Concerns Over Fielding School Academy Application
Unhappiness over the consultation over potential changes to the primary
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There is growing concern from the teaching union, the NUT, and some parents at an Ealing primary school that it may be converted to an academy without their agreement.
Parents and teachers were told the news two weeks before the end of term and were invited to participate in a consultation, but say, the consultation did not ask for parent's opinion on whether the academisation should actually take place.
The NUT are opposing the changes and representatives say the consultation period was planned to coincide with the school summer holidays preventing parents from having a dialogue with the school and other parents for six weeks.
They claim the survey was biased towards academisation with leading questions, and say many parents have refused to complete it. They argue that the consultation has not been extended to the wider community surrounding the school who will be affected by the change,
The school say they have received 340 questions regarding the proposed changes and on the website said: '' we have received mixed views from parents around the process of the consultation. The Governing Body will be meeting on the 18th September to decide how to proceed.
Councillor Binda Rai, cabinet member for children and families said: “The decision to become an academy is ultimately that of the school governing body, in consultation with the local community. But Ealing Council is very proud of the high educational standards achieved through collaborative working within our family of maintained schools.
''We believe there is tremendous value in the council provided expertise and professional shared services which remain available to our schools in our ongoing quest to further raise standards for all our children.”
Local MPs Rupa Huq and Virendra Sharma are requesting a meeting with the headteacher and the head of governors before school reconvenes in September to discuss the concerns.
23rd August 2017
