Schools in bid to stop academy pressure
BIRMINGHAM school leaders and governors have held talks in a bid to resist pressure to become academies.
School leaders and governors from across the Archdiocese of Birmingham gathered on Wednesday to discuss the next steps in reaction to the threat of ‘forced academisation’.
Union NAHT says schools in the Birmingham Diocesan Education Service, which spans multiple local authorities, have come under huge pressure to give up their current independence and join a Multi Academy Trust.
They say the behaviour of the Diocese has been described as ‘belligerent’ and claim it has left school leaders fearful of speaking out for fear of their jobs being put at risk.
The NAHT alleges that even schools whose governing bodies have actively voted against joining Multi Academy Trusts, and schools who have worked together in successful collaboration, have been told they have no choice.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Rob Kelsall, national secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Governors across the Archdiocese of Birmingham have been placed under intolerable pressure.
“Becoming an academy can be a positive step for some schools.
“But it is only the governing body and leaders of a school that can truly understand if joining a multi academy trust will bring benefit to pupils.
“Voluntary academisation will bring with it commitment and success.
“Compulsion backed up by threats is counterproductive and doomed to failure.
“This is not the way to look after the young people at school.”
He added: “The education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, has categorically stated that he will not set an arbitrary date for schools to convert to academy status and that he supports a system with a variety of different school types.
“It appears that the Diocese in Birmingham is going against that direction and ploughing on belligerently to force through academisation for both for voluntary aided schools and those who had already established their own MAT.
“The Diocese are effectively ruling by diktat and it has to stop. Such behaviour has no place in a modern education service.
“Our plea is for the Catholic Education Service, which represents the Bishops’ national education policy, to intervene before this situation escalates further.”