New Secondary Schools for Richmond 2

[BayJay]

I'm starting this new thread because the other one of the same name has filled up.

Chris/ Seenbutnotheard - Could I please request that this thread does not turn into another forum for Lib Dems / Tories party point scoring. We see enough of that horrible mess in the Council meetings. Lets focus here on the genuine education concerns and needs of the parents, else you will see all of the non politically minded leaving the thread. Many thanks for your understanding.

Jeev, believe it or not, I have always voted LibDem so this is not about point scoring. I am grateful that the Conservatives are supporting the Catholic School proposal, but I have never voted Tory.

I guess lots of things are changing the way I see politics now though - I did (I think) earlier in the thread say that when I had asked my LibDem counsellors (before the election) where their party stood on the Catholic school issue I was assured that "the will is there but the site is not" or words to that effect.

I am now questioning the LibDem policy in regards to academies as, as I have said earlier, I genuinely was not aware that the LibDems were not in support of them given what I had heard Clr Eady speak in reagards to the Whitton School consultation, he seemed in whole hearted support.

given that when I had heard Clr Eady speak...

and I can spell Councillor

I have nothing to add on this topic.

The Lib Dems were definitely in support of setting up the three academies - it was the Tories who made lots of fuss about Swedish style experiments at that point! The Lib Dems have also always said they supported a Catholic Secondary School but they never said their support was so unconditional that it would extend to buying and giving the Catholic Church a site that was needed for the local authority to fulfill its general obligation to provide everyone with a school place. I was always given the impression by my local councillors in Teddington that they thought that the Catholic Church would find its own site. For a few years there was an idea that the Catholic Church might acquire the sports ground in Broome Road Teddington near the Lensbury Club which I think is owned by St. Mary's College, another Catholic educational institution. Even heard rumours that St. Catherine's might get a makeover as it is a Catholic school with a low percentage of Catholics.

No: TPA and HA were ?academied? under the old, Labour, scheme
I've been out tonight, so I'm catching up and don't really have much to say on the Academies topic other than I wasn't referring to TA/HA in my previous post. I was referring to the statistical sample in the Guardian article. I have no idea whether the local academies were part of that or not.

seenbutnotheard. LibDem national policy (as well the Coalition agreement) supports inclusiveness in faith schools. Hence I do not blame them for supporting a Catholic VA school, and to be fair on them, Vince Cable suggested the Catholic academy 50-50 option.

sorry i meant to say for "not supporting a Catholic VA school "

BayJay: neither school is in either league table (not samples) derived from official statistics and cited in a letter (not an article). The significance of the letter is not the validity of its argument but what it shows about popular prejudice against academies, which has, like it or not, a basis in fact: many academies are not now and never have been 'academic institutions'.

In a few years' time when all secondary school have been more or less compulsorily 'academied' this prejudice will fade away slowly.

Chris - I agree that prejudice will reduce over time. I confess I didn't follow your link to read the full background, so was just reacting (hastily) to what you wrote in your comment.

Chris, the interesting thing about that letter and links to 200 best/worst schools is that, while the 'best' schools are predictably selective and/or private, the large majority of the 'worst' schools are also independent in that they are not LA funded/governed. Many are foundation schools, the precusor to academies, funded by central government A few are VA schools. When schools go it alone it is very much sink or swim - perhaps because there is no local accountability.

But RuT's three academies are in a different position -they have had millions spent on them, and don't they have the local authority as a co-sponsor?

Also note that many of the 'worst' schools are in areas either with high deprivation or with a system of grammar schools like Kent where the secondary modern counterparts have the lowest percentage of 'high achievers' (the averages are about 33% 'high', 17% 'low achievers') and a huge imbalance in their intake. Again, while the high numbers going into the private sector are the main problem for this borough, levels of deprivation come no way near that of the schools in the list and thankfully we only have a small proportion going to Tiffin.

muminlondon: I find no sign that the Council is a co-sponsor of Twickenham Academy. It has an Academy Council (whose role is) ?day-to-day governance of the academy and ensuring the LST board's educational decisions are effectively implemented in the academy.? Out of 13 members, one is an ?LBRUT member? - Roger Hackett and one is an ?LBRUT Officer? - Warren Wilkinson. There is no input from anyone who has been elected by local residents as a whole and is accountable to them; the 2 parents members (one place is vacant) have come from the Parents? Forum.

It was stated in the LibDem press release that seenbutnotheard linked to. That may have been the intention if not the legal reality.

Chris, according to this Hampton and Twickenham Academies are co-sponsored by the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames.

Also LBRuT's Director of Education is on the Trust Board.

muminlondon: thanks for clarifying this; I, as editor, posted that story but 2 years ago so I had forgotten it completely: Cabinet decision confirms HCC and Whitton School as academies December 28, 2009: ' . . The next stage is for a Partnership Agreement to be signed, setting out the details of the co-sponsor role in regard to aspects such as admissions, exclusions, special educational needs and pensions . . '

What the privileges and obligations of a 'sponsor' are I don't know. If the schools are a success as we all hope, no-one will enquire but if they fail we will all want to know so that we can blame someone.

Here is some info on RPA web page - www.richmondparkacademy.org/faq Q: If it all goes wrong, who will be held accountable?

A: It is the Academies Enterprise Trust, the operational division of the sponsor, Greensward Charitable Trust, who will be held responsible to the Department for Education (DfE.) In the past, if schools were failing it was the responsibility of the Local Authority to step in and take action. Day to day responsibility for the Academy will, however, remain with the Executive Principal and Headteacher.

Re: ' . . Greensward Charitable Trust, who will be held responsible to the Department for Education (DfE.) .. '

This should be: ' . . held responsible by the . . '. Even grownups these days don't know which preposition goes with which verb.

'The Greensward Charitable Trust (GCT) was originally set up in 1996 for ?the advancement of education and particularly assisting with the provision of facilities at the Greensward School?. From small beginnings, the Trust in 2008 sponsored the establishment of the Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) and the development of Academies under the then government?s academies programme.
Today, our purpose remains . . in particular, the advancement of the education and well-being of children and young people attending any of the academies or schools operated by the AET . . '
The Trust's HQ is at the Greensward Academy, Hockley, Essex.

There are Academies and 'academies' (without the name but bags of status). Which would include Tiffin and all the other grammars in Sutton now they have converted. It would be a good idea for RPA to change its name at some stage.

If you are interested in finding more about RPA please drop in on Thu 09 Feb between 7 and 9 pm and talk to parents of existing RPA students. Hear first hand how their children are progressing, what RPA is doing and how they are doing it. More details on www.communityboard4rpa.blogspot.com/

BayJay - read your leaflet newlocalschool4twickenham.org.uk/links.php. Will both the Council and DFE approve this ?

Hi Akhan, its best to submit questions via the New Local School for Twickenham website so that you can get an official response. If you register an interest in the school then you can also opt to receive progress updates.

It is the government that approves and funds Free Schools, not the council. However, we are talking to the council about it.

Was just wondering about the status of academies conversion and found these details.

At Waldegrave governors have decided to convert, which will probably happen about 1 June.

I don't know if a final decision has been reached at the other schools but it seems likely for Grey Court. Anyone know what's happening at Orleans Park and Teddington?

Just posting some news about the Linked School Admissions policy. The Admissions Forum met on Monday, and the minutes show that, as expected, they are recommending that the Linked School policy be dropped for Sept 2013 admissions and beyond, affecting current year 5 and below. The recommendation will go to the Cabinet for the final decision.