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Primary school is in ‘crisis’
Parents threaten to sue education chiefs over standard
SECRET internal documents reveal how one of Islington’s oldest primary schools is in crisis with 96 per cent of nine-year-olds struggling to write.
The problems at Clerkenwell Parochial, in Amwell Street, are so bad that 20 parents have already removed their children from the school. A further 21 are believed to be on the waiting list ready to be accepted at other schools.
Sources at the school say at least two parents have taken legal advice over suing the board of governors and CEA@Islington, the company that runs the borough’s schools.
Complaints about too many supply teachers and an “overbearing” board of governors have dogged the school since the summer.
One parent said: “A parent-governor removed her children last week, two more went yesterday and another one today. They’re leaving like lemmings, it’s every single day.
“Clerkenwell Parochial has plunged from being one of the top-performing primary schools in the borough to being one of the worst.
“This can’t go on and we are demanding to know who is accountable.”
CEA say the numbers of children leaving the school is what they “would expect”, although parents questioned why they would leave so quickly, in such a short space of time.
The Church of England school is one of the Queen’s favourite primaries, having made numerous visits there, both on her own and with Prince Charles.
But it scores badly in every key government primary school indicator and is the worst in Islington in vital ‘Value Added’ tests.
In December, a new headteacher, Alison Forbes, was brought in to drag the school out of the doldrums, replacing former head Charles Morris.
Clerkenwell Parochial is run by the Church of England with Rachel Baughen as its chair of governors.
She is the wife of Reverend Andrew Baughen, the vicar of St James’s Church in Clerkenwell Close.
Mrs Baughen said last night (Thursday): “I’ve got nothing more to say, all communications matters have to go through CEA.”
Confidential internal ‘tracking’ figures seen by the Tribune show that in Year 4, 37 per cent of children are under target in reading, 96 per cent in writing and 78 per cent in maths.
In Year 5, where children take key SATs exams, 63 per cent are under-performing in reading, 80 per cent in writing and 87 per cent in maths.
Thirty seven per cent of children at the school have special educational needs.
The problems have been compounded by the unexplained suspension of Year 6 head Ian Chaplain.
Five supply teachers have been and gone from the role in recent months.
Sources say the exodus of children will have a detrimental effect on funding with an estimated £2,700 of government money given per child at the school.
A CEA spokeswoman said: “The headteacher and governing body recognise the need to raise standards. As part of that process, they are looking at the achievement of pupils across the school and with the help of CEA and the Diocese, have put in place a range of strategies to improve the achievement of individual pupils.
She added: “We have not received any legal paperwork, or notification of legal action, regarding claims from parents against the school.
“A number of new staff have been recruited to the school and are working well. The level of staff turnover at the school (including supply teacher placements) is comparable to other Islington primary schools.”
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