|
|
 |
| |
Spreadsheet logic at academy
• FOUR of the six publicly declared values of the Pimlico Academy are: we respect everyone; we work together; we are open and honest; we lead by example.
The rhetoric belies the truth.
Although the Department for Children Schools and Families is funding the phasing out of the special music course, the academy and sponsor had always maintained that it would develop and enhance it.
However, at least seven peripatetic music teachers have lost their jobs, with teaching time being cut by over 42 per cent, (200 hours of peripatetic teaching a week down to 117 hours) and making other teachers’ positions untenable. The new big idea is to have fewer teachers teaching larger groups in mainstream music teaching. These decisions have been made so late in the school year, that those affected will find it difficult to get replacement work. Such a display of an uncaring new management style smacks of a school being run on a spreadsheet logic, with scant regard to teachers’, students’, or parents’ views.
Parents were never really consulted about the changes to the school uniform being implemented in September helping to rebrand the school. This appears to have been decided by the sponsor, with a tiny “uniform committee” which included three parents, ultimately brought in to sanction it without asking the wider school community for its views. An estimated £70,000 of taxpayers’ money is being used to introduce it in the first year.
Prospective sixth form students were never consulted about a “dress code” being introduced, and were only told a few weeks ago, so too late for applications to other sixth forms or colleges to be made if they didn’t like the idea.
The academy makes many public declarations through its website and newsletters about valuing and involving parents. Despite many requests, there has been a staunch refusal to hold evening meetings when more people could attend. What is the academy so afraid of?
In some respects the academy has done many positive things in its first year, albeit on the back of a huge cash injection received only because it has become an academy. However, the successes of this year are set to be tarnished in the future by the new management style becoming too authoritarian, disrespectful, and intolerant, and not itself adhering to all six key values of the academy.
My child leaves sixth form this year.
I would like to sincerely thank the longstanding “Pimlico School” staff for helping to equip him so well for the future. Thank you for being so resilient during the upheaval and changes of the last three years.
GEORGINA SCHUELLER
Address supplied
|
 |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
