privatisationupdate Academies, free schools and privatisation news Sept 2019 Issue 82 Waltham Holy Cross wins reprieve as trust faces DfE investigation

THE forced academisation of Waltham Holy Cross carrying out an investigation into serious allegations of cheating by school in Essex has been delayed pending a Department NETAT in KS1 writing SATs. for Education (DfE) investigation after parents and DfE officials were informed of the allegations twice, but no staff raised concerns over potential cheating by the action was taken. When Shaunagh Roberts – a parent at the school academy trust lined up to take over the school. – engaged a solicitor to write to the department, the Government responded at the end of July saying that officials were satisfied The school’s forced academisation into NET Academies Trust there was no charge to investigate having taken evidence from the (NETAT) was originally due to take place on 1 July 2019. The head of NETAT. trust had also been brought into the school by the Interim But in September the Government conceded that it would Executive Board ahead of the transfer. conduct an urgent investigation after receiving further evidence Parent and staff opposition – including three days of strike collected by Roberts and her lawyer from staff at Waltham Holy action by NEU members and a series of protests by parents – Cross and other NETAT academies. There will be no transfer of forced an initial delay to the takeover. NETAT later said a decision the school to academy status until the investigation is concluded. had been made to delay the transfer beyond the summer because The DfE’s decision to investigate the allegations is of ongoing discussions about urgent building works, including unprecedented and represents a huge victory for the staff and asbestos management. parents resisting the forced academisation of their school. It has now emerged that the DfE has been forced into (Guardian) Staff and parents in Brighton fight off academy trust

PARENTS and staff fighting Craig Arden, NEU regional officer, a petition and joined public meetings and the forced academisation of said: “We’re pleased to hear that due to the protest marches against the plans. Moulsecoomb school have scored campaigning of parents, an academy trust Brighton and Hove Council has a major victory with news that the has realised it would be a mistake to step in requested that the Secretary of State trust which had been lined up to and take over a school in the face of such revoke the order, citing the extensive take over the school has pulled out strong community opposition. support being given to the school by the in the face of sustained pressure. “Staff and parents believe the local authority. Ofsted inspection in April harshly and It has also instigated a parental ballot The identity of the trust has not been inaccurately deemed the school to be on the question of whether the school publicly announced. The school received inadequate, when they could see progress should be academised and requested that an academy order in April, following an clearly being made. the Regional Schools Commissioner accept Ofsted inadequate rating. More than 2,500 people had signed and act on the outcome. (The Argus) Parents forced to drop legal challenge

PARENTS have been forced to drop their The diocese wants to transfer the academisation, what do you do? Parents legal action against a Catholic diocese primary school, and all its other schools, deserve a voice and that voice to be heard. over its plan to academise their children’s into its own Catholic multi-academy trust “When you start at the school you primary school. (MAT). But parents now say they have hear a lot about the triangle of support that Families with children attending effectively been “priced out” of any legal is home, school and church. But, sadly, this Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School in action against the diocese and that they seems to have been forgotten. Wanstead, London, had applied to the cannot continue to fight the proposals. “I hope both the school and diocese High Court for a judicial review against A parent representative said: “No learn from this because it is our children’s Brentwood diocese which oversees the one ever wanted to take legal action, lives they are playing with. And they can’t administration of all Catholic schools in but when you are consistently met with speak out for themselves.” (East London the area. silence and delay tactics to force through Guardian) continued on page 2 1 Governing body that resisted academisation replaced Academies policy

THE governing body of Peacehaven NEU, said the county council’s move and the council confirmed the takeover was Heights School in Peacehaven, East “defies belief ”. complete on 1 September. DfE refuses to release info on land sell-off pilot Sussex, which rejected pressure to “What we have here is the council Conservative-controlled East Sussex become an academy as part of the exacting revenge on a governing body that Council announced on 5 November 2018 THE Government has launched a LocatED’s website says the current website and an official newsletter from the Kent-based Swale Academy Trust, dared to stand up to them,” he said, adding: that it would be reducing its core services pilot programme looking at the pilot intake is now full. However, a freedom Schools and Academies Show at which has been replaced by an imposed “A coalition of parents and staff beat them to schools in an attempt to make possibility of selling off academy of information request to the DfE from LocatED and the DfE made a presentation and unelected Interim Executive before at the Peacehaven primary schools £45 million of savings by 2021-22. land for housing, but has refused the website Education Uncovered, asking about their plans in April 2019. Board (IEB). and we shall do so again.” Since then it has been backing to release the names of academies for the number and names of the schools This stated: “LocatED and the DfE Another nearby school – Peacehaven proposals for local schools to become participating. taking part and which Regional Schools have created a list of 20 possible school Governors resigned en masse after hearing Community School – is now run by Swale academies. Commissioner regions they were located in, sites to take part in a new pilot scheme of East Sussex County Council’s plans to Academy Trust. In April, staff voted to Earlier in the year, parents and staff at The Surplus Land Pilot is being overseen was denied. which will aim to support schools and local replace them, according to The Argus. strike against plans to hand over the six East Sussex schools successfully fought by Government-owned property company The DfE’s response explained that authorities to identify surplus land in their Phil Clarke, secretary of the Lewes, school to Swale but a last-ditch legal bid off council-supported plans for them to LocatED, which describes it as “a small the reasons for the decision were “that estate which could be sold or redeveloped Eastbourne and Wealden branch of the to prevent the conversion failed in August form a MAT with a local secondary. scale pilot to explore how to reconfigure the surplus land pilot remains in for housing.” a selection of school properties with development. No decisions have yet been Sue Corbett, development manager surplus buildings or land” with the aim taken on the schools to form the pilot, and at LocatED, also told Schools Week in Strike at Enfield academy workload impact of those roles. Victory over working hours of unlocking “funds to support additional as such we are unable to provide a list at April that academies minister Lord Agnew sees reduction in workload Overall, these and other changes at Oasis Isle of Sheppey capital investment in school buildings and, this stage.” was expected to decide in May which sites NEU members at Oasis Academy will make a significant difference to NEU members at Oasis Academy Isle in turn, release land for homes”. This appears to contradict LocatED’s would form part of the pilot. Hadley in Enfield, north London, members at Oasis Hadley. of Sheppey have won more than took strike action over a proposed 51 hours of back-pay after mounting restructure that would mean Campaigns force academy a successful campaign over Education think tank’s proposals amount to members working across two schools order U-turns excessive working hours. several miles apart, impacting THE Government has revoked more Oasis Community Learning academisation by ‘central government diktat’ on staffing, workload, terms and than 33 academy orders, according accepted that the academy’s NEU conditions and staff wellbeing. to a Schools Week investigation. teacher members had been directed A NEW report on reforming than governing bodies. Likewise, if a school Alongside strike action, members Of the these, 27 were the result to work over 51.17 hours above their England’s school system, Trust “This is a clear wanted to leave a trust, it would also still also ran a campaign which included of a follow-up Ofsted inspection that 1265 contracted hours during the Issues, published by the education be up to the DfE to decide whether the a public meeting and a march past resulted in a higher grade, five were academic year 2018-2019. think tank EDSK, has been attempt to breathe application to move is approved. Oasis head office, ending at the DfE. issued because the school merged Oasis agreed to pay members represented in some headlines as Overall, the report’s recommended Following lengthy negotiations with with another, and one because a for the additional directed hours a call to “scrap” (TES) or “ditch” life into a dying actions would create a highly centralised the employer, a deal acceptable to school closed. following an indicative ballot in which (Schools Week) academies. system, with the Secretary of State and members was agreed. Three orders have been 98 per cent of members voted for programme.” civil servants having the power to force Significant concessions by Oasis revoked so far this year. The latest strike action. In fact, its recommendations do nothing of schools into different arrangements with should go some considerable way to was at William Torbitt Primary The academy also committed to the kind. If its proposals were implemented, the local authority, standalone academy, or little or no consultation with parents, staff addressing workload concerns. School in the London borough ongoing, meaningful discussion on all schools would become academies, albeit MAT. This would mean all local authority or communities. These include reducing the of Redbridge, which turned its workload; to providing NEU reps with a with their own governing bodies. Local schools would be converted into academies. Commenting on the report, Kevin number of formal reports to parents; inadequate rating into a good within directed time budget each year; and authorities would largely be reduced to The report acknowledges some of the Courtney, NEU joint general secretary, said: a new marking policy that will seven months. to meeting with NEU reps to discuss commissioning services for schools. fundamental problems with the academies “This is a clear attempt to breathe life into significantly reduce staff workload; The school was supported by a said budget to avoid future problems. The report’s central argument is that system, including lack of accountability for a dying programme before this happens. and a new, more supportive strong parent and NEU campaign to Liz Ruth, NEU rep, said: “I think it’s the existence of two different systems for parents, fragmented admissions, and a lack What it would amount to in practice is the behaviour policy. resist forced academisation. true to say that staff now feel more state schools – academies and local authority of transparency. total academisation of the school system by Oasis made some favourable Separate NEU data shows that unified and empowered as a result of schools – should be resolved. But the By reinstating governing bodies for central government diktat. changes to the proposed “clustering” governing bodies at 11 schools have the campaign. report comes down firmly on the side of academies in MATs, the recommendations “It would also involve an expansion of of roles (where staff would be abandoned plans to voluntarily “This win has made them realise academisation, without acknowledging this. would in theory give schools the ability to the unelected and unaccountable Regional required to work across two schools) convert after members balloted for they have the right to question and, if The report recommends that a State choose to leave a trust – another significant Schools Commissioner bureaucracy. It would and have agreed to review the or took strike action. needs be, to fight for their rights.” Schools Bill 2020 should introduce, “a new problem in the current system. actually reduce democratic accountability standardised funding agreement that will However, the proposals refer only to and make it harder for parents and staff to Academies policy apply to every state school” whether in school leadership initiating this, rather understand and navigate the system.” Leaked Tory proposals suggest boost for academies & free schools Academy bosses’ pay continues to rise

A LEAKED document seen by the Guardian in August appeared trusts to help them expand and would offer a £24,000 ‘incentive’ to THE DfE has revealed the identities of the examined academy pay to produce rankings named in their organisation’s accounts. to set out proposals to increase the rate of academisation and the encourage them to take on challenging schools. It also hopes to build 146 academy trusts that paid at least one of the top earners. Analysis of these figures This contrasts with the local authority number of free schools. on what it describes as, “the existing success and momentum of the person £150,000 or more in 2017-18. It reveals that, among those whose identities sector, where all highly paid council officials According to the paper, which was under discussion between free school programme”. represents a rise from the 125 trusts named have been disclosed, the list is dominated must be named and have details about their the Department for Education (DfE) and Number 10, the There have been no official announcements of new policy the previous year. (TES) by men. Nearly one in three people on the salaries and pensions documented, to the government plans to give more money to ‘successful’ academy measures in these two areas since the leak. (Guardian) The website Education Uncovered has list of those paid £150,000 or more are not pound, in annual accounts. continued on page 4 2 3 Academies policy Academy chain news Councils warn of ‘looming’ school places crisis Ex-minister’s academy trust folds after financial woes FLOREAT, the academy chain for a new Floreat Silver Meadow School in LOCAL authorities have called According to the LGA, this figure will said: “No family should face uncertainty over founded by Conservative peer “Floreat received Berkshire had to be scrapped. on the Government to give them rise to 27 in 2021/22, 49 in 2022/23 and their child’s school place. But our secondary and former Health Minister Lord They also show that the trust was powers to open maintained schools 64 in 2023/24. By 2024/25, a total of 71 school places crisis is now just one year away James O’Shaughnessy, has folded £340,000 of seeking unpaid volunteers to fill the roles of to avoid an impending secondary councils (48 per cent) face not being able to and this will be the reality for thousands of following financial troubles. finance assistant, office administrator and school place shortage. meet demand for 123,195 places. families unless action is taken. taxpayer money personal assistant to the chief executive. The LGA has urged Whitehall to give “Councils need to be allowed to Floreat was set up by O’Shaughnessy in O’Shaughnessy stood down as An analysis from the Local Government councils the power to open new maintained open new maintained schools and direct 2014 but has faced financial difficulties for two free managing director of Floreat in 2016 but Association (LGA) has revealed that 15 schools and to direct free schools and academies to expand. It makes no sense for after proposals for new schools fell through. remained a director and senior adviser. councils will face a secondary school place academies to expand. councils to be given the responsibility to plan Until recently, the trust ran Floreat schools – but The Times reported on NEU shortfall in 2020/21 unless more secondary Cllr Antoinette Bramble, chair of the for school places but then not be allowed to Wandsworth Primary School in south research in 2016 that two firms linked to school places are created. LGA’s Children and Young People Board, open schools themselves.” (LocalGov) London and Floreat Montague Park neither opened.” O’Shaughnessy received payments from Primary School in Wokingham. Both have Floreat totalling more than £125,000. Most now transferred to GLF schools. A third Floreat received £340,000 of taxpayer money of that went to Mayforth Consulting, a Academy handbook beefs-up rules on pay, whistleblowing & trustees school, Floreat Brentford Primary School for two free school projects in London – company he founded. Floreat has previously in west London, closed in August amid Floreat Colindale and Floreat Southall – said the payment was a “fair and reasonable THE 2019 Academies Financial Handbook includes extra The latest Government guidance also stresses the importance problems with temporary buildings and but neither opened. sum for the work carried out” and was guidance on the role governing bodies should play to make sure of having an agreed whistleblowing procedure and a structure that “critically low” funding levels The trust’s most recent accounts said “in line with governance and financial the pay and other benefits of senior staff are reasonable and reflect protects and supports staff so they can report concerns in confidence. In October 2018 it was revealed that “very low pupil numbers” meant that plans regulations”. (Schools Week) their responsibilities. (Schools Week) Free schools Academy chain news Low pupil numbers in new wave 14 of the programme. Debts pile up for UTCs free schools Wave 14 was first launched UNIVERSITY Technical Colleges FREE schools are opening with tiny in January by former Education (UTCs) are facing mounting debts Trust set up to take on orphan schools numbers of pupils in their first year of Secretary Damian Hinds, and due to their unpopularity with parents operation, according to analysis of applications were supposed to and pupils. NEW Education Secretary Gavin on the board of the Inspiration Trust, an trust and a former trustee of The Kemnal Government figures by the website open in the spring with a deadline Many UTCs have been forced Williamson has announced plans academy chain set up by the academies Academies Trust. Education Uncovered. of 30 September. to borrow money after educating to pilot a specialist academy trust minister Lord Agnew. OGAT has been criticised for its use In 2018, ten free schools Detailed guidance for applicants fewer pupils than they received to take on so-called “orphan Earnshaw was appointed as a director of suspensions and its “flattening the grass” opened with 25 pupils or fewer. These was published in April but the funding for through their general schools” – institutions which have of the new chain on 1 August. Other assemblies. Inspiration has also faced criticism include a free school in St Neots, application process never actually annual grant. been forced into academy status directors include Christopher Dalzell, for the approach of some of its schools to Cambridgeshire, which opened with opened, and a deadline extension until Research by the Price Bailey but for which no sponsor can be who is also an OGAT trustee. managing behaviour and exclusions. only nine pupils in September 2018, 11 November was announced in July. accountancy firm disclosed to the found – in the north of England. Earnshaw is also one of three The DfE said that the new trust despite having apparently been set The Prime Minister’s reference to Guardian reveals that 31 out of 40 controlling “members” of the new trust, will be “expected” to take on the most up as a three-form-entry primary, “parents, educational groups and UTCs with published accounts owe The new trust – the Falcon Education along with Felicity Gillespie, a former challenging schools by “offering a route capable of taking 90 children in its community organisations” also rings money to the education and skills Academies Trust - will be chaired by David adviser to the DfE and director of early into a strong academy trust that allows first year. hollow – all 22 of the previous wave’s funding agency (ESFA), including Earnshaw, chair of Outwood Grange years investment fund Aurora; and Thomas school improvement to begin immediately”. successful bids were from established 25 schools owing a total of £8.6m. Academy Trust (OGAT), who also sits Attwood, a trustee of the T4 academy (Schools Week) New free schools application schools or trusts. Ten UTCs have already closed round re-announced Almost a third (seven) of the with the most recent being Wigan PRIME Minister Boris Johnson has trusts opening these new free UTC and UTC@Harbourside, based in re-announced the latest free schools schools have 10 or more schools Newhaven in East Sussex. First Harris school rated below ‘good’ application round, calling already. Schools Week analysis of Analysis by Schools Week found on “parents, educational groups the successful trusts also found that that £64m was spent on the eight THE Harris Federation, one of the language qualification, “marketed clearly as a Schools Week revealed in April this and community organisations” to many already have free schools in UTCs that closed before them. country’s biggest academy chains, has had qualification for pupils or adults who speak year how the Harris Federation was entering bid to set up new free schools in the pipeline. (Schools Week) (Guardian) a school rated less than good by Ofsted English as an additional language”. This was hundreds of native English speakers in year for the first time, with the report raising despite the fact 95 per cent of the cohort 11 into a qualification intended for pupils concerns about “inappropriate” mass entry was not EAL. with English as a second language. into a qualification for pupils with English According to the report, “students Six of the 10 schools with the most as an additional language (EAL). who took the qualification last year said entries into the qualification last year, Harris Academy Orpington was they did not know why they were entered” compared with their number of EAL rated as requires improvement in a report and “current leaders acknowledge that the pupils at the end of key stage 4, belonged published on 11 September. mass-entry to this qualification, initiated to Harris. Inspectors said that “virtually all” by leaders who have since left the academy, Harris said in April it was “categorically year 11 pupils were entered for an English was inappropriate”. not gaming the system”. (Schools Week) continued on page 6 4 5 International

Shadow Secretary of State “In February this year, the Send My guaranteed by the state and not a cites NEU reports Friend to School coalition released market to make profits from?” THE NEU’s international campaigning a report calling for DFID to ensure work against the privatisation of that its aid spending goes towards Solidarity conference education in the global south supporting education that is provided ON 7 December 2019, the NEU will be was recognised in Parliament in universally and is available free at hosting a conference for international September. the point of use. solidarity officers and activists, in Shadow Secretary of State Dan “In April, a report from the partnership with the Equality Trust. Carden referenced the NEU and National Education Union and Global It will be an opportunity for Global Justice Now report In Whose Justice Now claimed that UK aid is attendees to network and learn more Interest?, as well as the Unlocking being used to push an ideological about how to promote international Education report which the NEU agenda to expand fee-paying private solidarity at school, district/branch co-funded. Carden was presenting education around the world. level, in local communities and to the case for public and free “Will the Secretary of State listen help build the union. education in the global south. to the sector, to the unions and to The key theme will be “education, Responding to an update on teacher and campaign groups in privatisation and inequality”. The Girls’ Education from Secretary of the UK and the global south, who say theme builds on the NEU’s recent State Alok Sharma MP, Carden said: that education is a universal right report In Whose Interest?.

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