Harris Federation told to keep their hands off Byron Park Primary School

 

 

Representatives of the Harris Federation of Academy Schools could not have failed to hear the chants and shouts of campaigners when they visited Byron Court Primary School to speak to staff after school today.

 The quiet suburban streets echoed to 'Hands Off Our School', 'Whose School? - Our School!', 'Kids not Quids'(a reference to the half-million salary of the Harris boss), and 'Byron Court - Can't be bought.'

The recent  LINK letter to the DfE by Gwen Grahl Brent Council Lead Member for Schools, was welcomed  by many parents I spoke to as a stepping up of the Council's support for the camapign against the Harris takeover. Several councillors sent apologies for not being able to attend, Cllr Jumbo Chan sent a solidarity statement and Cllr Daniel Kennelly (Preston ward) used the megaphone to pledge support for the campaign aim to keep Byron Park as an academy overseen by the local authority.

The campaign demands are basic:

1. Give the new leadership team, helped by the local authority, a chance to demonstrate that they have addressed the issues raised by Ofsted.

2. Suspend the academisation process while that happens and then arrange an Ofsted re-inspection that will hopefully record an improvement and make academisation no longer necessary.

Meanwhile the NEU is conducting a strike ballot on the basis that academisation would change and worsen their conditions of service. Presently many Federation school union branches are in dispute with Harris over wages and conditions.

Several speakers expressed pride in the way staff and parents were united in the battle to Save Byron Court - and the children deserve a mention too. They were passionate in their support for the school and not afraid to shout it out loud and clear.

The bright yellow shirts of the campaigners were symbolic of the upbeat mood of the protesters - they are clearly refusing to be downhearted and will fight on.

Determined Byron Court campaigners will protest on Monday as Harris Federation takeover barons visit the school

 

Undaunted by Brent Council Cabinet's inability to intervene in the forced academisation of Byron Court Primary, campaigners will protest on Monday as the Harris Federation visit the school.

Parents and supporters will meet at the The Link off Nathan Road outside South Kenton Station at 2.45pm on Monday April 15th (opposite side of the station to the Windermere pub).

Call for support to keep Harris Federation's hands off Capital City

 

Today's NEU strike action and rally gave the NEU representative at Capital City Academy a chance to update members on what is happening  regarding the takeover of the school by the Harris Federation Multi-Academy Trust - founded by  a carpet millionaire.

The proposal was a shot out of the blue some time ago and came without any consultation with staff unions, governors, parents, the community or the local council. It is a sign of the increasing marketisation of education that there is no democratic involvement at all - schools can be traded as commodities.

There is resistance. 

People who are opposed to the takeover are asked to join others at the school at 4.30pm on Thursday 4th May where the Harris Federation will be trying to smooth-talk parents into supporting their bid.

Government policy is now to push all schools into multi-academny trusts (MATs). This leaves stand-alone academies, that often converted from local authority schools for financial reasons, in a vulnerable position. Brent already  has schools run by Ark and E-Act, and this would be the first Harris Federation incursion in the borough. Some stand-alone secondary academies (not in a multi-academy trust) such as Wembley and Preston Manor have also started primary departments.  They all lack the democratic accountability previously derived from local authority oversight.

BREAKING: Capital City Academy in Brent to be taken over by Harris Federation Academy Trust chain

Capital City Academy (Photo: Foster & Partners)
 

This is the announcement posted on City Academy's website on  Friday. It will be the first Harris Academy in Brent. Questions are likely to follow about how a major school in the borough can be taken over by an academy chain without any apparent reference to teacher trade unions, local residents or the local authority.

Capital City Academy, a successful secondary school in Brent, has announced its intention to join academy trust the Harris Federation, from September 2023.

Founded more than 30 years ago by Lord Harris of Peckham, the Harris Federation runs 52 primary and secondary academies in and around London. Two-thirds of Harris secondary academies are rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted – compared to less than a fifth nationally – and they receive around four applications from parents for every place available.

Capital City Academy was founded by sponsor Sir Frank Lowe in 2004, who built a state-of-the-art school, designed by world famous architect Lord Foster, on the site of failing Willesden High School. The school has thrived and provides exceptional facilities and an environment that nurtures academic, artistic and sporting success.

Sir Frank Lowe said:

Sponsoring and opening this academy has been a very fulfilling personal achievement for me. I first became involved because I wanted to give something back and, in the nearly twenty years that have followed, I have greatly enjoyed seeing our pupils flourish. I am forever grateful to the children, families, staff and governors who have shared my vision and helped make the academy what it is today.

I have long admired the Harris Federation, an academy trust known for consistently brilliant outcomes for pupils.  The idea of joining was initiated by the 2022 Schools White Paper, which called for every Single Academy Trust to be in or on its way to joining a Multi-Academy Trust by 2030. After meeting the Harris Federation, I clearly saw many benefits and opportunities, and strongly felt joining was in the best interests of the school.  I am also keen for the academy to have the stability that comes with being part of a successful larger trust – particularly in these uncertain economic times. Capital City Academy is a thriving school, but it can achieve even more as part of a like-minded group, dedicated to providing opportunity for all pupils to reach their full potential

As part of the Harris Federation, Capital City Academy will have access to a consultant team of 70 leading subject specialists whose job is to create excellence in every component of the curriculum.

Pupils from the academy will participate in initiatives such as the Harris Experience, designed to broaden the cultural and academic experiences of the most academically promising young people, and which has helped ensure Harris pupils now attend Russell Group universities at a rate of more than twice the national average.  

The Harris Federation will provide training, support and career development opportunities for staff as well as expert, hands-on teams in finance, estates, IT, HR and recruitment, freeing up teachers and leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding education of their pupils. 

Sir Dan Moynihan, CEO of the Harris Federation, said:

We are very pleased to be welcoming Capital City Academy to our Federation and know we can help it continue to deliver Sir Frank’s original vision for the school, which was to help ensure local children had access to the best quality educational opportunities. It is a successful school, and we are looking forward to working with students, staff, parents and governors to ensure a smooth and collaborative transition in time for the next academic year.

Capital City Academy came out of Labour Party support for academisation of 'failing schools'. Harris Federation was started by Carpetright millionaire Lord Harris of Peckham (knighted by Margaret Thatcher and made a lord by John Major).  The Harris Federation does not provide trade union facility time.

Harris Federation accounts LINK.

Jenny Cooper, co-secretary of Brent Education Union said:

The NEU are extremely concerned to hear this news second- hand and look forward to being invited to a consultation. We will support our members to exercise their rights to TUPE and a full and thorough consultation.

Is Gove now forcing non-failing schools to become academies?

Press release from the Save Roke Primary campaign who, like Gladstone Park Primary in Brent, are fighting forced academisation:

  
Michael Gove is now forcing well performing schools like Roke Primary in Kenley to become academies, as well as long term failing ones. This fits in with his desire to accelerate his academies programme. Roke may be one of the first but many are likely to follow.

Roke Primary, a previously ‘outstanding’ school, is not underperforming but the DfE are handing it to the Harris Federation, run by David Cameron’s personal friend and major Tory donor, Lord Harris. The decision was made just 4 months after one poor Ofsted report caused mainly by computer failure. The Guardian published claims that Gove may be flouting his own guidance on forced academies, “…his department’s official direction say this should only happen when a school has been underperforming for some time and if the problems are not being tackled”. Guidance set out in the 2010 Schools White Paper is very clear. “Where there has been long-term underperformance, little sign of improvement and serious Ofsted concern, we will convert schools into Academies,…” (Section 7.18).

 Parents believe that forced academy at Roke is going against this guidance. Roke has no consistent history of low performance. The latest SAT results are above the national average. Roke has never been below floor targets. Both Ofsted and the Local Authority agree that Roke is improving. Ofsted’s recent monitoring verdict, received by parents on Friday, was that satisfactory progress has been made. This was the best rating Roke could achieve without a longer time between inspections to show improvements had been sustained. It is clear that Roke has improved without the need for academy status or sponsorship by the Harris Federation. Despite this, forced academy is still going ahead.

Parents are campaigning against forced academy, and the complete lack of consultation or right of appeal. They are concerned about the speed and manner in which forced academy has occurred. They oppose Harris as sponsor. Their choice is Riddlesdown Collegiate, the local secondary academy, to which most Roke pupils progress. A long term partnership with Riddlesdown has become closer since Roke was issued a ‘notice to improve’. It is clear, from the progress made, that the partnership is working. If, forced academy must go ahead, Riddlesdown, not Harris is the governor, parent and staff choice of sponsor.

Roke parent, Angeline Hind said, “I thought sponsored academies were all about improving schools which have been underperforming for years. Roke is a good school which wavered before turning itself around very quickly. To force us into academy with a sponsor used to dealing with seriously failing schools seems like an extreme reaction”. Parent Debbie Shaw commented “Roke is a great catch for an academy chain like Harris, our results are already good and they will be able to claim the credit for improvements that have already happened”. Father Nigel Geary-Andrews said “It is alarming that the government is rushing through forced academies on schools like Roke, where there is no proven record of failure over any length of time, without any consultation with parents at all and no way of appealing. This does not seem democratic or transparent to me”