Council-backed plan to take schools out of local authority control rejected for 'educational reasons' (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Council-backed plan to take schools out of local authority control rejected for 'educational reasons'

10:09am Thursday 10th December 2009 in

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A £250 million program to rebuild schools across the borough is in serious doubt after governors rejected a plan to take a school out of local authority control.

Governors at George Mitchell in Leyton on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly against establishing a single trust to manage the Farmer Road school and Norlington School for Boys.

The plan to establish a trust led by the Institute of Education and move the schools on to a ‘leisure complex’ next to Leyton Sports Ground was an integral part of the borough’s Building Schools for the Future program.

George Mitchell headteacher Helen Jeffery said the educational argument for establishing a trust had been rejected.

She added: “I and my staff have become increasingly concerned that the plan for us to offer joint year 10 and 11 courses with Norlington in new buildings from 2012 will not bring our young people the benefits we had hoped for.

“A joint KS4 and 5 curriculum raises many issues impossible to resolve without single leadership of the two schools.”

Three-quarters of George Mitchell parents voted against the trust plan at a meeting last Monday (December 7).

Ms Jeffery added: “Governors took into consideration the views of the staff and parents. It was not an easy decision to vote against plans staff and governors have been working on for over two years, but governors felt it was better to vote against the plans even at this late stage than proceed with something they did not believe would bring about the much hoped-for improvements in the quality of educational and building provision.

“It is important to stress that George Mitchell School has in no way been influenced by the community groups with their own interest in our developments.

“We cannot know at this stage what the future holds for us. I have promised staff, students, parents and governors that I will fight very hard indeed to ensure that our lovely, constantly improving school still benefits from much-needed investment through Building Schools for the Future.”

Governors at Norlington approved the trust's constitution last month, despite a series of strikes by teachers opposed to the plan.

Council leader Cllr Chris Robbins said: “This decision is obviously disappointing for us and I see it as a shame that at the eleventh hour, the school appears to have withdrawn its support.

“That said, however, it is the governing body’s decision and we respect that entirely. Whether it comes to be seen as a missed opportunity we will see, but our priority is now, and always has been, providing an excellent education for these young people.”

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