To think Park View Academy, must be doing something right ( looking at their statistics)

[smokepole]

I have just looked at the Park View Academy's statistics and have been amazed. I expected to see appalling statistics, yet the statistics are fantastic!

92.5% of pupils English as a second language 59.8% of pupils on FSM yet achieves 75% 5 A*-C Maths and English.

There might be a problem with some religious zealots there, but clearly the school is achieving fantastic results. The school is giving its pupils an education far beyond, what the raw statistics say it should be doing.

The problems should have been dealt with in an efficient and quiet way, it should not have come to the media attention. The school deserves to be looked on as beacon of excellence for its outstanding results.

No, the difference between Park View and the Devonshire school, is that the Deveonshire school had a normal Ofsted assessment.

Park View have been subject to a highly publicised investigation led by a former head of counter-terrorism. Does that sound like equal treatment to you?

There is no evidence of racism in Park View's Ofsted. The allegations concerning prostitutes where made against another school (Oldknow) have been firmly denied and are not mentioned in Oldknow's Ofsted.

There have been allegations that some of the teachers discouraged girls from participating in extra curricular activities, that is wrong, but it is not the same as the school being actively sexist. Nor have Ofsted flagged a divergence in exam performance between boys and girls, so it appears they are both achieving the same level of results.

Nor is there any mention of discrimination in the Ofsted report, let alone the school actively encouraging discrimination.

I'm not sure what magic wand you expect Park View to wave to change their catchment area. Birmingham Council are massively strapped for cash, so school bus services will not happen, nor would bus passes to for children to travel to schools further afield.

This proves how damaging the media coverage and leaks have been, because people are stating as fact events that are not in the Ofsted report.

No mention of seating arrangements or swimming lessons in Park View's Ofsted.

Again, people are taking media reports as fact.

Also, Tiggy you've completely side stepped the issue of Park View and other schools being investigated by the former

counter terrorism chief, something which is not happening to rurally isolated schools.

Here is a very good article by Shabana Mahmood, the local MP. I think it very clearly explains why Muslims in Birmingham and elsewhere are so unhappy about the way this has all been handled.
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/shabana-mahmood/muslim-schools_b_5486412.html

GoshAnneGorilla What is your connection to the Park View Trust. Are you a parent? Staff?

"No mention of seating arrangements or swimming lessons in Park View's Ofsted."

OFSTED wrote about what they saw. They saw more than enough to condem Park View. It is clear from its OFSTED report that the chidlren at Park View are not getting a rounded education or equal opportunities. The staff are in a climate of fear. Recruitment proceedures and financial accountablity are suspect.

If you look at the OFSTED reports for the schools that have been rated inadequate, it is incredibly clear from the reports WHY they have been rated inadequate.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-27766973

Some of the schools which have had snap inspections have been rated as outstanding.

Plenty of schools with a low muslim population get rated as inadequate by OFSTED every day.

Really - I have no connection to the school. Have you read the article by Shabana Mahmood? It explains perfectly why people are unhappy.

Here's a key quote:

Other schools do indeed get rated inadequate. But other schools (no matter how terrible) do not usually make the national press or get condemned by the Prime Minister.

No one is saying schools should not be investigated, again, quoting the Muslim Council of Britain:

Yet, this conflation is exactly what has happened.

Tiggy - I do not understand why single sex swimming lessons are an issue. of the three high schools I attended (which were overwhelmingly white British majority ), two of them separated boys and girls for P.E.

You also seem to be missing my point about the difference so I will repeat what I said upthread:

No, the difference between Park View and the Devonshire school, is that the Deveonshire school had a normal Ofsted assessment.

Park View have been subject to a highly publicised investigation led by a former head of counter-terrorism. Does that sound like equal treatment to you?

Did you read the link I posted? Park View and the other Birmingham schools are also being investigated by the former head of Counter terrorism. Is that happening in Devon? Why not, if both schools are supposedly being treated in an equitable manner?

"Did you read the link I posted? Park View and the other Birmingham schools are also being investigated by the former head of Counter terrorism. Is that happening in Devon? Why not, if both schools are supposedly being treated in an equitable manner?"

It is not an equitable situation. It is the height of stupidity to compare Payhembury Primary to the Birmingham schools. Payhembury Primary was never accused of encouraging hatred of any religious or racial group. Unlike Park View the govenors and leadership are capable of improving the situation.

The allegations against Park View and other Birmingham schools were so extreme that they had to be investigated properly. The govement choose the talented person they could find to lead the investigation. I see nothing wrong that the person was a former head of counter terrorism. He is not the current head of counter terrorism.

GoshAnneGorilla I really don't think you understand how serious the allegations were against Park View and other Birmingham schools. Its not just the children having a substandard education, but staff living in a climate of fear, but people's careers and mental well being being unfairly destroyed. There were allegations of misuse of money, nepotism, sexism and incitement to religious hatred.

It would have been doing muslim children a disservice not to have an expensive inquiry.

The official definition of extremism is the the glossary of the 2011Prevent strategy

"Vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs."

You are the ones comparing the Devonshire school with Park View, saying why can't the Park View staff and parents be happy with their investigation, the way the Devonshire school's parents and staff are.

To which the simple and obvious answer is because the Park View parents and staff have been publicly accused of being extremists who incite hatred. Those have been the primary and most widely covered allegations. All on the basis of a letter, the authenticity of which has never been proven.

I brought you links if one of the major British Muslim organisations both telling you exactly why the are unhappy, but you still don't seem understand.

Families - nothing in that definition has been found at any of the schools, yet the media are still claiming that it has.

I don't think the parents have been accused of anything, GoshAnne

I was responding to the people who asked "what is extremism?"

GoshAnne - I cant say I understand your point of view at all. It seems to be a point of view that dismisses or minimises the situation.

As a parent living in a Devon I find the Devonshire idea extremely patronising and insulting.

Lovely for the kids but patronising and insulting all the same.

We have cities down here,most families embrace multiculturalism and many shock horror do travel as far as Bristol and even London. Most families have families all over the place and holiday all over the place.Many schools manage to promote diversity,our church school takes children to the local mosque and regularly promotes other cultures,actually most weeks/months.Ours has links with a third world school who visit and we've had choirs from Africa stay alongside topics on a variety of cultures.

Living in a devon doesn't equal ignorant country bumpkin.Said head at the reported Devon school clearly wasn't doing his job properly and decided to blame it on the families involved.One trip to a school in London does not a school promoting multiculturalism make.

Said school is less than half an hour from a million pound mosque and the Islamic Centre for the South West.

Retropear
The head wants his next OFSTED to be outstanding. The Devon school is a good school. They listen to criticism even if did feel a bit patronising and unnecessary.

I believe that the children would have had a lot of fun going to London for two days. Staying at a school in Isleworth made the trip affordable. I am sure that the Isleworth children would benefit from a two day trip to see Devon. They children are being given opportunities to make life long friends. They will have a pen pal in the each others school.

Personally I think its a really exciting idea for two schools in the UK to pair up.

"Devon is very quaint but our children don't get to see the big wide world"

Speak for yourself.

"We are fairly monocultural as an area in Devon and we don't want children thinking the whole world is full of trees and cows".

Just wow,seriously!We'll ignore Exeter just down the road then,Plymouth,the various towns dotted round the county and the curious communities that live here.

Yes it will be a lovely experience but the above comments are highly patronising and insulting.Many schools across Devon have managed to get Outstanding and ensured their pupils don't think the world is just full of trees and cows(if they believed that anyway)without insulting their catchment families.

various

Retropear

Ofcourse its complete bollox that children in Devon don't know about other cultures. I admire the staff for being ascute enough to get the children a two day jolly to visit London on the pretence of helping them understand a multicultural society.

I doult the children would be so excited at having a trip to Exeter.

Mine did,they loved the Mosque.And these are children who go to London a lot as they have family there.Exeter also has one of the best museums in the country and a shed load of other things to sing about.

Anyhoo it's nowt much to do with the op.As you were.

GoshAnne are you Salma Yaquoob

OFSTED visited 21 schools with a quick monitoring inspection. As a result of these full inspections they chose to do full report on five of the schools before putting them into special measures.

An extremely high proportion of the schools inspected were rated as either good or outstanding. I feel this shows that OFSTED are not out to persecute schools with a large muslim population.

GoshAnne if you are one of the parents of a child at one of the affected schools then I can understand why you feel a sense of disbelief. Its understandable that you feel a sense loyalty to your children's school.

My children's primary school is inadequate and it is a horrible experience for a school to go through. As a parent I was oblivious to how inadequate an education that my son was getting. A year on I can see that the pain of special measures has been fully justified. Our primary is not great, but it is getting stronger every day.

this some of the Ofsted report of Parkview:

why on earth is anyone defending this shit school?

*? External speakers have not been vetted properly. For example, those who speak to students as part of a programme of Islamic-themed assemblies.
*? Students ..are not taught sex and relationships education effectively. They are not suitably supported in understanding how to protect themselves from all types of bullying.
*? Equality of opportunity is not promoted well.
*? There are few opportunities for students to learn about different types of beliefs and cultures in the older year groups. Students are not taught citizenship well enough or prepared properly for life in a diverse and multi-cultural society.
*? A significant number of staff reported to inspectors that they have no confidence in either senior leaders or governors.
*? Staff believe that governors involve themselves inappropriately in the running of the academy.
*? Some staff feel intimidated and are fearful of speaking out against changes.
*? The academy has not ensured that recruitment practices when appointing or promoting staff are fair and transparent.
*? Senior leaders and governors do not evaluate the work of the academy rigorously enough. They do not monitor the achievement of different groups of students, including those with special educational needs.
*? Governors have failed to ensure that safeguarding requirements and other statutory duties are met.
*? There is insufficient capacity in the senior leadership team or among the governing body to bring about improvement.

tiggytape you'remyfavouritewasteoftime

What you both said. Absolutely true.

I am astonished by the number of people her who just don't get it!

Park View is indefensible.

Here is the advice note following the investigation of Birmingham Schools from Sir Michael Wishaw to Michael Gove.

It is horrific! Governors in hese schools should be removed. The LA should be put into Special Measures itself.

www.ofsted.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/other-forms-and-guides/a/Advice%20note%20provided%20on%20academies%20and%20maintained%20schools%20in%20Birmingham%20to%20the%20Secretary%20of%20State%20for%20Education%2C%20Rt%20Hon%20Michael%20Gove%20MP.pdf