‘Stitch-up’ fears spark pleas by parents for a ballot on school bid to go it alone

Published: 27th May, 2011
by ANDREW JOHNSON

PARENTS of children at schools wishing to opt out of Town Hall control are being “stitched up” with a “biased”, “sham” and “rushed” consultation, opponents have said.

Angry parents and staff are now demanding a full ballot before any move is made by the ­primary schools – New North, Pooles Park and William Tyndale – to become independent and receive their funds directly from Westminster.

The government wants all schools to become academies. Supporters say this will give them greater control over their curriculum and free up funds. But opponents maintain it is back-door privatisation, with estimates valuing the education “industry” at £2billion. 

Numerous concerns about plans for one of the schools, New North, in St Peter’s, to become an academy were aired at a public meeting into the proposals on Tuesday.

Chief among them was that the private company which would step in to run many services – Strictly Education – is not only running the consultation but will draw up the final report recommending whether the school should opt out or not. 

“If that hasn’t got stitch-up written all over it I don’t know what has,” one parent complained.

Parents were angry that the leaflets handed out by the school out­lining the proposals have not been translated into the minority languages many of the parents speak. Not only can many parents not speak English, but the tiny text was difficult to read,  one parent complained.  There was also concern that pupils were pressuring parents to sign the forms and hand them in before the end of the consultation on Wednesday.

“We need to have time to talk about it,” one parent said. “I think this decision was taken a long time ago. Why have they waited until the last minute to consult us?”

Labour council leader Councillor Catherine West said there should be a “whole year of discussion and debate” before such a major move was made. She expressed concern that the school wanted to opt out just four years after the council paid for an £8million refurbishment.

“I’m a huge fan of the school,” she told the meeting at Popham Community Centre in Popham Street. “At the moment the school is very good and I wouldn’t want it to change for the worse. 

“I don’t feel there’s been enough of a conversation with the commun­ity and parents of the school. By becoming isolated it’s going to break the link with the community. We spent a lot of money on the school and I’m a bit upset now that the school wants to go it alone.”

She added: “The school wants to go out on its own without talking to us. There has been no dialogue. I don’t think the current private company is thinking about childcare. It’s thinking about its own profits. The council invests in our schools. We feel the process is too rushed.”

The meeting was addressed by Vaughan West, of the Islington branch of the GMB union, which represents support staff such as dinner ladies and caretakers. 

He said that the experience of other schools which had become academies was of a “two-tier” workforce, with headteachers paying themselves high wages while cutting everyone else’s.

“Central government and the headteachers are desperate to get academies in as soon as pos­sible without people asking questions,” he told parents. “They fear if you ask questions the answer will be No. 

“What happens with academies is that the headteachers get a huge pay rise and the support staff like cleaners and dinner ladies get a pay cut.”

He added: “I’ve just come from a meeting with staff and they don’t know what the future holds for them. They’re going to be forced to work for a private company. Our experience is that we end up with a two-tier workforce. Those who manage to keep their conditions and those who didn’t. 

“Many staff who worked for Islington Green have left since it became an academy in 2008. Those who joined since it became an academy have to work longer hours, they have less holiday and don’t have the same sick pay entitlement. So we get this tension between staff. 

“And we all know the make-up of the governing body will change. Any assurances they give now won’t apply in six months’ time. If the headteacher changes or the governors change then things will change. 

“We need a happy and stable workforce to provide the best education for your child.”

Labour ward councillor Gary Doolan argued that there was no evidence that academies improved school performance.

It was also pointed out that money made by private education companies would not be reinvested in schools and that some services, such as free school meals, funded directly by the Town Hall would be lost and the school would then have to choose whether to buy meals or books.

Other parents, speaking through a translator, complained that they could not read the leaflets as they had not been translated. Many parents do not speak English. Yet their children were pestering them to sign the forms as they were being told by teachers to bring them in before the deadline.

A parent of a child at nearby Hanover School pointed out that New North’s decision affected the whole community. Hanover’s governors had discussed becoming an academy a few weeks ago but decided to revisit the issue next year, she said.

“It is not a decision just for you and your teachers. It’s a disgrace. It offends everybody. You elect your parent-governors and they are there to represent your views. It’s what they’re elected to do. I really don’t think it’s a decision to be made by a single school.” 

The parents are now drawing up a petition demanding that the consultation period be extended and the decision – due to be made next month – be postponed so a full ballot of parents can be held.

Headteacher Mary McStay declined to comment on the meeting as it had not been held by the school as part of the consultation process.