The Green Party's Education Policy offers a real alternative

Tristram Hunt's proposals on licensing teachers ignited a furious Twitter firestorm last night with teachers declaring that this was the last straw: there was no one on their side and no party they could vote for. A surge of support for Labour amongst teachers recently recorded in polls looks like evaporating quickly.

There is a party that rejects the centralising and privatising educational agenda of the three neo-liberal parties and that is the Green Party.  Labour started the process of academisation and it is their granting of unprecedented powers to the Secretary of State that Michael Gove is now utilising. Tristam Hunt's proposal should really not come as a surprise.

The Green Party's Spring Conference will be considering a series of amendments aimed at strengthening education policy  which will result in a real alternative which will be attractive to teachers and parents.

Starting from first principles we would state:

The Green Party believes that education should provide everyone with the knowledge and full range of skills they require to participate fully in society and lead a fulfilled life. The Green Party rejects market driven models of education that see its role only in terms of international economic competitiveness and preparation for work

We want to develop an education system that will nurture a desire to learn throughout life. We will do this through a child-centred approach to learning which builds on the skills and interests of each individual child.We will therefore end the current testing regimes and rigid age related benchmarking.

Education should be at the heart of communities and for communities, and should promote equality, inclusivity, social and emotional well-being and responsibility and be democratically accountable to them.

 The Green Party believes that the early years is a unique educational stage in its own right and not just a preparation for school. We recognises the great variance in children's development in the early years and the importance of a developmentally appropriate  provision which includes the important role of play in early learning

These principles lead on to

Education is a right and an entitlement and should be free at the point of delivery to people of all ages.Education is social rather than market provision and we oppose any attempt to privatise state-funded schools or to enable them to become profit-making.  

Free schools and academies, although publicly funded, currently lack local democratic accountability and oversight. We will reintegrate them into the local authority school system.

 In order to do this we have to strengthen local authorities and reduce the powers of the Secretary of State:

The Green Party recognises the key role of Local Authorities in the planning and provision of new school places, establishment of fair admissions policies, ensuring of equality of access for Looked After Children and those with disabilities and special needs, and the provision of School Support Services. We will therefore strengthen local authorities through adequate funding and seek to enhance their local democratic accountability. We will review and reduce the powers of the Secretary of State.

In schools we will tackle the dominance of testing which leads to teaching to the test rather than real education:

There is currently too much emphasis on national tests and fulfilling marking schemes, which can oppress teaching and learning and create a great deal of unnecessary pressure on children as young as 5. Teaching and learning are too often dominated by meeting targets and ticking boxes both for teachers and for pupils. The Green Party will abolish external SATs nad the Year 1 Phonics Test.

We tackle the increasingly politicised role of Ofsted by proposing a new body:

 The Green Party will instate a system of local accountability using continuous, collaborative assessment of schools. We would replace OFSTED with an independent National Council of Educational Excellence which would have regional officers tasked to work closely with LAs. The National Council would be closely affiliated with the NFER

Accountability will be important:

 Where pupils’ attainment and progress is reported as part of a school’s holistic report to parents and the wider community it will include assessments, including value-added, moderated by the National Council of Education Excellence and the local authority’s School Improvement Service as well as the school’s own self evaluation

Secondary and college students will have a right to attend meetings of the Governing Body of schools and members of the elected School Council will have voting rights. Governing Bodies in primary schools will have the duty to regularly consult with the elected pupil School Council.

 The Green Party will encourage schools and colleges to set up Parent Forums or Parent Councils to enhance the school’s accountability and improve communication and collaboration over issues such as curriculum, provision, homework, attendance and behaviour management

Inequality is entrenched in our school system, often through admissions systems and we will tackle this issue: 

Currently there exists a range of inequality within our education system. This can often stem from unfair admissions processes, particularly in private schools, grammar schools, faith schools, free schools and academies. These processes often serve to work against already the most disadvantaged young people in our society (such as those from poorer backgrounds or ethnic minorities). In order to provide an equal opportunity for all young people then admissions must be as balanced and fair as possible.

Selection by aptitude, ability, or social class runs counter productive to creating a high quality education system for all students. Excellent all-ability schools with balanced intakes are the best way of ensuring that every child receives a first-rate education

 The local authority will determine admissions arrangements for all local state funded schools. Ideally young people will be placed at their local schools. However currently, due to the social and economic characteristics of different areas, placing children in their local schools can be a source of segregation and inequality. Therefore local authorities should aim to provide schools (particularly secondary) in their local area with a balanced, comprehensive intake as far as practically possible.

 The Green Party recognizes that the current mix of local authority, private, faith, grammar, academy and free schools reinforces social and ethnic divisions in society. A truly comprehensive intake and mixed ability teaching, coupled with equitable funding based on need, will extend equality of opportunity. We will therefore create a system that facilitates and encourages greater integration.

The recent attacks on teachers conditions of service are clearly a major concern and risk an exodus from the profession:

Teachers are the key resource within the education system. They need first class initial preparation, continuing professional development and appropriate salaries.

Every child should be taught by a teacher with Qualified Teacher Status and Principals and Headteachers of state funded schools should have QTS.

 A Green government will work with the teaching unions to reverse the process by which teachers have gradually been deskilled and their professional autonomy eroded and will review pension arrangements and retirement age with them.

 The Green Party opposes the introduction of performance related pay in education.

The amended policy having stated why we are opposed to academies goes on:

  The Free Schools programme is similarly democratically unaccountable with even more power handed to the Free School providers to decide the curriculum, admissions policy and whether to employ unqualified teachers or headteachers/principals with no formal teaching experience or qualifications

 For these reasons the Green Party is opposed to creating more Academies and Free Schools and will support community, school and parent campaigns that share this aim.

The Green Party will integrate Academies and Free Schools back into the local authority school system. In the short term, where Academies are in operation, we would instigate a maximum 25% voting rights for sponsor appointees to ensure proper democratic and community representation on Academy boards.

Unlike other parties Conference is the Green Party's supreme decision making body and there is extensive pre-conference discussion of motions and a workshop at Conference before a motion is debated. Motions are prioritised by a ballot of members so I urge Green Party members to vote for this motion as first preference. It is a long motion and needs proper debate and a high place on the agenda will ensure there is sufficient time to debate it.

The prioritisation ballot closes at 23.59 on January 15th. Follow this LINK to the ballot.

The current Green Party Education Policy can be found HERE

IPNA wounded but the danger remains

The House of Lords has defeated the Coalition's move to replace ASBOs with Injunctions To Prevent Nuisance and Annoyance (IPNAs) amidst much ridicule of the proposal's shortcomings and its potential misuse. See my story 'Don't punish children for being children  HERE 

Peers backed Lord Dear's amendment to the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill that would replace the phrase "nuisance and annoyance" in the legislation with "harassment, alarm or distress" – the words used for ASBOs. He forced a vote on the issue despite the Home Office minister, Lord Taylor of Holbeach, promising talks on the issue and possible concessions if he withdrew his amendment.

The Government seems intent on pushing the matter so it is too soon to start celebrating. The debate resumes on Tuesday.

Crucial Executive vote on Monday on Princess Fred expansion plans

On January 4th LINK I wrote about the officer's report going to Monday's Brent Executive recommending the expansion of Princess Frederica Primary School in Kensal Rise, despite 90% opposition from parents.

On December 17th 2013 there had been a well-attended public meeting about the issue which Cllr James Denselow reported on his blog LINK where Princess Frederica's case was discussed along with the more general issues around rising school population and school places provision.

The Council, schools and parents are in a difficult position because of Michael Gove's policy that local authorities cannot build new schools - these have to be provided by free schools or academy chains. The local authority is left with little option but to expand existing schools on their present site and exceptionally open 'annexes' near a school such as has happened with Leopald in Harlesden and the old CSD building in Brentfield Road and Stonebridge Primary and the disused day care centre on the opposite side of the road.

Expansion on existing sites can reduce play space, convert shared spaces such as school libraries, computer suites and assembly halls into classrooms and create more crowded conditions with more children occupying less space. Parents often prefer smaller primary  schools because of the family atmosphere where the head knows every child by name and the youngest of children feel safe and secure.The officers' report makes the case for larger schools (large school successes in the borough, teachers' career prospects, curriculum opportunities, outside school provision) but doesn't balance that with the case for smaller schools.

Free school providers cash in on this by planning small schools as local schools become bigger and end up competing with them.  So far primary free school providers have not come forward in Brent, instead we have four secondary free schools where generally at present there is not a shortage.

The rub is that in seeking to preserve the positives of space, intimacy and ethos and deciding against expansion other children will be deprived on any education at all.  The real villain is Michael Gove and his policy but children suffer either way.  That is why there is a growing movement, supported by the Green Party, the NUT, Michael Pavey LINK and Barry Gardiner amongst others to restore local authorities' power to build new schools.You can support the School Places Crisis campaign by signing the petition HERE

NUT research suggests that by 2016 2/5 reception age children in some parts of London will not have a school place.

It now appears that as a result of the public meeting and strong opposition to Princess Frederica's expansion that the Executive will reject the officers' recommendation. Michael Pavey told the Wembley Observer 'We are listening to the views of the community and they got their mesage across very clearly'.

Rejection of a tabled report is unusual under the present administration. .It would have been more likely to be withdrawn before the publication of the Agenda if it was clear Executive members, and particular the lead member, were against it.

Th following message appears on the school's expansion blog today:

 The next milestone in the expansion proposal project is on Monday, 13 January 2014 at 7.00pm when the Brent Council Executive will review the report on the outcome of the statutory consultation at the Board Room in the new Brent Civic Centre: http://democracy.brent.gov.uk/documents/s21137/cf-princess-frederica.pdf

This report still recommends that Princess Frederica should expand, subject to planning permission.

However, in a significant recent development, Councillor Michael Pavey, Lead Member for Children & Families, Brent Council, has suggested that he may vote against the proposed expansion of Princess Frederica CE VA Primary School.

In the meantime, the governing body continues to await key information from Brent which would allow it to make a definitive decision about whether or not it supports the proposal to expand.

As soon as we can, we will update you further.

 Unfortunately I cannot go to the Executive on Monday but I will be interested to hear of the outcome.

Meanwhile another consequence of Gove's ban on LA's building new schools is emerging as Brent Council  has started 'instructing' headteachers to take additional Key Stage 2 children who currently are not in school despite their schools being full. This would take class sizes above 30 and conflict with the NUT's class size limit. Some of these children will be new to the UK and some may not have been to school before so they will need additional resources and teacher time.

Brent Council: Never mind the cuts we're spending more on PR

Unconfirmed rumours reach me that Cheryl Curling, head of communications has been summarily escorted from Brent Civic Centre. Two days ago PR Weekly LINK  carried the story that she had been made redundant as part of the council's restructuring that will increase staff from 9 to 11 and with a new head on a higher pay grade than Curling. PR Weekly noted that Cheryl had not responded to a request for a comment at the time of going to press.

PR Weekly stated:

Curling’s role as ‎head of comms and marketing is set to be replaced by the wider ranging and higher salaried role of head of media and external relations, with the post currently being advertised.

Brent Council’s interim senior comms adviser Richard Stokoe, hired last year as part of the review, said the restructure would see a shift in focus towards making the council’s 2,500 staff its spokespeople.

"The most trusted form of comms is verbal, and the most trusted form of verbal comms is from friends and relatives, so this is about getting staff out there. If you have each member of staff talking to five people about the council and what it's doing, you can start to bring about big behaviour change."

Alongside a change in the top role, the comms officer roles will be changed to media officers, while new corporate comms officers will oversee longer-term strategy and the training of staff as spokespeople.

Not very good public relations really...

Have your say on healthcare spending in Brent

Copland teachers striking for democracy on Tuesday

Teaching staff at Copland Community School, Wembley, will be mounting pickets lines from 7.30am on Tuesday morning as they strike once again to try and win a democratic ballot, independently run, on the proposed academy conversion. They also stipulate the Interim Executive Board, imposed on the school by Brent Council, should take the ballot result into account.

At present Ark appears to be the only academy sponsor option despite the fact that Cllr Michael Pavey, lead member for children and families, told a public meeting before Christmas that it 'wasn't a done deal' and another sponsor was possible.

Despite requests Ark has still not provided a breakdown of the ehtnic background of its teaching force at the Wembley Park site. See LINK

Staff at Woodfield Special School are also reported to be opposed to plans by their governing body for academy conversion. LINK

Copland teachers denied chance to see pupils through to their exams

We have got used to teachers' professional views being ignored or thought of as no consequence, as in the case of the recent Radio4 panel discussion about history teaching with Michael Gove and academic historians, but with no actual history teachers present.

One would expect their views to be taken account of when a school is going through substantial changes and students will be affected.

However a meeting of the Interim Executive Board of Copland Community High School yesterday seemed to model their behaviour on that of Michael Gove.

The teacher unions had asked that leaving dates for staff made redundant be deferred until September so that they could continue to support their students who are taking examinations. The IEB decided that as all classes could be covered so all redundancies will take place at Easter.

Clearly from an educational point of view it is preferable, and perhaps essential, that teachers who know the students and their strengths and weaknesses and have taught them the subject, should see them all the way through to their examinations.

It appears that the IEB accepted the word of the headteacher on the issues discussed rather than subjecting them to the kind of rigorous challenge that Ofsted now expects regarding the quality of teaching and learning.

Lucas: Government cares more about corporate gambling industry than its victims

Ahead of today’s parliamentary debate on fixed odds betting terminals, Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, said:

The rapid spread of fixed odds terminals has created serious gambling problems, especially in communities already struggling with poverty.  It’s particularly worrying that some betting shops are putting pressure on staff to encourage their increased use.

I’ve consistently opposed fixed odds betting terminals, and last year wrote to the Government calling for a review of the Gambling Act.

In my constituency, there are an estimated 70 machines, and in Brighton and Hove £270 million was gambled on them last year.

Local councils need greater powers to prevent the proliferation , and maximum stakes should be drastically reduced.  The Government’s hesitation in taking serious action suggests that it cares more about the interests of the corporate gambling industry than the people being targeted and dragged into a spiral of addiction and even greater deprivation.

Please donate to Brent CAB Winter Warmth Fund

Campaigns against the 'Big Six' energy companies and for the nationalisation of energy companies have taken off recently as the issue of fuel poverty becomes more dire. Essential if the long term problem is to be tackled.

Meanwhile there is an immediate need by some individuals and families for help with their fuel bills as they face the grim choice of whether to 'eat or heat'. Brent Citizens Advice Bureau and the Tricycle Theatre are again running their Winter Warmth Fund which is now in its fifth year. To date it has raised £14,469 plus £2,619.04 in Gift Aid.

The Fund has provided 101 awards for a total £13,714 to people receiving benefits, elderly people, people with disabilities and families with young chidren.

All payments are made direct to the utility suppliers to help reduce gas and electricity arrears.

Among the donations are those from better off pensioners who donate their Winter Fuel Allowance to those they consider worse off.

Cheques should be made payable to Brent Citizens' Advice Bureau (Winter Fuel) and sent to:

Brent Citizens' Advice Bureau,
270-272 High Road,
Willesden
London NW10 2EY

Brent Connects Forum Dates

The new round of the Brent Connects Forums starts soon. The agenda for Willesden  includes the Brent Council Budget for 2014-15 with a Q&A with Muhammed Butt and the proposed private landlord licensing.

Wednesday January 8th Kilburn and Kensal 7pm Palmers Lodge Hillspring at Willesden Green,  233 Willesdne Lane, NW2

Tuesday January14th Wembley 7pm Patidar House, 22 London Road, HA9

Wednesday January 15th Harlesden 7pm Furness Primary School Hall, Furness Road, NW10

Wednesday January 22nd Willesden 7pm Dudden Hill Community Centre, 19 Dudden Hill Lane, Willesden, NW10

Tuesday February 4th Kingsbury and Kenton 7pm Kingsbury High School. Princess Avenue, Kingsbury NW9

Preston Library Community Hub launches New Year of activity

The redoubtable Preston Library campaigners are battling on as the campaign for their library enters its fourth year.  They and campaigners from the other libraries deserve congratulations for the many varied and creative ways they have continued to fight.

This message was sent to Preston Library supporters:

First of all, can I wish you a very, very happy new year, and thank you for your continuing support. This week sees the third anniversary of the campaign to save Preston Library. The fact that the campaign - here, and in Barham Park, Cricklewood and Kensal Rise - is moving into its fourth year is a testament both to the vital importance of local public libraries and to the hard work of a very remarkable group of people. Please continue to do whatever you can to support the campaign in 2014.

We are fortunate in one respect - the Preston Library building is still in public hands, and is likely to be vacated by Preston Park School at some time in the next eighteen months. As most of you will know, there will be local elections in all London boroughs on May 22, and candidates will be seeking your votes. Please continue to tell candidates and councillors what the loss of the libraries has meant to our communities, and ask them to work with us to restore our public library in Carlton Avenue East.

The next pub quiz - our main source of income - is at 7.30 on Monday 27 January in The Preston, 161 Preston Road HA9 8NG. As usual the quiz will start promptly at 8. This seems as good a moment as any to thank all the people who have helped make these quizzes such a success - Michael, Mel, Dan, the staff of The Preston, but especially Frances, Karen, Deborah, Shelagh and Vanita, who have written the quizzes for us. Without them these events wouldn't be possible. I hope lots of you will come on the 27th.

Our Monday afternoon Community Hub events in the library building will restart on 13 January  These include English classes for those who do not have English as their first language, a creative writing group, and Scrabble. Refreshments are available. These are still early days - anyone who can offer help, or who has ideas for other activities will be very welcome. There are more details on the website.

www.brentlibraries.wordpress.com 

Brent Council announce blitz on dirty streets ahead of the local election

Brent Fightback protest in 2011

It is interesting how the forthcoming elections focus the mind of councillors. Up until now Brent Council has denied that the 2011 cuts in street cleaning  resulted in dirtier streets despite the evidence provided by local residents and political activists.

This interview with a street cleaner predicted a worsening service from  Nicola Newswizz

 Now, with 5 months to go before the election Brent Council has announced a blitz on street cleaning:

A major new blitz against the worst litter and flytipping spots in the borough will be launched in every ward in the new year as part of a new campaign to clean up Brent.

Brent Council’s campaign will focus on the spots most blighted by dumped waste, litter and dirt. For the first time street cleansing on Saturday and Sunday afternoons in town centres and residential streets will take place and all 21 wards will get their own dedicated street sweeper to focus on cleaning up the dirtiest spots in their area.

In total an extra 28 street sweepers in addition to the existing crews will be sent in to clean up the borough’s streets from 6 January. So far 147 of the dirtiest spots across the borough have been identified for immediate action as part of the campaign.

Brent Council is committed to delivering clean streets and high standards of cleansing for all areas, including removing any flytipping as quickly as possible.

It is not clear whether the 28 street sweepers are new employees or current employees on overtime and what the budgetary implications are for the move.

The fly tipping 'Hot Spots' identified by the council for action can be found on the table below:

 

Black teachers and pupils and academisation - some issues

Back in the 1970s/80s I was involved in campaigns against racism in London schools. This had many facets including attitudes towards black pupils, disproportionate numbers of black pupils in SEN and Disruptive Pupils units, ethnic differences in examination entrance, a mono-cultural curriculum and not least discrimination against black teachers.

In this Guest Blog Dalian Adofo looks at current issues regarding the academisation of education:

2013 has been an interesting year for the state of UK education, we have witnessed a youtube video go ‘viral’ laying bare all the contradictions and misrepresentations put forth by the current Education secretary, Michael Gove. There has also been independent production of multiple documentaries highlighting the enforced conversion of many schools into Academies even with resistance by teaching staff and the local communities they serve. In most cases the only justification for conversion to Academies have being that provided by Ofsted after a school inspection.

The resistance to Academies is not so hard to understand, how is education a commodity? The body of knowledge to be acquired can be commoditised yes, but the process of learning as well? It does not take much to realise that we all learn at a different paces based on different cognitive, social and other factors, hence why teachers by default are required to differentiate the learning process to give all students the opportunity to progress sufficiently in their learning.

It is therefore wise that we question the impact imposing targets and performance management directives as tools to measure ‘work efficiency’ will be in such an environment for learning. How will these pressures to perform, part and parcel of the Academies model of education, affect teaching and learning in the long run?               Will teachers be working to ensure they meet targets and keep their jobs or take time out to provide for individual learning needs and requirements, not forgetting the longer hours of work and more paperwork to complete by teachers.

Newspaper coverage from outlets such as the Independent has highlighted the despair and low morale of teachers from surveys carried out by organisations such as the National Union of Teachers (NUT), so the main question is, why is the Government not listening? And is it not obvious who teachers will ultimately be exerting such frustrations on, and will it be a positive impact on learning? I strongly doubt it.

Evidence from the US where the Charter schools model provided the inspiration for our Academies, shows that some of these institutions, usually in highly impoverished inner-city areas, are abandoned within a decade by their investors presumably because their investments has earned returns so it is time to move on.

But what about the wellbeing and development of the child, or does the money matter more? Is this the type of education we want for our children? Or is the suggestion that this is the type of education that children from such backgrounds deserve?

The other disturbing element to the Academies is the lack of Black (in the political sense) staff in senior management positions and as regular staff. Data from the recent Black Teachers Conference suggests that increasingly, non-White staff are being ‘replaced’ with White peers using the same performance management processes that are meant to encourage ‘efficiency’ and ‘high performance’. Rather bizarre?

It is rather disheartening that one of the stated objectives for introducing Academies is to improve standards in inner-city schools yet there seems to be no impetus to keep staff who best reflect the student demographic itself. It is interesting that every year hundreds of non-white individuals will successfully endure and pass teacher-training courses across the country, yet somehow when on the job they are deemed ‘inadequate’…how is this contradiction being addressed by the Government?

And if indeed, we are to entertain the ridiculous notion that non-whites are somehow inadequate in comparison to their white counterparts, then what measures has the Government introduced to ensure that this section of its populace can excel to the ‘desired standards’ once in employment? From the evidence presented at the conference, such ‘enforced removals’ are not strictly for non-whites either, even though they are in the majority. What measures then is the Government or Ofsted implementing to ensure objective measurement of performance rather than what is seemingly subjective judgments informed by nepotistim and/or favouritism?

Entertaining that idea that social standing, class or ethnicity puts one in better stead to educate children is as elitist as it is racist, and utterly preposterous- certainly not a notion to be entertained in a nation priding itself on its democratic values. What will a person from the leafy suburbs of Windsor have in common with a child from the ‘concrete jungles’ of Stonebridge, Brixton or Tower Hamlets?

How will that individual inspire the child to succeed, where is the area of commonality, shared experience and empathetic understanding of the child’s needs beyond the transference of knowledge?

My PGCE at the Institute Of Education clearly outlined the role other pertinent factors play in learning beyond the acquisition of knowledge- how important ethnic, cultural, religious/spiritual and social factors amongst others, played in motivating children to succeed. How can this vision of ‘raising standards’ for these ‘deprived’ children be realised if the only role-models they can find in their school are the cleaners, janitors and meal staff?

What exactly are we trying to get them to aspire to then- just being white and upper-class as the standard of achievement? Suffice to say, we are no longer in the days of empire, the sun set on it long ago, and for the state of education to be enriching for all, it has to grow to appreciate the important roles varied backgrounds and individuals can play in making it an inspiring experience for all involved in the educational transaction. Whilst all these political, economic and social games are being played, we must not forget the most important factor in all this- the children, and ask ourselves is this the best course of action for their future? Is this the future we want for them?

Readers may be interested in this research about black teachers in the UK LINK

A new hotel for Wembley Central to replace tax office

Valiant House

Brent Planning Committee will be recommended to approve another Wembley hotel at their meeting on January 14th.

This hotel will replace Valiant House which is on the corner of the High Road and Cecil Avenue and currently occupied by HMRC, which is closing its offices. Copland Community High School is on the other side of Cecil Avenue.

This, the latest of several such applications, proposes a 116 bedroom hotel with an additional three storeys above the present building. The small car park in Cecil Avenue would be closed if the scheme goes ahe

Euro Hotel Elm Road

The hotel would be run by the Euro Hotel Group which already owns the Euro Hotel in Elm Road Wembley. They have other hotels in Clapham, Peckham, Leyton and Croydon.

Their hotels are at the budget end of the market. Elm Road has just one star. A room there is currently quoted as low as £15 on the internet.


According to the documentation only one objection LINK has been received. The objection was based on insufficient parking, adding to traffic congestion and disturbance caused by 'revellers' at the hotel's bar and restaurant.

The architects, Dexter Moren Associates describe the project thus:

Illustration on Dexter Moren website

Looking at ways to add value to our clients’ developments by efficient spatial planning and maximising the number of rooms is one of our core skills as specialist hotel architects. Working with Euro Hotel Group, DMA have submitted plans to Brent Council for the development of a hotel on the High Road Wembley. Our proposal looks to extend and reconfigure the existing “Valiant House” to create a hotel with 116 bedrooms with basement and ground floor public areas. A three storey contemporary box has been introduced to sit above the existing red brick building which steps down to the rear of the site where a lower extension adheres to the more domestic street scene.  The whole is clad in high pressure laminate coloured to enhance the red brick of the existing structure while large windows and brightly coloured deep reveals add a sense of play. Internally the layouts have been carefully considered to best utilise the existing plan and extend in a sensitive and informed manner creating a flow of space that offers a practical solution that both maximises accommodation on the site and adheres to planning constraints.

Another hotel is planned south of this down the Harrow Road on the site of the Bridge Park Sports Centre and more hotels are due to be opened in the Quintain development in Wembley Park.

At the same meeting the Committee will decide whether an expansion of Preston Park Primary School to accommodate 840 pupils should go ahead. Details HERE

Expansion of Princess Frederica school proposed despite strong parent opposition

Princess Frederica  Cof E Primary School, Kensal Rise

The Brent Executive on January 13th will be asked to approve the expansion of Princess Frederica Primary School despite substantial opposition.

The school would grow from 420 pupil capacity to 630 by 2020 with some new build and partial demolition and rebuild of the present building.  The new build would include a roof top playground.

The Council argue that the expansion is needed to address the current shortage of school places due to the rising child population of Brent.

The Officers' Report LINK states that in the initial consultation 7 local residents were for expansion and 14 against, 3 parents were for and 22 against and 26 staff were for with 1 against.

Following the Statutory Notice during the four week Representation Stage  224 responses were received of which 16 were for the expansion and 208 against.

These are statement from some of the objectors:

“I am writing to ask you to turn down the request for the school expansion of Princess Frederica. The local area and infrastructure will not be able to sustain the added congestion. Already both the pupils and local community are put at risk through the cramming of small pavements and roads. I would suggest a much better use of Brent’s resources would be to turn around the local schools in the area –meeting specifically Furness Road School.

Piling all the resources into one local school which for now is popular, shows no sense of long term  planning for the broader community.”

“- the proposal is far too large for the footprint of the site and the access roads in the surrounding areas. The works will cause severe disruption to the education and welfare of the children there in 2014 and the dust created by building work will create a health hazard for my daughter who suffers from asthma there are better alternative schools sites for building expansion in the vicinity, we have real worries about how the building work - dust, noise, heavy machinery is inevitable - will affect the education of the current children, and also that the pressure on space from the additional classes each year will affect the future education in the widest sense, as well as the logistical issues of safety in delivering and collecting a greater number of children from school each day.”

“College Rd & Purves Rd are narrow & bottle neck at the slightest provocation. How will they & their residents cope with the heavy lorries & construction vehicles that will be needed on top of an already precarious equalibrium? If, as I understand,  the admission criteria are not to change to include more children on proximity rather than church attendance, there will be more cars & bicycles at drop off  & pick up times. Bicycles are being stolen from the railings outside the school on a regular basis & campaigns for parking them on the school premises have failed for years for reasons of short space!”

 “I believe that the school facilities are already over stretched and the addition of more pupils at the expense of outside s pace does not serve the educational interests of the pupils. In addition, two years of packed lunches and studying next to a building site will not help the children's education

 On space the Council respond:

Design work shows that it is possible to fit the additional buildings/internal space needed for the

increased number of children on the existing school  site and leave sufficient outside play area to  meet guidelines.

The additional proposed roof top play area and changes to the surfacing of ground level play areas, mean that based on the government’s method for measuring outdoor play areas there is sufficient to meet guidelines for a 3FE school on a confined inner city site.

It is accepted that during construction the available outside play space will be reduced but this will be managed to minimise the impact on existing children.

 On parking and infrastructure the Council state:

There is no parking on the school site and no facilities to drop off children by car other than on roads immediately surrounding the school. The school travel plan will actively encourage a majority of parents to walk or  cycle to school with their children.Cycle and scooter storage will be provided on site to avoid congestion created on the pavement by cycles being chained up outside school.  

It is proposed to widen the pavement in parts along  Purves Road to alleviate pedestrian congestion.  

A full transport assessment has been undertaken and will be submitted with the planning application. LBB Highways will review the application in detail and make further recommendations if required to minimise the  impact of proposed expansion on the existing road network.

On the community's preference for a 2 form entry school the council gives no quarter and presses what it sees as the benefits of larger shcools and in a new departure suggests they are becoming the norm:

Brent has 12 successful 3FE primary schools and 6 successful 4FE primary schools. 3FE and larger primary schools are now becoming the norm across London. Larger primary schools have considerable advantages in being able to afford higher levels of expertise, including subject expertise in e.g. MFL.

They also offer a wider range of extra curricular and after school activities. Brent also has many primary aged children currently without a school place. The council has a statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient school places for Brent residents who require a school place.

The Council say that it cannot changes the admissions criteria because the school is a Church of England Voluntary Aided School and therefore in charge of its own admissions. These currently give preference of church worshippers.

 Clearly this case raises issues that have been previously addressed on Wembley Matters over the optimum size of schools and the importance of play space. Most importantly of course it raises questions about consultation processes when, in this case, overwhelming views of parents as stakeholders are rejected.

The expansion plans will not be going to Planning Committee until June 2013 but the Council proposes that an additional 30 pupils will start in existing accommodation in September 2014 with the building works finished before the start of the 2015/16 academic year. The additional forms of entry will then gradually fill up the school year by year.

Don't punish children for being children - sign this petition

Children at Play - Brueghel

Play England, of which I am a member, has been Tweeting supporters asking them to sign a petition to Norman Baker, Minister of State for Crime Prevention, over proposals to redefine anti-social behaviour. The petition was started by the Standing Committee for Youth Justice and their text and justification are self-explanatory.

There is enough discouragement of children's play as it is, as well as the temptation of screen entertainment. On the estate where I live children ride their assorted bikes and scooters around the close, have 'adventures' in the woodland that borders the estate, sometimes build their own shelters and dens as well as playing in the 'official' playground.

It is happy, healthy , safe and sociable but could be ended by one persistent complainant if this change goes through.

Here is the petition.

We call on the government to keep the existing definition of anti-social behaviour and not to broaden it to “conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance.”

Why is this important?

The government is changing the law and replacing ASBOs with Injunctions To Prevent Nuisance and Annoyance (IPNAs). While ASBOs targeted behaviour considered to “cause harassment, alarm or distress,” IPNAs will target conduct “capable of causing nuisance or annoyance”.

This new wording is too vague and casts the net far too wide. 

A ten year old could get an IPNA for doing something as harmless as playing football or climbing a tree, just because someone finds their behaviour annoying. And the punishments aren’t trivial either. An IPNA can lead to a prison sentence. 

Even the Association of Chief Police Officers, in giving evidence to MPs, warned that IPNAs “have the potential to be used inappropriately” and “unnecessarily criminalise” children.

Let’s tell the government we don’t want our children to be punished for being children.

Please sign our petition to Norman Baker, the Minister for Crime Prevention, asking him to keep the current definition of anti-social behaviour as causing harassment, alarm or distress.

You can sign the 38 degrees petition HERE

A House of Common research paper on the proposal can be found HERE

Paul Lorber cleared of Code breach over Barham Library by Independent Investigator

Paul Lorber, right kneeling, outside the Barham Library building

Following a complaint by Cllr Powney that Cllr Paul Lorber (Liberal Democrat leader) breached the Council's Code of Conduct for Members an Independent Investigator has made the recommended  finding that he did not breach the Code.

Cllr Powney was the architect of the Library Transformation Project that closed six of Brent's 12 libraries, including Barham Library.

Councillor Powney alleged that during an email exchange with Mr Duncan Smith, Artistic Director of the Association for Cultural Advancement through Visual Arts ACAVA), in September 2013, about the organisation's proposed tenure of the library building, Councillor Lorber:

• adopted a tone that was both offensive and intimidating
• disclosed confidential information in relation to ACAVA's proposed tenancy
•  improperly used his position as a councillor to confer or attempt to confer an advantage to the Friends of Barham Library, a charity on whih Cllr Lorber acted as trustee.

The full report by Alex Oran, Independent Investigator, will be considered by the Committee on Thursday January 9th and can reject the recommendation although Fiona Ledden recommends that the Committee accepts it. The full report is HERE

Although the discussion could turn into a political Punch and Judy Show this thoughtful report merits a calm discussion on the role of councillors, their community involvements and what constitutes 'robust' communication.

This was recognised by the Independent Person, Sola Afuape who accepted the recommendation but according to Fiona Ledden:

...did however consider that there are a number of issues that give rise to questions and concerns coming out of the report, which she considered would be helpful to explore in discussions at the Standards Committee. The issue around conflict of interests, given the different roles a councillor may have in the community, should be considered. It may be helpful for clear written advice to assist members and enable the committee to promote integrity and probity as well as transparency. Brent has a very diverse community which could lead to councillors being in positions where conflicts arise, from competing community groups, hence clear published guidance would assist members in making sure proper declarations are made.

I have extracted the following from the report to give a flavour of the issues considered by Alex Oram:

In considering whether this amounts to a breach of the Code I consider it important that members should be able to express themselves in a robust manner that allows them to be passionate. While Councillor Lorber’s comments and questions were direct and forceful, none were in my view offensive or demeaning.

In my experience organisations whose work involves either the receipt of public money or their entering into contracts with a local authority should be prepared for tough questioning. Mr Smith was clearly not used to being challenged in the way that he was in this instance. While I acknowledge Mr Smith’s right to respond in the manner that he did, at no stage in the correspondence did Councillor Lorber cross the line from robust questioning into personal abuse or anything resembling the defamation he was accused of. Nor did the overall context of the exchange – email communications between Councillor Lorber, Mr Duncan, the ACAVA trustees and then the entire Council - render Mr Duncan at a disadvantage in any way as would be the case had Councillor Lorber attacked him or his charity in the Council chamber.

I consider that Councillor Lorber’s comments were political or quasi-political in nature and benefit from a high level of protection under the Human Rights legislation. With this in mind my view is that the bar Councillor Lorber would have to cross, in terms of disrespectful behaviour, to breach the code is set high. While I am of the view that some of Councillor Lorber’s comments were ill judged and unwise, it is my view that Councillor Lorber’s comments were not so serious as to amount to a failure to comply with paragraph 3(1) of the Code and that any such finding would be a disproportionate restriction on Councillor Lorber’s right to freedom of expression

The Localism Act makes it clear that it is proper for councillors to play an active part in local discussions and that people can elect their councillor confident in the knowledge that they will be able to act on the issues they care about and have campaigned on. In many cases councillors themselves will have a long track record of community activism before they were elected – their inspiration to serve their local communities will often have its roots in community work. The Act encourages councillors to reshape their role away from bureaucratically-driven, paper-heavy  meetings and processes, to much more creative roles leading and energising their local communities and encouraging self-organised  groups to be ambitious.

In trying to advantage the Friends of Barham Library Councillor Lorber was attempting to further a goal which he believed would bring a clear benefit to the community he represents. Councillor Lorber has maybe taken a more proactive role than many councillors might have under similar circumstances. However I have found no evidence that Councillor Lorber’s financial interests or those of his family or associates would be affected in any way by the outcome of any part of his correspondence with Mr Smith. In this regard I note that the Friends of Barham Library is answerable to the Charity Commission for its activities as a registered charity and that it is a Company guaranteed without share.

In my view, the threshold for a failure to comply with paragraph 5 of the Code in the case of expressions of view has to be set at a level that allows for the passion and fervour that often accompanies political debate or exchanges relating to decisions made by the Council. This is entirely consistent with the objective of maintaining proper standards in public life. In my view at no time did Councillor Lorber conduct himself in a manner that one might view as reducing the public’s confidence in him to able to fulfil his role; or adversely affecting the reputation of members generally.

Battling Brent in 2013

Brent was a battlefield in 2013 as campaigners challenged both the Coalition's attack on the welfare state and the Labour Council's 'dented shield' approach to cuts.  Some of these campaigns made national headlines, many were unsuccessful, some won minor concessions and there were a few victories.

 The Home Office campaign to send a van round around areas of high diversity, including Brent, urging immigrant to 'Go Home' aroused immediate opposition which was spear-headed by Brent ace tweeter @PukkahPunjabi using the #racistvan tag. A mixture of mobilisations when vans were spotted, photoshopped parodies, official complaints to tha ASA and EHRC, and protests by politicians including Muhammed Butt led eventually to the vans being dropped.

Following revelations by the BBC that two Willesden letting agencies were colluding with landlords who did not want Black tenants there was another speedy mobilisation by campaigners which was supported by some Labour councillors and some of the Labour candidates for the Brent Central parliamentary nomination. Council leader Muhammed Butt said he would speak to Brent Trading Standards officers about the issue but I have not yet heard of any outcome.

Brent Council was the target for a a demonstration outside Willesden Magistrates Court when the Council summonsed 3,300 people for non-payment of Council Tax. These were low-income people, already hit by benefit cuts, often having to pay the tax for the first time after the Council introduced its Council Tax Support scheme. Council leader Muhammed Butt argued that the summonses were the only way to get to talk to the people affected. The Council later revealed in an under-publicised 'consultation' that it wanted to continue the scheme with just a few tweaks.

The Counihan-Sanchez Family Campaign which began when Brent Council made a local family homeless, broadened out into a campaign on local housing taking up issues regarding the bedroom tax, benefit cuts and evictions. Brent Housing Action was formed to link activists, tenants and housing organisations in a united campaign which also covered Brent's growing private rented sector. The Kilburn Unemployed Workers' group developed  its work of defending and supporting unemployed workers through regular meetings to share experiences and ideas.

Gladstone Park Primary parents formed an action group to oppose the school's forced academisation following a poor Ofsted report. They demanded a democratic say in the school's future and urged the Council to support them in arguing that the school, supported by the local authority had the capacity to improve. Unequivocal support was not forthcoming and eventually governors having argued for the right to choose their own sponsor chose CfBT. The parents' campaign put forward the idea of a federation with an 'outstanding' school in Camden as an alternative but the Council turned this down only for the idea to emerge again last month with the head of that school being appointed as Executive head before CfBT took over in April 2014. Unfortunately that fell through when Camden decided that because of changing circumstances  at her school they no longer supported her appointment to Gladstone Park. The school is left in limbo for the Spring term.

Copland High School was similarly faced with forced academisation following a poor Ofsted.
The school, already suffering financial problems because of the bonus scandal and a very poor building, had an Interim Executive Board imposed on it by Brent Council and a new management that swiftly made staff redundant and life uncomfortable for those remaining. A pupil petition in support of  the school staff brought no response from the Council and lead member for Children and Families, Michael Pavey, declared there was 'no alternative to academisation'.

At a public meeting Pavey later said that the academy sponsor would not necessarily be Ark, despite the fact that pupils had been sent a letter announcing the appointment of Delia Smith of Ark as Executive head teacher.  Copland unions have come out on strike several times against academisation and for a democratic ballot of all involved and will continue the battle in 2014.

The fragmentation of education in the borough continued with the approval by Michael Gove of three secondary free school to open in September 2014. The most controversial is the Michaela Community School, the brain child of Katharine Birbalsingh, who wowed the Tory Conference years ago with her account of teaching in a comprehensive school. In a minor victory Michaela was forced to take down a huge banner on their proposed building for which they had not had planning permission. More importantly an FoI request established that they school had received only 50 first preferences for 120 Year 7 places. The other two schools, Gladstone and,Gateway, whilst recruiting Year 7s for 2014 have still not got premises.

Brent Fightback, sponsored by Brent Trade Union Council, has been active in many of these campaigns and was central to the campaign to save Central Middlesex A&E from closure under the Shaping a Healthier Future proposals. Unfortunately Brent Council failed to rise to the occasion and did not offer the same degree of support as Ealing Council did for their local campaign on Ealing Hospital. Although they joined in the march to Save Central Middlesex they did not advertise their opposition, circulate leaflets or hold public meetings as Ealing had done. They only belatedly came out in opposition and support the campaign that Fightback and Save Our NHS were fighting. The closure of A&E was approved by the Secretary of State and there are currently consultations on the future of the site, including its use as a 'hub' for a variety of activities.

There was also a huge national campaign in defence of the NHS and its privatisation in which Brent campaigners played a part. Privatisation involves out-sourcing service such as Blood Transfusion as well as smaller ones in particular NHS districts. In Brent you can often find yourself referred to a private service by your GP and the battle to ensure that local commission groups procure from within the NHS is a continuing battle.

The Bin Veolia in Brent Campaign challenged Brent Council on ethical procurement. They argued that council tax money should not go to Veolia, a company that profits from its operations in  support of  illegal settlements in Occupied Palestine. Labour councillors refused to make a political decision but instead hid behind legal arguments from officers. Despite support for the campaign from thousands of local residents, the Trade Union Council, Brent Central Labour GC, Hampstead & Kilburn Labour GC and potential Labour parliamentary candidates as wellas the Lib Dem Council opposition, Brent Council approved the awarding of the contract to Veolia.

During the campaign Executive members at times spoke about the possibility of the Council adopting an ethical procurement policy but little has been heard of it since. The Council has continued to out-source services and has refused to answer, on grounds of cost, my Freedom of Information request asking how many of its out-sourced suppliers and services pay the London Living Wage.

Brent Green Party consistently opposed the building of a new £100m Civic Centre as a grandiose and wasteful vanity project. It is now open and has encountered problems with IT and its telephone system. In a fairly typical PR failure the Council spent more than £90,000 on an opening ceremony claiming this was a tiny drop of expenditure amidst the millions of pounds cut from their budget by the Coalition.

Brent Council has a policy of selling off its land to developers to help finance new facilities which they then claim are 'at no cost to residents'. They approved the redevelopment of Willesden Green Library which involved a land transfer to Galliford Try in exchange for a new Cultural Centre to replace the Willesden Green Library Centre.  The Cultural Centre  will have a smaller foorprint than the Library Centre and will not include space for the Willesden Bookshop.

The luxury flats built by the developer went on sale in Singapore with a unique selling point: assuring would be purchasers that they would not include keyworker housing or affordable housing on the same site - i.e.no poor people on site.

The Keep Willesden Green campaign were defeated in their  valiant attempt to keep the public space in front of the library but did retain the historic Victorian library.

An independent campaign for the 2014 local elections has emerged from the struggl, and the resulting community solidarity, in the form of Make Willesden Green which is standing Alex Colas as a candidate.

Library campaigns have been particularly resilient and good at building social solidarity in their areas through a variety of activities including pop up libraries, reading festivals, pub quizzes, 'Light of Learning' runs between the closed libraries as well as taking on the Council, All Souls College, developers and the Secretary of State.

An issue that needs resolving early in 2014 is the alleged fraudulent submissions to the planning department supporting developer Andrew Gillick's plans for Kensal Rise Library. Brent Council has passed the details to the police but no action has yet resulted.

Another development issue to be resolved in 2014 is the future of Willesden Green's Queensbury pub. The Brent Conservative Party sold the building off to a developer who plans a 10 storey block of flats. After a concerted campaign the Council granted the pub Asset of Community Value status, not least because of its use by toddler groups. The developer has revised plans to offer a smaller pub/wine bar/community space but opposition continues on the basis of the inadequacy of the offer and the inappropriateness of the new building in the local context.

One of my great regrets of 2013 is our failure, despite an energetic cross-party and cross-borough campaign to stop an enormous development on the Barnet side of the Welsh Harp. Luxury tower blocks (again!) will loom over the reservoir, bird sanctuary, nature reserve and SSSI.  Campaigners addressed the Barnet Plannning Committee to no avail, protested about hat appeared to be a very biased presentation by the planning officer and took the issue to Boris Johnson's planners at the GLA. The development will go ahead in 2014.

The campaign against the Harlesden Incinerator had similarities in so far as it was again just across the border from Brent, this time in Ealing, but affecting Brent residents. It also involved some cross-party support and local residents.

The campaign was successful in getting the decision deferred for further investigation about the dangers posed by emissions.

At the turn of the year it appeared that the proposal is unlikely to go ahead because the site is needed for the HS2 project, which in the broad sweep of things may not represent a victory for the environment but may relieve the local residents.

My favourite positive story of the year has to be the opening of the new Chalkhill Park in Wembley. A lot of pressure had to be exerted to bring the project to fruition but it is transforming the estate through providing a public and social space for all ages.

The picture shows the official opening with the Chalkhill Primary School Carnival but in reality children had opened the park themselves weeks previously, unable to resist the swings and climbing equipment.

Next year is going to be hard but it does give us an opportunity in the local and Euro elections to use the ballot box to register our views on what has been going on. Of course I hope that many will choose to vote Green but I also hope that all readers will continue to campaign energetically for environmental and social justice - locally, nationally and internationally.

Wembley Matters wishes you a successful New Year of struggle

Page views May 2007 to Jan 1st2014

I would like to thank all my readers for their support this year which has seen the Wembley Matters readership continue to grow.   In particular I am grateful to guest bloggers and those who have contributed information for my stories.

Later this month Wembley Matters should hit half a million 'all time' page views.

I wish everyone a successful New Year of struggle for environmental and social justice..