Staff ignored on academy, unions claim

UNIONS fear Crompton House School is ignoring staff opposition to plans to become an academy.

The Shaw secondary has already lodged a formal interest in becoming one of the Government’s new wave of academies.

Unions believe that the governing body will decide today whether to apply.

If successful, Crompton House would be state-funded but outside local authority control with more freedoms over the curriculum, term dates, and teachers’ pay and conditions.

A joint statement issued by the NUT, NASUWT and ATL teaching unions says that the vast majority of staff are against the move and 100 have signed a petition.

Unions are unhappy with the consultation and complain that representatives have only been allowed to meet with a sub-committee of four governors and three members of the senior staff.

They are also concerned that parents do not know what is happening.

“Union members feel that there is a deliberate policy to prevent them expressing their concerns directly to the full governing body,” adds the statement.

“There is a fear that the minds of many sub-committee members are already made up in favour of academy status.”

Tony Harrison, secretary of Oldham NUT added: “Many staff believe that becoming an academy will effectively privatise the school and concentrate power in the hands of just a few people. “This will not improve the educational experience of Crompton House students. There is not one jot of evidence that academies improve educational standards, indeed the school has not attempted to justify the conversion on educational grounds.”

Catherine Myerscough, negotiating secretary of Oldham NASUWT said: “Many staff are concerned that there will effectively be an end to the partnership with the local authority and that leaders of an academy will no longer be subject to any local checks or balances.

“Many teachers are genuinely concerned about their futures and changes to their conditions of service. Having contributed hugely to the success of this popular school, they believe their views should be taken more seriously.”

Head teacher Elsie Tough has announced she will take early retirement at the end of this academic year.

Iain Windeatt from Oldham ATL added: “It would be sheer folly to continue with a process which could lead to academy status at a time of such uncertainty about the future leadership of the school.”

The school did not want to comment. It had previously said that no decision had been made, discussions had started with staff, the issue would be discussed with parents at the appropriate time and any decision would be in the best interests of pupils.