‘This is about the children’: Teachers on strike and parents furious over academy plans
By James Twomey and Claudia Lee
Teachers across three schools have walked out of classrooms and parents have joined them to protest in a day of industrial action aimed at stopping them from becoming a multi-academy trust (MAT).
The Leathersellers’ Federation of Schools, which manages three Prendergast schools across Lewisham, announced its plans to become a MAT in February to the dismay of teachers, parents and the National Education Union.
They say the move will reduce accountability, put teachers’ pay and work conditions at risk, and worsen the students’ education.
Rebecca Bramall, 47, a doctor at the University Arts London has a daughter in Year 7 at Prendergast School in Adelaide Avenue.
She said: “This isn’t just about my child it is about all children in Lewisham, now and in the future.
“As parents we feel really let down by the governors. We recognise the value of the local authority and we recognise the value of taking parents and teachers on board with any executive decision.
“The governing board hasn’t managed to do that. They haven’t taken the teachers on board as you can see by the amazing support for the strike this morning.
Among parents’ concerns is that Special Educational Needs support may become worse as academies typically try to reduce costs.
Christopher Ingrassia, 13, a SEN student at Prendergast School, said: “I rely heavily on the SEN department and an academy will greatly reduce its impact.
“Turning the school into an academy will mean there’s less impact on the kids who need help and there will be so much pressure to get 7s, 8s and 9s at GCSE just to boost the school’s average.”
Christopher’s mum, Stacey Ingrassia, said: “Children with SEN can achieve but only with the right support and that isn’t going to happen if the school is an academy.
“The money gets put somewhere else and unfortunately when there’s money involved in things the first thing to go is SEN provision.
“The culture becomes all about money, and grades and it puts too much pressure on the kids. This isn’t the way we should be teaching kids.”
The strike comes ahead of national industrial action for teachers tomorrow and on Tuesday which the teachers from all Prendergast schools, including Prendergast Ladywell in Manwood Road and Prendergast Vale School in Elmira Street.
Prendergast School’s head of performance faculty – which covers the subjects drama, music and physical education – and mum of two, Erin Lynch, 39, said she feared for her job if the plans went through.
“What we often see with academies is ways to cut costs,” she said. “Getting rid of experienced staff and replacing them with new staff they don’t have to pay as much.
“I’m expensive to them and we’ve seen drama and music is constantly undervalued by this Government. I’m fearful for the kids, they’re confused and frustrated by everything.”
NEU representatives also claimed lawyers acting for the board sent legal letters to stop them from striking, which amounted to an “empty threat”.
Andy Rothery, chairman of governors at Leathersellers’ Federation of Schools, said: “No decision has been made by the governing board to become a local MAT and governors will be considering all the responses to our consultation before making a decision.
“We remain open to further negotiation with trade unions in order to resolve their concerns.
“Our wish would be for them to suspend their current action or delay it until after students’ exams have ended.
“There are a number of inaccuracies that are circulating, including those concerning staff terms and conditions and future redundancies.
“We have committed to increasing our SEN support if we become a local MAT, using some of the money saved to triple our educational psychologist provision.
“We question whether the strikes are lawful as we do not believe there is a trade dispute – the public statements of the NEU make it clear that the action is politically motivated.”
Pictured top: Striking teachers outside Prendergast Sixth Form in Hilly Fields, Lewisham (Picture: James Twomey)
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I am another parent from the Prendergast Federation and was incredibly happy with the school until this. The handling of this proposal by the governing board has been a disaster at every stage. It has left me feeling the individuals controlling the school are dishonest, manipulative and prepared to use my child as a pawn in their plan. They have deliberately hidden information and their campaign has felt like propaganda for both parents and students. I have been incredibly disappointed to receive correspondence from the governing body that belittles my child’s hard working teachers and sets them in a vulnerable position to be abused by parents.
Nobody emerges looking good from this mess. The main consideration should be the children in year 11 taking gcses, who are clearly being used as leverage on both sides. Whether or not you support the industrial action, who is going to apologise for the disruption ahead of these very important exams, particularly now that 6 more strikes have been announced across the exam timetable. I cant in all honesty see how any of these students would want to continue to study a levels at a prendergast school. An extremely disappointing situation.