My child is in Year 3 at a single entry Catholic school in a small city in the south of England. When they started there, I was so happy with it. It was a lovely, happy over subscribed school with great teachers and a TA in each class.
Then this Head left and the school became part of an academy. In two years, 5 teachers and 5 support staff have left. None of the teaching assistants have been replaced. They have 1 TA left in KS2. This TA spends the vast majority of time with Yr 6. The other classes only have this TA with them if there’s a school trip (once or twice a year). The rolls are falling and I think this can’t be all attributed to falling birth rates.
Commuication from the new head is non existent. In fact I’ve been told from someone in the know that staff are expressly forbidden to discuss anything going on behind the scenes with the parents.
Behaviour has gone down and in my child’s class in particular there are a couple of new arrivals who have additional needs but there is no support provision for them. I’m not blaming the children. But my own child has been hit or screamed at on a number of occasions and hates going into school now! I spoke to a very nice teacher who sympathised and explained this is the way it is in now in academy schools everywhere. The teachers are exhausted but seemed to imply I have to lump it!
There is space and a bigger school slightly further away, which may have more resources, though that too is a part of a (different) academy. I’m not sure whether to take a risk and move my child to this other academy school or keep them here. Feel very sad with what the Government are doing with children’s education over the last 15 yrs.