-being strategies.
Claims of increased pupil numbers due to upgraded facilities remain speculative. Brent’s own School Place Planning Strategy references borough-wide declines in primary enrolment, driven by falling birth rates. Forecasts of future growth hinge on housing developments that may or may not materialise at the pace or scale needed to affect school rolls in the near term.
At the April Cabinet meeting, mention was made of the relocation of Islamia Primary School. While there is no formal indication that Brent intends to rehouse this faith school on the Malorees site post-amalgamation, the implication seemed to be that the influx of displaced pupils may help fill places and boost per-pupil funding. But this potential redistribution of pupils is unrelated to the amalgamation itself and could occur independently. If anything, it suggests that pupil demand may be met without structural change, undermining the case for amalgamation as a remedy to under-enrolment. The future of Islamia Primary is expected to be addressed at the May Cabinet meeting.
Conclusion: The Community Deserves Better
Malorees Federation is not a system in need of repair. It is a rare success story in education: two schools working in true partnership, delivering high-quality outcomes for children and families.
The overwhelming rejection of the amalgamation by the school community is not resistance to change, it is a rational, evidence-based defence of something that works. The council must listen.
Unless and until there are clear educational benefits, detailed funding plans, and a genuinely transparent process, this amalgamation remains a risk-heavy gamble with no guaranteed reward.
Brent Council must put children, not bureaucracy, at the heart of its decision-making. The community deserves much better than this.
Guest post by Philip Grant in a personal capacity
“Altamira”, 1 Morland Gardens, at the corner of Hillside and Brentfield Road.
Willesden Local History Society has been campaigning to save the locally-listed Victorian villa, known as “Altamira”, since Brent Council “consulted” on its original plans to demolish it as part of its Morland Gardens redevelopment plans in 2019. I joined the fight in February 2020, with a guest post on “Housing or heritage? Or both?”
The battle has been long and hard, but the planning consent which Brent’s Planning Committee gave in 2020 expired at the end of October 2023, without construction beginning on the project. The following month, the Council started a review of its future plans for the former Brent Start site (the college having been moved to a “temporary” home in the former Stonebridge School annexe in 2022, at a cost of around £1.5m).
That review was due to last a few months, with proposals then being put to Brent’s Cabinet by Spring or early Summer 2024. Instead, it eventually got tagged onto the redevelopment proposals for Bridge Park, as part of what Brent then started calling its Hillside Corridor project. At the exhibition in November 2024, which began another consultation, this was the conclusion after one year of the Council’s Morland Gardens review:
By March 2025, a new consultation was launched, asking whether residents agreed that the Morland Gardens site should comprise new Council homes and youth facilities. It did not give any indication of whether Brent intended to retain the heritage Victorian villa as part of that scheme, even though I’m aware that many people had asked for that in their comments as part of the earlier consultation (including me, with detailed proposals on how this could be done!).
Now we have found out that the long-awaited new proposals will be put to Brent’s Cabinet at its meeting on 16 June 2025, not as a separate item, but tucked away as part of a report about the future of Bridge Park. In response to this, Willesden Local History Society have launched a petition on the Council’s website:
We the undersigned petition the council and its Cabinet, when considering the regeneration of 1 Morland Gardens, as part of the Hillside Corridor proposals, to retain the beautiful and historic locally listed Victorian villa, Altamira, as part of the redevelopment of that site for affordable housing and youth facilities. The 150-year-old landmark building is part of the original estate which gave Stonebridge Park its name, and its sense of place can be an inspiration to local young people who would use it, while there is plenty of space behind the Victorian villa to build a good number of genuinely affordable homes.
As I write this, more than 150 people have already signed this online petition, more than enough to ensure that the Society can present its views in support of retaining this important local heritage building at the Cabinet meeting. We can hope that this view adds weight to a recommendation already made by Council Officers, but we won’t know that until the report is published about 10 days before the meeting!
From Brent’s Historic Environment Place-making Strategy (Part of the Council’s adopted Local Plan!)
At this stage, it is important that as many people as possible from the Brent community sign the petition, to show the strength of feeling that this beautiful and historic building is too valuable to be demolished. The Council’s own planning policies tell them that, but there are some people at the Civic Centre who don’t seem to care about that! If you agree with the petition’s aims, then please sign it, if you haven’t already done so. You can do that here. Thank you.
Philip Grant.
From Stand Up to Racism North West London
STATEMENT ON THE DESECRATION OF GRAVES IN THE MUSLIM SECTION OF CARPENDERS PARK LAWN CEMETERY.
We are appalled to learn that up to a hundred graves, including babies’ graves have been desecrated in the Muslim Section of Carpenders Park Cemetery which belongs to Brent Council.
We wish to express our deepest sympathy with all those whose loved ones are buried in that cemetery. Such vandalism and disrespect is an insult to our whole community.
We condemn this Islamophobic attack and the racist rhetoric from politicians and the media that leads to racist violence. We must see action on Islamophobia and racist attacks now.
We stand in solidarity and unity against all forms of racism, bigotry and hatred. Our community is only strong if it is united.
NW London Stand Up to Racism
IF YOU AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT, PLEASE SIGN/ENDORSE IT (as an organisation) and circulate it as widely as possible. We hope to organise a vigil or similar event in the near future to unite the community.
Write to: nwlondonsutr@gmail.com
Neasden Recreation Ground on the banks of the Welsh Harp
Guest post by Hattie Jones, Senior Project Officer, TCV (The Conservation Volunteers)
TCV has now been in Brent for 6 months. We have worked across 12 sites in the borough, in seven wards (Stonebridge, Alperton, Welsh Harp, Wembley Central, Tokyngton, Barnhill, Kenton). We have taken on some major projects to increase biodiversity in the area. The current volunteers have worked so hard, there is already a lot of progress in just 6 months. Here are some of the highlights
Welsh Harp
One such project is the Welsh Harp Marshland Restoration Project in partnership with Brent and Barnet councils, Canal and Rivers Trust, and the Welsh Harp Yacht Club. This project is focussing on restoring the edge of the reservoir to marshland and then managing and protecting that marshland. Over the years it has been left to become secondary woodland, shading out vital wetland plants such as marsh marigolds, ragged robins, orchids, and water mint. The large willow trees growing over the water have led to the disappearance of reedbeds which are an important habitat on their own and provide nesting and feeding space for many water birds.
Part of our work has been cutting back a lot of these trees to allow for light to reach the ground. We have used the cuttings to make ‘dead hedges’, which themselves provide rich habitats for invertebrates, small mammals and nesting material and food for birds. Nothing is wasted. We have coppiced a lot of the trees, which is a woodland management technique going back hundreds of years. This results in the trees growing back the following year even thicker, with multiple trunks. It provides a renewable source of wood.
As spring arrives, we are leaving the trees to the birds and turning our attention to removing invasive species such as goats rue and Himalayan balsam.
Chalkhill Orchard
We have inherited custody of this lovely community orchard. This patch already houses apple, plum, cherry, and pear trees, plus one beautiful walnut tree. However, orchards need management. Fruit trees are very picky and susceptible to cold and disease. We want this to be a productive orchard for all the community to use and harvest fruit from.
We have pruned the big plum trees, and attempted to rescue several hidden damsons, which unfortunately seem passed saving. We have planted 3 new heirloom apple trees, and one black mulberry, with plans for more next year. While the trees are settling into their new home, they will need frequent watering. Unfortunately, we do not have access to a water source, so we are reliant on the community to take responsibility for keeping these new additions watered. Neighbouring Chalkhill Primary School pupils helped us plant the trees and promised to help care for them.
Fly tipping is a problem on this site, and we are in conversations with the council to get it removed.
Pond restoration
Ponds are one of the easiest ways to increase biodiversity in a green space. There are a couple of ponds we are working on that did not start out in the best shape. At Quainton Street open space, large willow trees had grown big leaning boughs over the pond, blocking out light. We removed these to let in sunlight, something that is very important for a healthy pond. Another problem these trees cause is their leaves fall into the pond, and as these rot down they remove oxygen from the pond. We have worked to remove as much of this vegetation as possible, and we are planning to plant some new plants that will oxygenate the pond instead.
There is a hidden oxbow pond at Brent River Park that has formed from high levels of the River Brent overflowing into a natural dip in the land. This pond will need a lot more work as it is surrounded by tall trees, with at least one dead one having fallen in. We won’t be able to work on the trees until autumn so we will carry out water quality surveys and try and remove as much rotting vegetation as possible. The vision is a pond humming with life, that can be enjoyed by everyone.
One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill Park in Alperton has a miniature woodland that lies on top of the titular hill, with evidence of paths that suggest it was once a woodland trail. We are working to restore it back to a woodland trail that families can enjoy and feel safe in. Our main battle on this site is litter and fly tipping, which we are working with the council to tackle. The wildlife doesn’t seem to mind, however, and we have seen sparrowhawks, foxes, long tailed tits, greater spotted woodpeckers, green woodpeckers, and chiffchaffs.
St Joseph’s Cemetery
St Joseph's Cemetery
This interesting little site is not currently accessible to the public, but we are hoping to turn it into a nature garden that the neighbouring infant school can use. We have fought back some laurel that was hiding a quarter of the site, showing that it is a lot bigger than previously thought.
We harvested willow that we will be using on site to make living willow structures, we are going to design a path that leaves the middle of the site undisturbed for grassland, and hopefully create areas the children can enjoy and that teachers can use for education.
Milton Avenue Open Space, Harlesden
What’s next?
We have achieved a lot, but we still have a way to go to reach our goal of creating harmonious ecosystems that can be enjoyed by the public. It is important to look beyond this project, when 2 years is up and the funding runs out. It would be sad to create some beautiful biodiverse habitats, only for them to fall into disrepair afterwards. So, I am looking to reach residents who are passionate about green spaces, not only to volunteer, but to set up Friends groups to take over the reins of these sites, and continue what we have started. We hope what TCV is doing is just the beginning of a regeneration of Brent’s green spaces.
Statement on Facebook from Three Rivers Police
On Sunday 13 April, we were informed of widespread damage to 85 grave plaques in Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery, all of which are in an area reserved for Muslim burials. Many of the graves affected are the resting places of babies and young children.
Chief Superintendent Jon Simpson, head of Hertfordshire’s Local Policing Command, said:
We are continuing to investigate every line of enquiry into this terrible crime, which we are now treating as an Islamophobic act.
During the initial stages of our investigation we explored several hypotheses as to how the damage may have occurred and for this reason, we had to be mindful of the words used to describe the incident in the public domain.
However, now our inquiry has progressed we are confident that sadly, this was a religiously motivated act. We would like to reassure those affected, and the wider Muslim community, that we are continuing to treat this crime extremely seriously.
The investigation team continues to liaise with Brent Council, which owns the cemetery site off Oxhey Lane, as they work to identify the families whose loved ones’ graves have been targeted. Senior police officers and the investigation team have been working closely with Sergeant Irfan Ishaq, Chair of the Hertfordshire Association of Muslim Police (HAMP), to assist with communication to the county’s Muslim community.
Sergeant Ishaq said:
Since the news of this religiously motivated act reached our Muslim communities, I have been listening to and recording their feedback and concerns. We completely understand their frustration at the delay in confirming it as a hate crime and stand with them in their condemnation of this dreadful incident.
I’m sure the public can appreciate that as police, it is important for us to approach every incident reported to us with an open mind to ensure an unbiased and fair investigation.
Our focus remains identifying the families of those whose graves have been affected so we can provide support and advice, and our partners at Brent Council are assisting us with this. Given the number of graves involved, and the fact that many of the families affected may no longer live locally, we anticipate that this will take some time as we continue to be sensitive and respectful in our work.
We recognise that news of this crime will not only impact the Muslim community, but those from all walks of life. There will continue to be a police presence in and around the cemetery to reassure our community and provide advice where needed. In addition, a further community leaders meeting is being held tomorrow (Wednesday 16 April) to keep our Muslim community informed.
We are continuing to appeal to the public for information in relation to this crime, which occurred between 1pm on Friday 11 April and 5pm on Saturday 12 April.
Anyone who saw any suspicious activity in or around the cemetery between these times, or believes they have information about who is responsible, should contact Detective Sergeant Anna Cornish on anna.cornish@herts.police.uk, quoting ‘Op Lunate’.
You can report information online at https://orlo.uk/1iO6G, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat at https://orlo.uk/GTSX0 or call the non-emergency number 101.
Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.
Wednesday April 16th 6pm
Bushey Islamic Circle Wednesday April 16th 6pm
The Bushey Centre,
Bushey Country Club,
Bushey High Street
WD23 1TT
Buses 142, 258, 885
From the school website
Readers will remember the controversy over state-funded Islamia Primary School currently housed in Queens Park. The school was given an eviction notice by the land owner, the Yusuf Islam Foundation, as it wanted to expand the neighbouring private secondary schools.
An informal consultation was held that rejected the school moving to the Strathcona site in Preston ward. Calls for it to be housed on the site in South Kiburn set aside for the merged Carlton Vale Infants and Kilburn Park Junior schools was rejected by Brent Council. Islamia parents cited the very low pupil numbers at those schools compared with the over-subscribed Islamia Primary. Brent Council argued that the numbers at the new South Kilburn Primary would increase as the regeneration progressed and attractive new resources were offered.
My suggestion in a question at Full Council asking if the soon to be closed Brentfield Road site of Leopold Primary School could be allocated to Islamia Primary received this response from Lead Member for Schools, Cllr Gwen Grahl in November last year:
The Yusuf Islam Foundation is still considering whether it wishes to proceed with the relocation to the Strathcona site following consultation in autumn 2022. No timescale for the relocation has been agreed. Should this proposed use of the Strathcona site not proceed, the site will be used to develop additional provision for children with SEND. In this event, the local authority would continue to work with the Yusuf Islam Foundation to identify a suitable alternative site for the school.
As set out in the refreshed School Place Planning Strategy 2024-2028, agreed by Cabinet on 12 November 2024, consideration will be given to opportunities to use any spare capacity within the primary school sector to expand provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, given the increasing need across the borough.
The Gwenneth Rickus site of Leopold Primary School will continue to be used for mainstream primary provision until September 2027 and the Council has not determined the future use of the site, that could also include provision for SEND.
A new SEND school is to be be opened in London Road, Wembley.
After a long silence the issue has reappeared as 'The Future of Islamia Primary School' on the Brent Cabinet Agenda for the May 19th meeting 'for determination'.
There is little more information except a note stating 'There could be an exempt appendix as legal guidance.'
I will update readers as soon a I have more information,
