Putting the case against academies in Barnet

A circular from Barnet Anti Academies Alliance outlining their plans for informing parents about the implications of going for academy status. If you can help with any of these activities or you would like more information, email barnet@antiacademies.org.uk.

At our meeting this evening, we planned a number of activities. We will be focussing on the schools next in line to become Academies. Trade Unionists in those schools will be meeting to consider motions opposing Academy status, and we will be leafletting parents at events such as open evenings.

We would like to leaflet at the following times, please let me know if you can help:

East Barnet - 6.30pm, Monday 20th September

Ravenscroft - 6pm, Tuesday 21st September

Ashmole - 6pm, Thursday 23rd September (leaflet for 30-40 minutes before going to the Public Meeting, see below)

Compton - Tuesday 28th September (probably 6pm)

We also discussed holding a Conference in January, any ideas you have would be welcome.

And don't forget the public meeting, Thursday 23rd September, 7pm, Emerald Suite, NLBP with a speaker from the National Anti Academies Alliance.

Barnet council should appeal over Building Schools for the Future money

Barnet Unison write about the loss of Building Schools for the Future money:

Ravenscroft School – an outstanding school

Ravenscroft was one of six schools which were due for improvements under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. The other Barnet Schools are Bishop Douglass RC, Copthall, Oak Lodge, St Mary’s CE High, The Pavilion.

The reason given for the projects to be scrapped by Education Secretary Michael Gove was: “The whole way we build schools needs radical reform.”

Barnet Schools were not the only schools to receive this bad news. However, some councils responded differently. What was Barnet Council’s response?

Councillor Andrew Harper, Barnet Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for education, children and families, said: “Of course it is disappointing that the funding earmarked to improve six Barnet schools will not be available, but we knew this day was coming.”

Some Councils decided that there was a need to fight this decision.

· Sandwell Council in the West Midlands has already appointed lawyers in a bid to retrieve funding worth £200m.

· Nottingham City Council and Bradford Metropolitan District Council are also considering legal action.

Sign our petition asking Barnet to appeal the decision to withdraw funding from Ravenscroft and the other five Barnet Schools.

To obtain a copy of the petition email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk or telephone UNISON office 020 8359 2088.

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Vicki comments: unlikely as it might seem, given their track record in the last few weeks, Barnet Tory administration seem in this case to be doing everything they can to help the central government. They don't want to embarass Cameron and Gove for knocking BSF on the head! What about the interests of Barnet residents, parents, students and education staff? Was it not at least worth an appeal?!

All in this together? Then support your LEA!

A prospective Ravenscroft parent has written to its headmaster, explaining why he opposes the school going for academy status.

You can read the letter here on the website of Barnet Anti Academies Alliance.

By Gove! I think he's exaggerating

Education Secretary Michael Gove has rushed through the legislation for academies, insisting it had to be done quickly owing to the vast amount of demand there was from schools. In fact, nationally, only 153 schools have actually applied. Unfortunately, 19 of those "registering an interest" (a step short of applying, although some of those have gone on to do that as well) are in Barnet.

Here's the list of "not outstanding" schools "registering an interest" (from the Department for Education website):

• Bishop Douglass School Finchley (Secondary)
• Finchley Catholic High School (Secondary)
• Hasmonean High School (Secondary)
• JCoSS - Jewish Community Secondary School (proposed to open 01/09/10)
• Mill Hill County High School (Secondary)
• Monken Hadley CofE Primary School
• Osidge Primary School

Here's the list of "outstanding" schools "registering an interest" (from the Department for Education website):

• Ashmole School (Secondary)
• Barnfield Primary School
• Hasmonean Primary School
• Independent Jewish Day School (Primary)
• Queen Elizabeth's Girls' School (Secondary)
• Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet (Secondary)
• St Mary's CofE Primary School, East Barnet
• St Michael's Catholic Grammar School
• The Compton School (Secondary)
• The Henrietta Barnett School (Secondary)
• The Ravenscroft School A Technology College (Secondary)
• Whitefield School (Secondary)

Another, shorter, list called "Applications to Convert as of 23 July 2010" showing those who have made full applications is available here. It includes only "outstanding schools". These are the Barnet schools on that list:

• Ashmole School
• East Barnet School
• Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet
• St Michael's Catholic Grammar School
• The Compton School
• The Ravenscroft School A Technology College

Although when the plans were first set out, the Tories suggested that any outstanding school that wanted to become an academy would be allowed to, Ravenscroft has already been turned down. Speculation is rife as to why: the feeling among some is that Ravenscroft just doesn't fit the bill of what an academy should look like, there are just too many working class kids there, for a start. That's one reason why it's relatively undersubscribed: the middle class parents of that area don't want their children mixing with hoi pollloi. (I don't know if this is fair but I've heard it from different sources.)

Barnet MP Theresa Villliers is upset, anyway, that Ravenscroft has been rejected and has secured a kind of appeal for the school. Villiers has written a letter to Gove (reported in the Barnet Press, Times series and Evening Standard) saying:

“As you will recognise, the decision to reject the application is a huge disappointment to the whole school community - to staff, parents and students – and to all of us in Barnet who strongly support the school and value the work that it does.

“You will see that the students come from diverse backgrounds, with a significant proportion having special educational needs and others coming from the refugee community.

"I know you do not wish academy status to be confined to those schools which head the results league tables.

"In my opinion, Ravenscroft's progress been hugely impressive in recent years. Ofsted's rating of the school as outstanding reflects the hard work by governors, staff and students. The school has given vastly improved life chances to hundreds of students who might otherwise have struggled or become disengaged from education."

The comment about it being a good school might well be right, but the comment about rejection being a disappointment can't be, because, from what I understand, staff, parents and students have barely been consulted at all about the application. It has come solely from a decision by the governors.

* Barnet Anti Academies Alliance* http://barnetantiacademiesalliance.wordpress.com/

So it's One Barnet but every school for itself?

I see a contradiction between Barnet council's moves toward sharing back office functions with other Barnet organisations and the drive to joined-up local governance - One Barnet - and their enthusiasm for getting all Barnet schools to become Academies.

This article in the Guardian shows school governors on the whole sceptical about the benefits of academies, and the separation of schools from the support of local authorities is one of the key reasons why:

Dennis Fox, a governor at Lantern Lane primary school in East Leake, Nottinghamshire, which is rated outstanding, said he would resign if it were to gain academy status.

"It's always reported as freeing schools from the constraints of local authorities, but I see it more as depriving schools of their support," he said. "Politicians don't seem to realise that the more you impose responsibility on schools the more they need that support. Academies imply an enormous extra responsibility for governors. This is not what I became a governor for."

Barnet council trade unions have issued a press statement responding to the news that the council is encouraging local schools to become academies. Read it here.

Meanwhile, some Barnet schools seem to be getting ahead of themselves. The legislation has not been written yet, but Ravenscroft School and East Barnet School are already clamouring to become Academies.

Do the parents or governors know what they would be getting themselves into? If you want to help with the unions' campaign at either of these schools, or want to know more please email info@barnettuc.org.uk. The unions will be leafleting today at 3pm at East Barnet school, and next week at Ravenscroft.