Academy Trust Row Continues
Parents and carers at Baird Primary Academy recently received a letter announcing a move from two form entry to “1.5 form entry,” almost certainly meaning different year groups will be sharing the same classes from September. This would presumably also mean larger classes, although, as the school is currently undersubscribed, classes are unlikely to rise above 30.
Although 1.5 form entry is not unusual, there is concern about the lack of transparency, particularly over how it might be structured and how two year groups, at different stages in the curriculum, can share the same tuition. The fear is that pupils might be matched on skill level, and those deemed ‘underperforming’ relegated to classes which may be harder to manage.
Baird is run by University of Brighton Academies Trust (UBAT). A recent HIP story, School Strike Threatened Over ‘Diversion’ of Funding, noted that the trust is diverting 25.9% of the money it receives for running another of its schools, St Leonards Academy, to its central funding pool; more than triple the national average. Another of UBAT’s schools, Hollington Primary Academy, recently received a “poor” OFSTED rating and subsequently transferred to another trust.
In the same letter to parents, Baird also announced that a teacher will be “redeployed” to another UBAT school, while “some of our teaching assistants (TAs) have been put at risk of redundancy.” Baird claims, “We want to be transparent throughout this process,” but parents counter that the trust is notorious for bad communication.
According to Jenny Sutton, National Education Union (NEU) district secretary for Hastings: “Our schools are already in crisis with decrepit and often dangerous buildings, large class sizes and too few staff. UBAT schools serve deprived communities with a high proportion of disadvantaged students and SEND needs. Attendance and achievement rates are already below national average.”
The NEU is contemplating strike action and holding a public meeting for parents, school staff and the community, to explain their complaints on Saturday 8 June, 12-2pm at Henry Ward Hall, 45 Robertson Street, TN34 1HL.
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