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 A salsa band made up of former Pimlico School pupils make their outside City Hall
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ACADEMY: NO ONE IS LISTENING
Fury as school chiefs press for specialist status
PARENTS, pupils and teachers at Pimlico School were snubbed on
Monday night as schools chiefs moved for city academy status.
The executive decided the secondary comprehensive on special measures should be placed in the hands of an unnamed private sponsor.
They hope to rubber-stamp the package by September 2008.
Cllr Sarah Richardson, Westminster’s lead education member, said: “The cabinet believes the best way to deliver a good education for pupils at Pimlico is by allowing the school to become an academy.”
The response from the public gallery was “shame on you.”
The consultation process had revealed 96 per cent of the hundreds consulted were against the academy plan.
But union officials had feared the democratic process had been stymied by Sir Simon Milton.
In March the council leader recommended the school become Westminster’s fourth city academy – before any consultation had begun.
On Monday at City Hall, with shouts of anger drowning out the decision, defiant campaigners warned him: “The battle has only just begun.”
The Keep Pimlico School Comprehensive group is planning to raise the stakes by taking the council’s academy decision to a committee of inquiry in the House of Commons this summer.
Westminster NUT secretary Padraic Finn said: “Clearly, the federated trust proposals are now dead, though one of the benefits of this is that the battle lines are now clearly drawn. We know Westminster’s intention but they are some way from achieving their aim and whether they do so depends on our campaign.”
Rahul Patel, from Westminster Unison, said: “We don’t believe that a fair process has taken place. There has been a total rejection of the opinions from parents, pupils and staff.
“The majority view was to keep Pimlico as a community school. We are calling for a committee of inquiry.
“It will be a chance for the sound educational arguments of parents, pupils and staff to be heard properly. We will invite MPs and ministers to attend.”
The results of a council inspection last week reportedly revealed “positive progress”. Temporary headteacher Jo Shuter has signalled her “genuine belief” that Ofsted will repeal the special measures status by October.
Cllr Richardson said: “Our commitment is to Westminster children. Pimlico’s results do not even touch national standards. We have received evidence that academies improve school standards more quickly than any other type of school.”
But the record of academies locally is less than enviable. The botched Paddington Academy has left pupils stranded in sub-standard conditions in a building earmarked for demolition.
The Westminster Academy, also delayed, has drawn complaints from teachers on timetables and changing job descriptions.
Secondary schools in Westminster were found to be the least improved in London in October – and the third worst in the country.
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It is outrageous that Westminster Council views the removal of democratic community control over Pimlico School as acceptable. The bungled experiments they have done in already turning other Westminster schools into Academies have not shown that the Academy scheme can be a success- quite the opposite in fact.
In addition, the school is currently in limbo. How can a school function properly if they have an interim headteacher and a clear statement from the council that no decision over the future of the school will be made until September 2008? These are appalling working conditions for staff and students at the school.
As a community school, Pimlico gave me straight A's and sent me into Oxford University. It is able to attract excellent teachers through the successful special music course and 6th form.
Pimlico's recent Ofsted report is the latest symptom of a chronic lack of support from City Hall, which- it is all too clear in the above article- has never been worse. Shame on you, councillors- do your job and actually represent the views of the people who elected you!
David Holtam |
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