Showing posts with label barking and dagenham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barking and dagenham. Show all posts

Friday, 17 January 2014

More detail on Romford High Court intervention

From the Evening Standard: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/high-court-puts-brakes-on-east-london-schools-academy-bid-9062335.html

The judge said: "The secretary of state is entitled to take the view that an academy is preferable and it is clearly a matter for him as he is the decision-maker in that regard.

"But it seems to me he has to have regard to the facts of individual cases, and this is an unusual case. 

"There are these alternatives in place which may well produce necessary improvements."

The judge said Ofsted was due to carry out a further inspection....

"It would in these circumstances arguably be premature for the secretary of state to impose an academy order immediately."

Thursday, 16 January 2014

High Court blocks Romford school's academy conversion

From the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25752296
and the Evening Standard: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/school-wins-court-injunction-to-halt-academy-conversion-plans-9051279.html


Mr Justice Collins granted an injunction preventing the Warren Comprehensive School, in Romford, being moved into academy status.

The Department for Education said it would appeal against the decision.

The Department for Education wants to hand The Warren over to Loxford school.

The Warren said the school was an “unknown quantity” and wants to become a federation with nearby school Robert Clack, with which it has been working for some time.

Chair of governors: Sarah Jane Scrace

Friday, 10 January 2014

High Court ponders legal challenge to forced academy status

From Anti Academies Alliance: http://antiacademies.org.uk/2014/01/council-in-legal-challenge-to-secretary-of-state-on-academy-proposal/

"The Governing Body of Warren Comprehensive School in Dagenham and the local Council have been able to temporarily hold back the imposition of an Interim Executive Board (IEB) by the Secretary of State for Education.

"...the Hon Mrs Justice Carr DBE decided that the Academy order made on 6 January 2014 to take effect on the 8 January in respect of Warren Comprehensive School should not take effect until after the court has considered whether or not to grant judicial review..."

Wednesday, 11 September 2013

Comment and other news

FT: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5a235bb2-118d-11e3-8321-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2eaKihS5u

Discusses loss of ability to plan from the top down due to independent free schools and academies.

"Critics of the free school reforms argue that since these are demand-led, local authorities and ministers cannot direct the creation of schools where they are most needed. This pitfall is evident in the newest wave of 93 free schools that opened this month. None of the London boroughs most affected by the shortage of places – Barking and Dagenham, Newham and Waltham Forest – have a new primary school on this list."


Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/sep/09/harris-academy-education-news-in-brief 

Includes a look at Harris Academies

Teacher training being done in schools rather than university via the School Direct programme