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Haven’t we learned academy lessons?
• CONGRATUALTIONS to Frank Dobson and the campaigning parents for getting the government to listen to the convincing case for a new school in south Camden. This is excellent news, but what is Camden’s strategy for solving all the other problems of school provision?
The consultation document points out that only 47 per cent of secondary school-age children have a place in Camden’s schools. Five of those are co-educational, four are girls’ schools and only one is a boys’ school. So not only are more than half the children not provided for in their home borough, but boys are disproportionately represented in co-educational schools.
Camden was granted £200million under Building Schools for the Future. It proposes to use £30m to provide a new school. But it appears two new schools are needed as the north-west of the borough is also short of places. This begs the question of the proposed academy school in Adelaide Road. This is a cruel decision for three reasons. The relocation of the Frank Barnes school would be extremely disruptive. It would also hand public land to a private body. Schoolchildren have suffered enough from having playing fields and other space sold off to developers. It happened at Haverstock. And it is in the wrong place.
It is extraordinary that the government is still furthering academy schools in spite of the report last October from the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee which found these privately run schools cost more than state comprehensives but do not deliver results to match.
Neither will they deal with the increasing numbers of pupils from “socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds”, refugees and asylum seekers arriving late in schools with little English and “looked-after children in the council’s care”.
ROZ CULLINAN
Camden Mews, NW1
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