I need advice/opinions and help if possible!
My son attends Ninestiles, An Academy in Birmingham. They have decided in their infinite wisdom to bring in a silent corridor rule. However, this rule is not just about silence or corridors, no, its opened up a MASSIVE can of worms. The school appears to be failing. Massively.
Ill share this post with you, and really would appreciate any feedback. At NO POINT are we condoning bad behaviour or disrespect at all. We just cannot figure out WHY a school that was outstanding, had amazing results, great kids and amazing leadership has gone this way. Why do they feel this is the answer???
The ruling for silence in corridors is now underway at Ninestiles, its being phased in. 1 corridor at a time.
YESTERDAY, even after being told no sanctions would be given before Christmas;, kids were given detentions for talking in the corridor!
This has got to be stopped. I am all for discipline, kids need boundaries, but this is quite obviously a sign of many more issues within the school.
I have compiled a list of issues that need addressing, these have been sent to OFSTED and the local council, for those who are interested here are a few:
- a huge lack of communication. From the beginning it appears the new CEO has not had an understanding of this school, the needs of an inner city school in an area of great diversity.
- Communication breakdown between leadership, CEO, Trust and parents.
- Members of the trust appear to have limited knowledge as to what is going on within the school - lack of communication yet again from leadership staff to their trust/board and also from CEO to trust/board.
- Threats have been issued to staff; disciplinary action or even dismissal if they talk out.
- There has been a huge turnover of staff since 2016. Approx 40 staff have resigned/moved on in last 18 months
- In 2017, the year the CEO changed within the trust, 10 board members resigned. (Minutes of Meeting available on Ninestiles Trust Website).
- Mrs Hartle, who’d spent 18 years within the Ninestiles community, did not return after the 2017 summer holidays. (Attached letter dated 4th September 2017). Why not?
- During December 2017, James Power was announced as Principal of Ninestiles, he was to turn the school around apparently. General feeling from teachers and pupils, was that he would take the school back to its previous flagship status. Mr Power vanished September 2018, 1 day after returning to school after the summer holidays. We have been told, from a contact within the Ninestiles Trust, that even the Trust have not been given adequate explanation as to Mr Power’s resignation. 2nd vanishing act, within 1 year.
- The new Head of English resigned within in a matter of weeks.
- Head of Maths disappeared at Christmas.
*The exam results within the secondary schools within the whole trust are not improving as they should.
- It has been suggested that a number of teachers are not secondary school trained. As the rule has always been for secondary teachers to ideally have a degree in the subject they will mainly be teaching in, this could be why results are dropping.
- Agency staff are being used, are all necessary checks being made? I’ve heard of teachers giving pupils personal phone numbers, pornography on a teachers computer, a teacher allegedly suffering poor health yet found on you tube touring and promoting his band, a teacher reportedly causing physical damage to a pupil etc
*Also within the trust, there have been many of the Primary School headteachers leave - why?
This list goes on, but hopefully this gives you an idea of our situation!
It is not the kids fault that the powers that be cannot run the school. They should not be bullied into silence because the leadership of this school has lost its way. This was an OFSTED Outstanding School.
Please sign and share our petition. Our fear is that this could be rolled out in EVERY school.
www.change.org/search?q=ninestiles