Hi
Anyone have info or thinking about the new Academy in Barnet Herts?
I email some queries and received a call directly from the new head.
I have two main questions.
- Rumours that pupils would be expected to be completely silent when walking between lessons (No exception)
- Info I received that the other academies in the group (33 in UK), employ a higher percentage of agency teachers than directly employed teachers.
To be fair, the Head was completely honest regarding the pupil not being allowed to talk in corridors, and said she was in favour of the idea as she believed it was more conducive to good study, but would keep an open mind as to the degree she would police this policy.
regarding agency staff, she said her experience was that agency staff represented less than 10 of the total workforce in any of the schools.
My other concerns are that, as one parent mentioned in another post, a new school with only 180 children and building work still ongoing, would likely be a boring place for anyone to focus, as well as not having any previous role models to look up to, as they will be the first.
The other concern is of course the school has no track record of achievement, so it is really a stab in the dark.
Does anyone have only views on this?