1:00pm Saturday 13th March 2010
By Chris Wickham
A request by a coalition of parents to become a co-sponsor of a planned academy at Shene School has been turned down.
The Barnes, Mortlake and Sheen Parent Promoted Foundation (PPF) asked to be a co-sponsor for the academy, an all-ability school set to be run by Academies Enterprise Trust (AET), but were given short shrift.
PPF, which works to ensure there is excellent education in the area for their children, submitted a proposal to be a co-sponsor as it felt its involvement “would help make it feel and look discernibly different from its predecessor”.
The proposal added: “It would be hugely exciting for everyone in the borough to be first to engage in this type of co-sponsorship model, and could attract regional, or indeed national interest, in our progress.”
But Councillor Serge Lourie, leader of Richmond Council, wrote back last week saying the time frame meant it was not possible.
Paul Mason, of PPF, said council officers had said early on in the process they did not want the group involved and tried to stop AET working with them.
He added: “We feel we have been strung along. We always said we wanted involvement and our wish was to have meaningful representation on the board.”
Mr Mason said it only became clear this was to be denied late in the process and his group genuinely wanted to help the school. “We are not trying to derail or delay the process, if AET or the council can make a commitment to us to be co-sponsors or have meaningful involvement [we will be happy].”
Councillor Malcolm Eady, cabinet member for education and children’s services, said the council was grateful for the support from PPF but the timetable was tight, and the general election – believed to be planned for May 6 – made life even more difficult.
He said to add a new co-sponsor would mean a “serious” delay.
He said: “We believe the school and the community want and need to have certainty Shene will become an academy this September.
“Any delays to the process are highly likely to prevent that from happening.
“I hope PPF will want to remain involved in the proposed academy project, and they can assist by articulating the views of their membership and by spreading the good news of the new school.”
The council’s children’s services overview and scrutiny committee is to discuss the plan on Tuesday before it is ratified by cabinet on March 22. In a consultation, 84 per cent of the 176 respondents supported the proposals.
'Freeze Shene admissions'
The man who wants to be Richmond’s next MP has called for Shene School not to take pupils this September.
Zac Goldsmith, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Richmond Park, said not involving the PPF in the plans for the school was “crazy” and it would be better to re-open it for new admissions in September 2011.
He said: “The council tells us it wants parent involvement, and here we have a fantastic parent organisation offering its full support.
“In its arrogance, the council has yet again turned its back on the community.
“I have urged the authorities to consider freezing admissions for a year, to allow the school time to take guidance from parents and to effectively re-launch itself as a high standard community school.”
But Councillor Serge Lourie, leader of Richmond Council, said: “It would seriously destabilise the school and reduce choice for parents and young people.”
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