Crest Academies confirmed this morning that classes will be mixed gender from September. There was some confusion because the school website had an undated posting that said that although the staff of the hitherto separate Girls' and Boys' Academies will be united, girls and boys would contionue to be taught in separate classes.
The school will be updating that posting to reflect the decision to move to mixed classes.
The decision is controversial as some parents chose the school originally because they were separate single sex schools.
There is a petition on Change.Org against the decision LINK. It states:
Phil Hearne has been replaced as Principal by Mohsen Ojja who told this week's Kilburn Times:
Some of the arguments in favour of girls' only schooling can be found HERE Significantly, far fewer people argue in favour of boys only schooling, and it is often said that single sex schooling is 'Good for girls, but bad for boys'LINK
In Crest's case what is likely to be most significant is whether the school is able to make progress after its Ofsted failure. The latest monitoring report dated June 2015 notes progress and says of the new Principal:
The school will be updating that posting to reflect the decision to move to mixed classes.
The decision is controversial as some parents chose the school originally because they were separate single sex schools.
There is a petition on Change.Org against the decision LINK. It states:
In June 2015, parents were informed of a proposal to fully implement and deliver mixed-gender education. The school leadership has not provided any conclusive evidence that a mixed school would better perform and provide equality for all.
Parents are highly concerned and are openly seeking to resist this draconian measure in the school’s delivery of learning and teaching.
As the petitioner and as a Crest Academy parent I urge you to sign this petition in support of the above facts and information. As parents we have the right to exercise choice for our children, however, in this instance we have not consented to any changes nor been fairly consulted.
The London Borough of Brent’s schools are already impoverished and heavily oversubscribed.
In final summation, oppose the plans of The Crest Academies (managed by E-ACT) for the following compelling reasons:At the time fo writing the petiton had only 219 supporters.
1. Sign, say ‘no’ and stand against the imposition of our school becoming a mixed-gender school
2. Sign, support us and show your dissatisfaction with such a short time to consult, in contrast to two months of consultation in 2013/4
3. Sign, share and speak the truth that we do not have a comparable girls’ or boys’ school in Brent for our children
4. Sign, stand together and support all the poorly served and let down children who have no choice or a voice
*Crest Newsletter - Edition 5 (published in year 2013-2014)
Phil Hearne, Executive Principal CONSULTATION RESULTS
“The formal consultation ran from 25 November 2013 to 24 January 2014, and an overwhelming 80% of those responding said they support the continuation of single-sex education. One of the issues that has concerned people though is whether girls and boys will mix. They will not: both classes and social time will continue to be single gender at all times.
The changes we are making are all about making the Crest Academies the very best single-sex school in the area. We want Crest to be the school of choice for any parent who values girls and boys being taught separately. This is something that both I and the Board of Governors are extremely passionate about Crest to be the school of choice for any parent who values girls and boys being taught separately"
Phil Hearne has been replaced as Principal by Mohsen Ojja who told this week's Kilburn Times:
Our outcomes are significantly low. We have to do something about it. The two factors driving this change - a duty to ensure every single pupils can access the best education possible by managing the performance of teachers appropriately, and recruiting better teachers and leaders - and our duty to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.Single sex schooling is often controversial. In this case added to the arguments that mixed schooling during adolesence means loss of academic concentration, that girls suppress their ability in order not to 'show up' boys, that girls are used to 'soften' the behaviour of boys, that girls are more likely to opt for non-stereotypical subjects in girls only schools are religious arguments in favour of separation.
Some of the arguments in favour of girls' only schooling can be found HERE Significantly, far fewer people argue in favour of boys only schooling, and it is often said that single sex schooling is 'Good for girls, but bad for boys'LINK
In Crest's case what is likely to be most significant is whether the school is able to make progress after its Ofsted failure. The latest monitoring report dated June 2015 notes progress and says of the new Principal:
As Principal, you and the vice principal who was at the academy at the time of the Inspection have worked swiftly to begin to address the areas for improvement. Your own determination to improve the quality of teaching and raise students’ aspirations and achievement is very clear. Now that there is a full exec utive leadership team and other senior leaders have been appointed the academy is ready to build on the foundations laid in the post inspection action plan.
On the co-education issue Ofsted say:
An issue that will concern teaching and not-teaching staff is whether the changes will mean a reduction in staffing in a school that has already experienced considerable job losses. LINKThe academy is currently undertaking a consultation with parents and carers, students and staff regarding a review of the provision for boys and girls. This has a clear focus, quite rightly, on ensuring equality of opportunity in the curriculum for all. There are already assemblies and some aspects of personal, health and social education that involve boys and girls learning together.
There are two remaining single sex secondary schools in Brent which are both Roman Catholic as well as the fee paying (£6,700 per year) Islamia Girls School. LINK
Gladstone Secondary Free School, a co-educational school in the same broad area as Crest, has failed to open as various sites have fallen through but still expects to open in September 2016.
Its website LINK still lacks certainty:
The Department for Education (DfE) has been searching for land or buildings to enable our school, a parent-led school, to provide places for Brent parents who might otherwise need to search for school places out of borough.
We have a temporary site suitable for at least three years, ready for development into a great building. We have lost out on four great locations for our permanent school site in Brent, as property developers have snapped up suitable accommodation for residential use. This has created an even greater squeeze on school places, and reduced further the availability of site options for our school. This has led to deferrals meaning over 200 families have lost out on their prefered choice for a place at Gladstone School over the last two years.
The DfE is looking for suitable sites right now, for our Autumn recruitment programme. Help us to help them find school sites.