Sedgehill School. Pic: Google Maps
Lewisham Council have decided to replace Sedgehill School’s current governing board, despite a large protest outside the borough’s town hall last Friday night.
The decision comes after Sedgehill School was said to be “underperforming” in a recent Ofsted report. An Interim Executive Board, made up of staff from the Bethnal Green Academy in Tower Hamlets, will now manage the school.
An IEB is a governing body which is appointed for a short period of time in certain circumstances to help improve schools.
In a letter to parents, Labour MP for Lewisham East, Heidi Alexander, cast doubt over the effectiveness of bringing in the IEB.
She said: “I note also that whilst the transformation at Bethnal Green Academy under the leadership of Mark Keary seems to have been remarkable, I don’t believe the school has a track record of going into other schools to effect similar turnarounds. This is of concern to me.”
“Equally, the pace of change at Sedgehill under the existing partnership with Hayes Academy hasn’t as yet delivered the results which are needed (albeit some improvement in the first three years undoubtedly took place).”
Green party candidate for Lewisham West and Penge Tom Chance had previously labeled the move as being “undemocratic” and urged the council to open a dialogue with the school.
Disturbed to read that Lewisham will impose Interim Education Board on Sedgehill, overriding parents, teachers, governors. @SaveSedgehill
— Tom Chance (@tom_chance) <ahref=”https://twitter.com/tom_chance/status/544992605097197569″>December 16, 2014
Martin Powell-Davies, member of the NUT National Executive has also decried the decision saying: “Today’s IEB submission confirms, once again, how little there is to choose between the main parties. They all offer a diet of cuts, austerity and privatisation. Yet, we saw with the Lewisham Hospital campaign and now with SAiL that there is mounting opposition to these damaging policies.”
“Now we need candidates that will speak out and lead campaigns against the attacks on education, health and all our public services.”
“I think that I can provide that voice in the Lewisham West and Penge constituency in May’s election.”
