Minister hears school’s plea not to be forced to become academy
A DELEGATION from a small school in Yorkshire has met with education ministers to plead its case against being forced to become an academy, in the wake of damning Ofsted reports.
Oldfield School near Haworth, with 56 pupils on the roll at its last inspection, was issued with an academy order after being rated inadequate in June last year.
Since that time, Keighley MP John Grogan said, the school has radically improved, with a new leadership team backed by parents and governors. Having securing a meeting with Schools Minister Lord Agnew on Thursday, he said he is hopeful the case will be judged on its merits.
A decision is due in coming days.
“We put forward the case that the school has massively improved in recent months,” said Mr Grogan, who accompanied school leaders on Thursday. “This
process would not be in the best interests of children.”
The village school, on the Haworth Moors, had put plans into place in the wake of the damning Ofsted inspection. While closure was an option, parents had been told, this had been rejected by Bradford Council in recognition of its value as a small school.
And, crucially, an executive headteacher was brought in alongside a new leadership team.
Since that time, parents say, there have been rapid improvements at the school, with campaigners appealing the issued academy order so the school could instead federate.
“There’s the old saying ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, and that’s what we should be considering,” said Mr Grogan.
“Sadly, if we look at the statistics with village schools, many close within a few years when they are taken over by academies.
“I am hopeful. There are a team at Oldfield now who have successfully turned it around, and there is massive support from parents.
“I’m assured Lord Agnew will consider this case on its merits.
“It is rare for academisation orders to be overturned, but it does happen.
“There are precedents.”