Former education minister’s letter threatens ‘discipline’ against children who protest

The school made national headlines on March 31 when pupils staged a sit-in against changes brought in by principal Daniel Smith.

Since Mr Smith’s arrival in September 2020, parents and pupils had complained for months of issues such as:

• Black History Month being removed from the curriculum
• A new uniform policy which banned afro haircuts
• Headscarves, or hijabs, having to fully cover pupils’ hair
• Claims that complaints of sexual abuse between pupils were ignored
• A Union Jack being raised above the school’s entrance
• Sixth form pupils having to buy suits instead of the previous uniform policy that allowed chinos and collared shirts

The National Education Union has said that 32 members of staff at the secondary and sixth form academy have handed in their notices since September, and remaining staff will ballot next week on whether to go on strike.

The school sought to calm tensions on March 31 by promising to reverse some of the unpopular uniform policies, reform its PSHE syllabus, and review is systems for dealing with sexual harassment complaints.

But tempers flared again after Lord John Nash, who is chairman of the Future Academies chain which runs Pimlico Academy, wrote to parents on April 13.

Lord Nash, who was also a government minister for schools from 2013 to 2017, wrote: “Any repeat of the actions on the final day of term would jeopardise students’ education.

“We all need to work together to ensure that this does not happen again and learn the lessons from it.

“We must particularly ensure that our students, your children, understand the consequences of any future disobedience, which will undoubtedly result in disciplinary action.”

This was followed up on April 15 with a letter from Mr Smith, who said: “Any repeat of the actions on the final day of term would jeopardise students’ education. I need to be very clear that if any students take part in a repeat of such actions, they will undoubtedly face disciplinary consequences.”

Parents have argued that they and their children have the right to stage further protests if the school doesn’t follow through with their demands.

They also fear that the “disciplinary” action could allude to potential exclusions.

Future Academies was approached for comment but there was no response.

A parent who asked not to be named said: “He’s telling the children to sit down, shut up and do what they’re told. We think it also could be a threat of exclusion.

“And he’s saying they can’t protest – but what if they don’t end up doing the things they’ve said they would? We don’t know if Black History Month is going to be put back in the curriculum.”

Liza Begum, a former pupil who is Labour’s candidate for the upcoming Churchill war by-election, said: “Lord’s Nash’s letter was very disappointing and it didn’t acknowledge the children’s concerns.

“Children and parents I have spoken to say there is going to be a staggered start next week. So each year group will go back on different days. They think that’s an attempt to avoid protests happening again.”