Education boss delighted by rejection of academies

Published: 13 August, 2010
by RÓISÍN GADELRAB

A GOVERNMENT scheme to allow every school in the country to become an academy has been rejected wholeheartedly by Islington.

Labour education chief Councillor Richard Watts this week welcomed the news that not one school in Islington has taken up Education Minister Michael Gove’s offer to become an academy.

The Tribune reported last month how Pooles Park, Christ the King and St Peter and St Paul’s primary schools had all expressed an interest in taking on academy status after Mr Gove wrote to every school in the country opening up the pos­sibility to all.

As “outstanding” schools, both Christ the King and St Peter and St Paul’s could have been fast-tracked to academy status as soon as next term, while Pooles Park would have gone through a longer process.

At the time, not one secondary school had shown an interest in the offer. But even before the Tribune had gone to print on the story last month, Christ the King headteacher Paul Campbell revealed his school had gone cold on the idea.

He said: “Our governors have decided not to proceed [with academy status] as the full implications, especially in regard to church schools, remain unclear at this time.”

But in the latest government list published just over a week ago, Islington schools were conspicuously absent.

Cllr Watts said: “Labour academies are all about investing money in areas where schools are doing badly or deprived areas that need new schools. Tory academies are about taking schools that are already doing well or are in affluent areas and giving them extra money and freedoms. The ethos is about the haves rather than the have-nots. There are not many inner city schools on the list.”

He added: “We’re pleased that no Islington schools are trying to opt out at the moment. It’s a vote of confidence in the council but also a rejection of what the Tory government is trying to do with schools. Talking to heads, I detect no enthusiasm for opting out of council control.”

It was not possible to find out the reason why Pooles Park and St Peter and St Paul’s had changed their minds as the schools have now broken up for the summer holidays.

Originally, Pooles Park governor Mark Tinkler had said the school was considering all options, including looking at trust and foundation status, and was interested in controlling admissions, becoming direct employers of their own staff and owning its own property.

Islington National Union of Teachers president Alasdair Smith said: “They have all pulled out as far as I’m aware. They’ve looked at this and thought this is too risky – there’s no clear benefit. The government talked about extra money but there’s no evidence. It’s too risky if you leave the protection of the local authority.”

But, he warned: “I don’t think we should be complacent because if lots of schools in the country go academy and it gathers momentum then Islington schools may look at it again.”