Holland Park school. Any updates?

Colin Hall and his SLT were megalomaniacs (deceiving Ofsted and a law unto themselves with no accountability). The new head has a fantastic track record - blindingly obvious that he has walked away from an impending disaster at HPS coz not worth his while (and wasn’t told extent of problems:). But GB needs to be questioned

@Balcony66 Get some sleep x

Will ring Hammersmith & Fulham first thing. Will come back on this thread if I may for advice if necessary. All best to everyone here in same situation. Thanks so much @dodgeitornot for the handhold!

@Balcony66 All the best. Sorry you're going through this. Probably best you get on waiting lists tomorrow. I suspect admissions will be busy getting the same phone calls tomorrow. They will be closing for Easter so be quick. If you can get your Y6 DC into a school, the Y8 one will automatically get bumped up and vice versa. I don't know about your borough ours doesn't have limit on number of waiting lists you can be on.
In your shoes I would also look at somewhere within a circa 40min travel distance as the ones close by will be inundated with applications.

Good advice @Dodgeitornot - will not panic but determined to get a move ready for Sept (y9 for DC1 and y7 for DC2). Thanks so much for being a sounding board - the news today about Mr Parsons left us reeling as so unexpected. You have been v generous with your time

@Balcony66 In that case get out asap. But do your research and don't accept just anywhere because you're desperate. Get a tutor if you can afford it or set some time aside to do bits with them. Khan Academy, BBC bitesize etc. Doesn't have to be the national curriculum, just anything to keep joy of learning.

@Dodgeitornot hear what u saying but DC1 is KS3 (y8) and is NOT happy at school - constantly leaving teachers and loads of cover lessons. Actively wanted to leave after y7 but DH and I said “give it time. Mr Parson will effect change”. But think I am right that moving this July won’t do any harm - most schools don’t pick GCSE options and start courses til y9 (or even 10)?

@Coffeecaketime They're definitely not. I'm sure they're probably still working. It's a horrible role and one you couldn't pay me millions to do. I just meant it as on offhand comment, if a head is looking at the advert; they will have heard about the school and the good ones will dodge it. The ones with a huge ego that want to take it on and make a name for themselves will probably apply. It sounds like that's exactly the candidate this school doesn't need though.

@Balcony66 I really don't have expertise. The nature of my job (previously schools Finance and now visiting Dyslexia teacher) means I've sat on a fair number of governors meetings and as a visiting teacher you see lots of schools and get to know them. There's far more experienced people on this site.
Try to not overthink it. There's really not that much you can do aside from applying for a place somewhere else. At least you know what's going on and can action it. Most people have very little idea of what their kids school is actually like on a day to day basis.
I wouldn't move to ~ anywhere that has space~ either. This school is under a lot of pressure and is being closely examined. This won't be the case everywhere. If your other child is happy, it's likely the Y6 one will be too.

“Additionally for any Head looking at this”

if only @Dodgeitornot. I don’t think Heads trawl Mumsnet. They should though! I posted upthread - feeling smug I turned down the school but also so very very sorry for other parents with DC there or about to go.

I would probably bet on one of these leftover SLT members taking the headship.

that is terrifying - they were all recruited by Colin Hall the awful former head/spin doctor. Hope not.

thank you for your advice @Dodgeitornot - confirms my own view and you have expertise in the sector, clearly! Really hope OP is still checking in on this thread (quite old now) as they also picked Holland Park, despite its inadequate rating, as impressed by Steve Parsons.

Additionally for any Head looking at this, they will think...an experienced Head tried and failed. This isn't about knowledge but red tape management. This guy was probably not allowed to do his job or uncovered more stuff and wasn't about to have his name involved. The country is so short of Head Teachers, they can cherry pick. It'll be quite difficult for these governors to find a good Head. It's a very famous school and it's becoming more so for the wrong reasons. Not many prospective Heads will look at that with a smile of confidence. Not any good ones anyway.

@Dodgeitornot seems to me that Steve Parsons (head from Sept) likely quit in frustration. There is so much wrong with the school - not just the terrible atmosphere and culture engendered by previous head (reported in press) - but in SLT, safeguarding, SEN, curriculum, teacher turnover….

I have given school benefit of doubt (hence one DC still there and ano due to join) but this is the final straw. I will follow advice on this thread tomorrow

@Balcony66 I'm afraid you are right. I've worked in a few and this isn't really how it happens unless the school is in very muddy waters. The biggest red flag for me is that this head was in post for a long time at his previous school. 10 years is ages for a head now and those kind don't leave post quickly. He will have been experienced enough to know he needs to get out quickly before this taints his reputation.

The wording of that is also reading badly. I'm not really on the Holland Park hate wagon as I don't know the school and don't wish any school a bad rep, but I would probably be looking for a place elsewhere. Even in the interim, KS3 is not the group they will be stressing about. The exam years will be getting the best teachers and attention as they won't want results to completely annihilate them.
I would probably bet on one of these leftover SLT members taking the headship.

Dame Sally Coates - big wigfrom United Learning (MAT that took over school) is going to be “Executive Principal” until “we are satisfied that the school is in an appropriate position for a substantive successor to take it on”.

Dame Coates is impressive but effectively another interim head. What concerns me is that the above shows that the school feels unable to recruit a new HT at the moment - it would be a poisoned chalice for any Head.

@Balcony66 I suspect they knew if they announced it before, the incoming cohort Y7 would be pretty empty or filled with allocation places aka not the kind of kids they want.
Have they announced the new head? The only reason I would think they would wait this long is so they can soften the blow by announcing the replacement at the same time.

And I am bloody hopping mad that they waited to announce it until after year 6 parents like us accepted their offers too. Bloody cynical

I think we need to be asking questions of the Governors! We thought new head was great - as did other posters on here who went to open evening last Sept. It’s a real shame he’s off. I wonder why?

I just checked their website. You're telling me a headteacher who had been at his previous Headship for nearly 10 years, has just quit at this school after less than 2 terms? That's quite scary. I would not have wanted to be at those governors meetings.

bump not numb!

@Camdenish This is also the case where I am. I think that's honestly the case in most places and lack of said statement suggests it's not a departure that's been made on amicable terms.

Good suggestion @Camdenishand hope you right about DC1 too. Will get onto it 1st thing

Where I am it’s usual for the local paper to report on a change of head with something from the school media team saying where and why they’re going. The head is retiring, moving countries, moving to be near family, step up to head of MAT, that sort of thing. I’d want something concrete like that to explain joining in September and resigning after little more than a term. It might all work out for the best but I’d want clarity from the governors.

@Camdenish I was just thinking that.
A head leaving that early means there must be huge issues, unless there's a really sudden unfortunate family situation. When that's the case they normally vaguely mention it.
They would've known the Head was leaving from around Christmas or Feb latest. Horrid of them to only inform parents of it once they've accepted places.

It might be a good time to get the year 6/7 child on the waiting list for another school. If they get a place that would probably numb the elder sibling up the admissions?