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Grandparent, Kes Grant explains why she supports teaching and support staff taking action to defend our schools against privatisation.
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December 2018 update
A message of support sent to parents via FB:
‘As a concerned person who isn’t part of this school but has watched this horror unfold in front of my eyes and someone who has seen how a badly led academy can destroy children’s lives and can do so much damage to the whole school community, I would urge those parents who are working against the teachers and support staff who are fighting for YOUR kids to open your eyes and look past your own noses! This is so much bigger than just one child- what you do now is going to affect generations of children to come. Please do not pass on information that is incorrect or regurgitate mis-information that has clearly been put right as was the case with the letter sent out by the LA. It’s important to get behind the teachers and support staff at JR and scaffold this school to give it the opportunity to become great once again and create a generation of teachers and school children to be proud of. In solidarity with John Roan.’ Claire Wheeler
‘As a concerned person who isn’t part of this school but has watched this horror unfold in front of my eyes and someone who has seen how a badly led academy can destroy children’s lives and can do so much damage to the whole school community, I would urge those parents who are working against the teachers and support staff who are fighting for YOUR kids to open your eyes and look past your own noses! This is so much bigger than just one child- what you do now is going to affect generations of children to come. Please do not pass on information that is incorrect or regurgitate mis-information that has clearly been put right as was the case with the letter sent out by the LA. It’s important to get behind the teachers and support staff at JR and scaffold this school to give it the opportunity to become great once again and create a generation of teachers and school children to be proud of. In solidarity with John Roan.’ Claire Wheeler
November 2018 Update
Connecting with Greenwich Council
Connecting with the Governing Body
Parents of John Roan handed their list of questions to the governors at their recent GB meeting. The Chair, David Skinner told them that it was not the GB’s job to do due diligence on the UST. It was up to the RSC Dominic Herrington to do this. As well as answers to the questions below, we asked for proof of due diligence from Dominic Herrington. Parents need to see this. If it actually exists..🙄
Parents are hopeful that the GB will have a chance to consider important information, such as highlighted in the news article below, that has come to light about UST CEO Graham Price and how his CV shows he is unreliable, inadequate and completely inappropriate for the role of responsibility in the running of our school, John Roan. Parents hope the GB do the right thing in light of this information and request further due diligence on UST and refer the decision back to DfE.
Connecting with our local Labour MP Matthew Pennycook
One of the parents at John Roan sent our MP Matthew Pennycook this email following a recent Labour Party Meeting.
Hi Matt
Nice to see you tonight. Thanks for answering my question about John Roan.
I just thought I’d give my response as I understand why we couldn’t do that in the meeting.
Cath Smith could not fully challenge the OFSTED as when they came she had only been in post 3 weeks. The current Governors made a series of bad appointments before Cath and all of that destabilised the school. Cath does have some skills and I believe is making a bit of a difference. I have no axe to grind with her personally.
My grandsons are in years 10, 8 and 7. I’m not blind to the faults at Roan. However, I also don’t believe it’s as bad as is made out by some otherwise I’d be pulling my boys out. Did you know that during the inspection senior leaders were taken out of lessons and then those that had to cover at the last minute were observed. That doesn’t seem right to me.
There always seem so many unanswered questions on this issue. I’d like to know what impact a year of UST support had prior to the OFSTED. I’d also like to know what The Foundation can contribute to this process but they seem to be a closed book.
You also mentioned tonight that there are two camps of parents at each other’s throats. I would disagree with that. I have had several conversations with anti strike parents and we agree to differ but are united in our anti academy stance. I’m urging us all to see what unites us and work on that. Some parents hold this perspective from the time of Nadine Powrie where I believe things did get heated. This is not the case currently. We hold no animosity for those who hold a different view point. Each to their own. It’s not helpful to keep repeating this in public as it makes it all look like infighting and factions which is far from the truth.
Finally you say that Cath Smith tells you that she doesn’t think OFSTED will rate the School any differently if they came back and that the current disruption is affecting the improvement plan. This is a difficult one. I think it would be incredibly disruptive to have lots of staff leave or be unhappy. My experience of working in an academy is that they often become cut-throat places where staff are constantly monitored and scrutinised.
Two unions will be out on 29 Nov. It would be great to see you down on the Picket Line offering your support despite the fact that what’s happening is lawful. Like I keep saying, just because it’s lawful doesn’t make it right. You argued passionately tonight for Brexit. I could say back to you that’s lawful and the Government are just facilitating the decision. Why is it different that forced academistion is lawful, but that instead of challenging and voting against it and doing everything possible to stand up against this injustice, all we seem to get from the Local Authority and to some extent yourself, is resignation to a done deal.
I know the Labour party is against The Academy Programme. I’d like to see more of that philosophy come out in action.
Thanks for the time you have dedicated to this when there is so much going on both nationally and internationally. If you want to chat more on this issue, let me know and I’ll buy you a pint or a coffee.
Cheers
Kes
Hi Matt
Nice to see you tonight. Thanks for answering my question about John Roan.
I just thought I’d give my response as I understand why we couldn’t do that in the meeting.
Cath Smith could not fully challenge the OFSTED as when they came she had only been in post 3 weeks. The current Governors made a series of bad appointments before Cath and all of that destabilised the school. Cath does have some skills and I believe is making a bit of a difference. I have no axe to grind with her personally.
My grandsons are in years 10, 8 and 7. I’m not blind to the faults at Roan. However, I also don’t believe it’s as bad as is made out by some otherwise I’d be pulling my boys out. Did you know that during the inspection senior leaders were taken out of lessons and then those that had to cover at the last minute were observed. That doesn’t seem right to me.
There always seem so many unanswered questions on this issue. I’d like to know what impact a year of UST support had prior to the OFSTED. I’d also like to know what The Foundation can contribute to this process but they seem to be a closed book.
You also mentioned tonight that there are two camps of parents at each other’s throats. I would disagree with that. I have had several conversations with anti strike parents and we agree to differ but are united in our anti academy stance. I’m urging us all to see what unites us and work on that. Some parents hold this perspective from the time of Nadine Powrie where I believe things did get heated. This is not the case currently. We hold no animosity for those who hold a different view point. Each to their own. It’s not helpful to keep repeating this in public as it makes it all look like infighting and factions which is far from the truth.
Finally you say that Cath Smith tells you that she doesn’t think OFSTED will rate the School any differently if they came back and that the current disruption is affecting the improvement plan. This is a difficult one. I think it would be incredibly disruptive to have lots of staff leave or be unhappy. My experience of working in an academy is that they often become cut-throat places where staff are constantly monitored and scrutinised.
Two unions will be out on 29 Nov. It would be great to see you down on the Picket Line offering your support despite the fact that what’s happening is lawful. Like I keep saying, just because it’s lawful doesn’t make it right. You argued passionately tonight for Brexit. I could say back to you that’s lawful and the Government are just facilitating the decision. Why is it different that forced academistion is lawful, but that instead of challenging and voting against it and doing everything possible to stand up against this injustice, all we seem to get from the Local Authority and to some extent yourself, is resignation to a done deal.
I know the Labour party is against The Academy Programme. I’d like to see more of that philosophy come out in action.
Thanks for the time you have dedicated to this when there is so much going on both nationally and internationally. If you want to chat more on this issue, let me know and I’ll buy you a pint or a coffee.
Cheers
Kes
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Dear friends and supporters,
Can we thank you for all your pledges and support. We raised enough money to seek legal advice from Leigh Day. After investigation we were advised by our solicitors that as parents we had a limited ability to challenge the Ofsted report published in March 2018 because we are still considered 'third party'. However our case was taken up by NEU staff and the Local Authority was forced to also seek legal advice on the possibility of a Judicial Review over the issue of being denied the right to make a stage 2 complaint about the Ofsted report in March 2018. This took place over the summer and the Local Authority (LA) reported to us in late September 2018. The legal advice to Greenwich Local Authority was that they had a case, but that Cath Smith's (the Head) support for Ofsted's judgement which was against the view of the vast majority of her teachers and support staff made the case weak, and the LA were not prepared to spend the funds taking the issue further. What we have shown through our campaign is that when Ofsted deny schools who have been judged 'inadequate' the right to appeal, they are currently acting unlawfully (Durand, 2017). This should give confidence to every school who is at the whim of Ofsted (a politically baised and compromised organisation in our view) that they should not accept these unfair and destructive judgements and they should challenge them and ensure that Ofsted is prevented from being used as the justification for forced academisation. We have over £992 left from the funds that we raised and we have decided that we are now going to pursue another potential legal case over the conduct of the John Roan Foundation. We have been made aware that the Foundation is under no obligation to lease it's buildings to a Multi Academy Trust and we have reason to believe that the way they have proceeded may be in breach of their aims and objectives as a charity. We hope you support our decision to use these funds for such an endeavour and we will be in touch if we think we have a strong enough case to pursue the issue further. Thanks for all your support and viva La Roan! |
October 2018 Statement
The Campaign Group Parents for John Roan are in support of the industrial action taken by the NEU. We are aware that many who say they are against the strikes are also vehemently opposed to academies. We would respond to that by saying we must be united in our fight, as a community and support the teachers who all want the very best for the students.
We are very much behind the rapid improvements happening within the school. We all want the best education for all our children; that is beyond doubt. However, the Parents for John Roan remain united in our stance against the forced academisation of our school to a MAT (Multi Academy Trust) with only 2 years experience and already running a deficit.
The teachers are striking to demand that OFSTED come back into the school and re-inspect. If the rapid improvements have impacted, there is no doubt the school will be found not to be inadequate. There is something the GB (Governing Body) and Head of the school could do; together with the LA they could put pressure on Ofsted to come back into the school. Instead, the GB are showing their usual cowardice and misguided compliance and taking their orders from the UST.
The Chair and the vice chair at GB are parent governors, the chair who is negotiating the deal with the UST is pro academy, has no educational experience and does not represent our views whatsoever.
Throughout this whole murky, debacle the UST have shown themselves to be predatory. The conflicts of interests aside; it must be remembered that the school failed an Ofsted with the UST already in the school as a 'support package'. Over 1000 people have signed our petition against the forced academisation of John Roan. We will continue to demand that the school is re-inspected and the academy order rescinded.
We urge John Roan parents' to write to the GB and the local authority demanding our school get re-inspected. Save our school!
We are very much behind the rapid improvements happening within the school. We all want the best education for all our children; that is beyond doubt. However, the Parents for John Roan remain united in our stance against the forced academisation of our school to a MAT (Multi Academy Trust) with only 2 years experience and already running a deficit.
The teachers are striking to demand that OFSTED come back into the school and re-inspect. If the rapid improvements have impacted, there is no doubt the school will be found not to be inadequate. There is something the GB (Governing Body) and Head of the school could do; together with the LA they could put pressure on Ofsted to come back into the school. Instead, the GB are showing their usual cowardice and misguided compliance and taking their orders from the UST.
The Chair and the vice chair at GB are parent governors, the chair who is negotiating the deal with the UST is pro academy, has no educational experience and does not represent our views whatsoever.
Throughout this whole murky, debacle the UST have shown themselves to be predatory. The conflicts of interests aside; it must be remembered that the school failed an Ofsted with the UST already in the school as a 'support package'. Over 1000 people have signed our petition against the forced academisation of John Roan. We will continue to demand that the school is re-inspected and the academy order rescinded.
We urge John Roan parents' to write to the GB and the local authority demanding our school get re-inspected. Save our school!
COMMUNITIES ARE FIGHTING AGAINST CONTINUATION OF THE ACADEMY PROJECT THROUGH A NEW FILM: STOP THE GREAT SCHOOLS ROBBERY. READ MORE AND SUPPORT HERE.
Parents Letter to David Skinner The Chair of Governors October 30th |
Parents Complaint to Ofsted
Parents Questions to the UST
You can contact Grahame Price, CEO of UST at info@ust.london. Their website is https://www.ust.london/
Councillor Fahy has just resigned from the Governing Body of the Royal Greenwich Trust School (UST school) due to what he finds as 'their predatory action in repect of the Johh Roan'. He can be contacted at: john.fahy@royalgreenwich.gov.uk
Councillor Fahy has just resigned from the Governing Body of the Royal Greenwich Trust School (UST school) due to what he finds as 'their predatory action in repect of the Johh Roan'. He can be contacted at: john.fahy@royalgreenwich.gov.uk
Other possible questions for the UST include:
Parents concerns for the Head and the Governors
You can contact the Governors at: governors@thejohnroan.greenwich.sch.uk
Parent Questions for the John Roan Foundation
Unfortunately the school currently does not give direct contact information for the John Roan Foundation. However you can email the school governors who are also Foundation members at: governors@thejohnroan.greenwich.sch.uk
According to the website there are 4 Foundation Governors: Linda Karlsen (also Chair of Governors); Linda Nelson; Michael Smith; and Chris Strong.
The school lists the current Foundation Trustees as: Linda Nelson; Viv Lawrence ; Chris Deane; Mick Moore; Alex Wilson; Malcolm Smith (Staff; David Grant; Chris Strong; Patrick Cooper; Ivy McGeorge; Jan Farmer.
According to the website there are 4 Foundation Governors: Linda Karlsen (also Chair of Governors); Linda Nelson; Michael Smith; and Chris Strong.
The school lists the current Foundation Trustees as: Linda Nelson; Viv Lawrence ; Chris Deane; Mick Moore; Alex Wilson; Malcolm Smith (Staff; David Grant; Chris Strong; Patrick Cooper; Ivy McGeorge; Jan Farmer.
JRSA - THE JOHN ROAN PARENTS ASSOCIATION - MEETINGS AND SOCIALS COMING UP!!!...
If you would like to meet up with other parents in a relaxed, social setting contact the JRSA and book a ticket at their annual BBQ - Friday July 6th 5-9pm at Westcombe Park. Email jrsa@thejohnroan.greenwich.sch.uk. Tickets for the BBQ are £6 for adults and £4.50 for children. For more information about the JRSA and how to get involved read here.
If you would like to meet up with other parents in a relaxed, social setting contact the JRSA and book a ticket at their annual BBQ - Friday July 6th 5-9pm at Westcombe Park. Email jrsa@thejohnroan.greenwich.sch.uk. Tickets for the BBQ are £6 for adults and £4.50 for children. For more information about the JRSA and how to get involved read here.
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Parent / Staff Meeting at The Forum, Greenwich Tuesday 12th June 6pm.
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Parents invited JR Staff to a parents to discuss the future of the JR school in the wake of the recent Ofsted grading. The school management and governing body have yet to confirm how they wish to bring the community together to ensure all stakeholders have a voice in any decision making on the future of the school so Parents for John Roan organised a space for parents to come together to ask questions and air their views.
This meeting was a chance to discuss for example: - concerns regarding the inspection process itself - grounds to challenge any Academy Order that may be forthcoming - can parents have a ballot... meet with Governors/Trustees etc... - information and ideas exchange on how to campaign to keep JR an LA run school - the role of the Governing Body and the Trustees of the JR Foundation in the decision making process - information on why staff have voted to strike if they are faced with a change in working conditions and transfer of employment from the LA to a MAT - the record of Academisation - success rates, accountability, transparency, parent choice and voice within the system etc - implications of any Academisation of the JR - what buildings and facilities will be handed over to private management on a 125 year lease - information and questions on who and what are these MATs e.g. UST PARENTS PRESENT AT THE MEETING UNANIMOUSLY VOTED AGAINST THE ACADEMISATION OF THE JOHN ROAN. Please contact other parents at parentsforjohnroan@gmail.com to have your say! Postponing an Academy Order
Parents for John Roan have already written to Dominic Herrington to ask that he gives the school a chance to work with the LA on a School Improvement Plan. Please contact him in support of this at: rsc.sesl@education.gsi.gov.uk.
Role of the JR Foundation
The John Roan Foundation Trustees manage the Trust that owns the Maze Hill Building and the JR Playing fields. They would need to vote in favour of Academisation in order for the conversion to go through. Parents for John Roan have already contacted the Foundation and they urge other parents to contact trustees AND governors to ask for clarity and a voice in any upcoming decisions. A Governing Body meeting is coming up on 25th June.
Why are we concerned about Academisation?
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Their statement of intent:
As parents we care deeply about the future of our children's education. Everything we have seen and read about academies will be bad for their school and the education of all children. We have always valued the hard work and dedication John Roan teachers have shown to our children and others' - examples are far too numerous to mention but teachers go the extra mile so often. We have especially welcomed the continuity and sustained support staff have managed over the last three years despite turmoil at the top.
We stood by you in opposition to academisation and job and course cuts in 2016 and will do so again today in the face of (forced) academisation. Days of strike action are in no way more disruptive as months of inadequate heads or years of a school run on a business model by an unaccountable organisation.
We know you don't take strike action lightly - we note that there were no local disputes under Des Malone or even under Catherine Wensley - however we all have to do everything we can to defend our community school.
We are proud that parents and teachers and other staff and commnity members are standing up for John Roan. Together we can save our community school and work to ensuring it has a sucessful and sustainable future.
Signed by
Parents for John Roan
As parents we care deeply about the future of our children's education. Everything we have seen and read about academies will be bad for their school and the education of all children. We have always valued the hard work and dedication John Roan teachers have shown to our children and others' - examples are far too numerous to mention but teachers go the extra mile so often. We have especially welcomed the continuity and sustained support staff have managed over the last three years despite turmoil at the top.
We stood by you in opposition to academisation and job and course cuts in 2016 and will do so again today in the face of (forced) academisation. Days of strike action are in no way more disruptive as months of inadequate heads or years of a school run on a business model by an unaccountable organisation.
We know you don't take strike action lightly - we note that there were no local disputes under Des Malone or even under Catherine Wensley - however we all have to do everything we can to defend our community school.
We are proud that parents and teachers and other staff and commnity members are standing up for John Roan. Together we can save our community school and work to ensuring it has a sucessful and sustainable future.
Signed by
Parents for John Roan
Resources for parents who want to get involved - click on icons
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These resources above will give you information about how parents, schools and communities are taking action on issues in Education that are of concern, from increasing Academisation to SATs. These organisations often have both webpages and facebook pages. Check them out to get information and get involved.
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The Corporate Structure around the UST
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I am a parent of a former John Roan School pupil. In the 1 May letter from the Governors to staff the Governors say that they have had exploratory talks with the University Schools Trust with regard to Multi Academy Trusts. University Schools Trust includes two corporate partners: XL Catlin and Wates Construction.
XL Catlin is part of the XL Group, headquartered, for tax reasons, in Bermuda. The XL Group is being bought up by the AXA Group. AXA is a French multinational corporation which is the world's second biggest financial services (banking, insurance, brokerage etc) company, if measured by annual revenue. The majority of its capital is US-owned. Much of the XL Group's business is in insurance and reinsurance. Among its directors sits Sir John M Vereker, former Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Bermuda. Other XL directors are drawn from financial corporations such as Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, KPMG, AXA, Bank of America, Lloyds insurance plus the Ford Motor Company. Hardly educationalists, as we have know them. Wates Construction is part of the Wates Group 'one of the largest family-owned construction, development and property services' firms in Britain. Wates has the contract for Brook House, part of the Gatwick detention centre that featured in the BBC Panorama programme on mistreatment of detainees last September. In the recent period Wates has built blocks on the Greenwich Peninsula, including a 32 storey block. It has contracts to renovate Millbank House for the House of Lords and for the Houses of Parliament. Wates is building a facility at RAF Marham which will house the new F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft. It is engaged to build assorted educational related facilities eg in Derby, Nottingham and Cambridge. Until very recently Wates' Chief Executive was Andrew Davies who was appointed in 2014 'following a long a successful career at BAE Systems'. Davies has been replaced by Dave Allen, formerly of HSBC and Crossrail. Among the Wates Groups directors sits David Barclay, former private secretary to Margaret Thatcher, when she was Prime Minister. It is not just the corporate take over of education; I suggest that what we are seeing being unfolded (as in health) is a strategy to create health and education multinationals. Trevor Rawnsley |
