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Cautious virgin’s guide to life with academy sponsor
CAMDEN Council’s executive has now decided the site of the new secondary school will be in Adelaide Road, opposite Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre, and has taken an indicative decision that the new school will be an academy with University College London the preferred sponsor.
We also formally committed the council to keep searching for a long-term solution to school places south of Euston Road in discussions with neighbouring boroughs, the government and other agencies.
Perceptions that this may have been a “backroom deal” are incorrect (“Backroom deal’ for new school, July 26). It was suggested at the council’s scrutiny committee meeting that Camden had been eager to “jump into bed” with UCL. In fact, the council had been playing the part of a very cautious virgin as we negotiated our way through an ever-changing set of government guidance. The partnership administration didn’t approach the choice of new school with any preconceived ideological baggage. We just wanted at least one new high-performing secondary school which will work well within the wider family of Camden schools.
The 10 councillors on Camden’s executive had to weigh up a lot of issues before coming to a view. We never had any doubt about UCL’s track record as one of the top three or four universities in Britain and the top 25 in the world. However, before taking our decision, we wanted assurances on where UCL would get the money from to back the school (in early July the government changed the rules so that universities do not now need to find an additional £2 million), UCL’s vision for the school, how UCL will continue to work with Camden’s other secondaries and that the school would adopt an open admissions policy.
Many parents have taken a close interest in the arrangements of the new school. They have rightly been concerned, not just about when it will open and where it will be located, but also about the ethos, values and ambition of the school and the organisation which will run it. As the executive member for schools, I share these concerns, but these extend not just to the new school but to all our secondary schools in Camden.
“Only” about £30 million of Camden’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) money will go on the new school. The remaining £170 million will be spent on transforming education in Camden’s other secondary schools. BSF provides us with a unique opportunity to innovate and find ways in which to transform, not just the lessons taught in our classrooms, but also the entire outlook of our schools.
I encourage parents who have taken an interest in the debate over the new school to go to Camden’s BSF website (www.camden.gov.uk/bsf) and to read the section on Camden’s Strategy for Change.
Our schools have asked the council to be ambitious and I am keen to hear from parents what more we can do to improve further our schools before we finalise this text in October. We will be carrying out more consultation sessions in September, but please don’t wait for these to get in touch with us at bsf@camden.gov.uk
Cllr Andrew Mennear
Conservative, executive member, schools
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