wletters: An open letter to the Pimlico School Association (PSA): q At the High Court last week, Judge Kenneth Parker QC comprehensively rejected an attempt, supported by the PSA, to secure a judicial review of Westminster Council’s decisi

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West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published:6 June 2008

WEE | letters | Pimlico School | Westminster City Council | Academy | Open letter | Judge Kenneth Parker QC | PSA | Cllr Sarah Richardson

It’s time to put the pupils first and drop legal action

An open letter to
the Pimlico School Association (PSA):

• At the High Court last week, Judge Kenneth Parker QC comprehensively rejected an attempt, supported by the PSA, to secure a judicial review of Westminster Council’s decision to transform Pimlico School into an academy.
In his words, the judge noted that the application was “misconceived not only in principle but also in substance”. He went on to say that the case was “unarguable” and that there was no prospect of success before dismissing the application outright and refusing permission to appeal his decision.
This is the second time in the space of less than a month that the courts have refused the application for a judicial review – an earlier application determined by another judge was also thrown out.
Both of these applications were brought under Legal Aid and we estimate that these cases have cost the Westminster taxpayer at least £100,000.
What has become increasingly clear from the legal action is that the arguments are primarily driven by narrow political interests rather than a genuine desire to secure the best education for the school’s pupils.
Indeed, an editorial in the Evening Standard last week on the failed legal action stated that: “Future campaigners against much-needed academies should think twice before using public money to take their largely political objections through the courts.”
Therefore, we are calling on the PSA to put the interests of pupils, parents and staff of Pimlico School first, stop their protests and draw a line under support for future court action. Not only is it a massive waste of tax-payers’ money, but it generates uncertainty and unease among teachers, parents and pupils and does nothing to contribute to the overall welfare of the school.
We are always happy to listen to the PSA’s views, but we believe their efforts would be far better spent channelling their energies into helping to ready Pimlico for its new start when it opens its doors as an academy in September.
Thanks to the changes that we and the interim executive board have made, the new school will provide a first-class education to pupils of all abilities in line with the best in the maintained sector and become a hub of learning for Pimlico and beyond.
Councillor Sarah Richardson
Cabinet Member for Children’s Services
Westminster City Council

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld.
Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number.
Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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