Can I ask you to please sign a petition to stop our school being turned into an academy?

[GirlWithaPearlEarring]

here My son goes to Sedgehill School in Lewisham. The LEA is planning to remove the current governers and impose an Interim Executive Board made up of persons completely unelected, that will then fire our current heateacher and replace it with another one from an academy. They wish the school to become an academy despite the fact that neither the students, teachers, staff or parents are in favour of this action.

There are no justifiable grounds for this action. The council has pointed to the dip in last years exams results, but there was a dip nationally due to changes in the GCSE framework and there are other schools in London that have done worse - including in the borough of the school, and this years results are predicted to be very good.

The latest Ofsted report 2013 praised the current leadship and gave a re-inspection period of 24 months, so they weren't unduly concerned about the progress of the school.

I am in floods of tears over this. My son loves this school, and I was hoping to send 2nd DS there too. The pastoral care at the school is absolutely brilliant. They also have a fantastic hearing support support centre for deaf and hearing impaired children. My son is not a whizz kid he has to work extra hard as things don't come naturally to him and he finds maths difficult but they gave him an indvidual package of support when he started and now he is on target to gain 7 A including 2 A** this is only because of all the extra support of great teachers and support staff that really helped build his skills and confidence. Loads of long standing staff will leave if this happens, and parents will take their children out. I don't know where I will send DS.

I've heard about this sort of stuff happening before but I cannot believe that when a parent chooses a particular form of education for their child that choice can just be invalidated without any consultation what-so-ever! I'm shocked.

Has anyone here had this happen to their school did you take your children out if it turned into an academy?

[RobotRuthy]

I thought parents had to be consulted first??? Am I being a bit naïve?

[iwantavuvezela]

I have signed this earlier today, there is a lot of support for your school not becoming an academy. It's grim isn't it, hopefully people power will change the decision to make it an academy.

[GirlWithaPearlEarring]

Thank you iwantavuvezela every signature counts. I have my fingers and toes crossed! Have been writing to everyone I can think of.

RobotRuthy They do not have to consult you at all. Like you I was naïve. Parents only found out about it end of last week! There was a meeting to discuss the situation on Tuesday and not a single person from the Education Authority or Council turned up to answer questions or hear our views. It showed utter contempt for the parents and teachers. They say its a failing school; yet every parent and teacher I've spoken to is fully behind the current head and the governors.

This will ruin the school. I'll be protesting tomorrow.

[RobotRuthy]

Disgusting!!!! Is the general public aware of how a school can be taken over as an academy/

It seems to work like this then...get OFSTED in...fail the school...reopen it as an academy! SIMPLES!

I'll sign your petition.

I wonder how many other mums have had their schools taken over like this?

[DontGotoRoehamptonUniversity]

Why do you assume it will be worse just because it becomes an academy? I have seen (SW London) vast improvements from becoming and academy - not sure what you are basing your fears on? As to staff leaving, some might, but that is the same with any change, some people don't like change, and those that are not flexible and open-minded are better gone anyway. Extremely unlikely a petition will have any effect anyway - far better to put you energy into making it work, rather than moaning that it can't.

[GirlWithaPearlEarring]

DontGo Don't believe all the hype. Study the glowing statistics: I'm quoting from Terry Wrigley, visiting professor at Leeds Metropolitan University, ''two out of three academies (68 per cent) conveniently rely more heavily on vocational qualifications than the average state school, thereby "creating a false impression that they are successful".

Academies have a very poor track record of student pastoral care and SEN provision. They are exam and test focused. Once a school becomes an academy it can set its own selection process. It is not responsible to the LEA. If there are any issues you cannot appeal to the LEA.

Its own supporting body the Academies Commission, admitted that academies were actually fuelling social segregation through 'covert selection.' They are widely known for excluding pupils in order to preserve good exam results. Our school has many students who were formerly at academies. Some of them had been excluded when they were just about to start their exams. We heard a lot of personal testimonies from for academy students on tuesday.

I myself was told by one academy headteacher that my son would not adjust socially or academically if he went to her school. This was because he had been home educated for 2 years. She didn't even allow us to be interviewed despite admitting she had several vacanies at her school.

He is now a class Prefect and on his way to achieve 7 A **.

[DontGotoRoehamptonUniversity]

Re 'hype' I am a teacher and have first hand experience of many schools.
However, you clearly have an agenda, and a received perception that will not be open to new ideas, so good luck with that.