Save Our Schools

It is unfortunate that we don't believe that Dave Hill and Cllr Pollard are big enough to listen and admit that they may be wrong.  If they don't listen now, will they admit to their mistakes in the future?  Haling Manor is predicting 35% A*-C (incl. Eng & Maths).  Will Harris pretend to improve that figure by doing what other academies have done - get headlines for results which do not include English and Maths?

Why don't the Council wait a couple of years if they really want to make sure that the improvements in Haling Manor and Ashburton schools are not just a flash in the pan.  Why rush into a change which could be a disaster and which they won't be able to do anything about?

As suspected, the "consultation" meetings will be controlled by those who have already decided what is best for us.  You will be spoken at by Dave Hill, Croydon's lead officer and proposer of academies, Cllr Pollard and, not just one but two representatives from Harris.  You will be allowed to ask them questions but not to challenge their distorted "facts" (such as academies are making more progress than other schools).

Croydon Council have failed to carry out an Equalities Impact Assessment - presumably because they are aware that their proposals are likely to benefit higher achieving students, rather than those which struggle.  By denying a challenge to their plans, they are also ignoring the requirement to "provide sufficient information for those being consulted to form a considered view on the matters on which they are being consulted" (www.dcsf.gov.uk/schoolorg/guidance.cfm?id=3).

We asked the DCSF why their website said:
"Ashburton Community School Academy due to be opened 01/09/09; Haling Manor High School Academy
due to be opened 01/09/09; and Selsdon High School Academy due to be opened 01/09/10"
We didn't get a reply that made any sense. However, checking today, we can report that this
has been removed. It doesn't change the fact though that both the Government and Croydon
Council think that they can bully and manipulate parents so that they can force their plans through.

The only way that Harris can improve Haling Manor's GCSE results is by getting rid of a sizeable number of its students. We have looked at Haling Manor's achievements against Harris Peckham, which has had time to show what it can do.

Our interpretation is that, if you want your child in school and if your child may want to do  Languages or Science, then a Harris Academy may not be the place for your child to go.