Teaching staff at Copland Community High School are taking their sixth day of action tomorrow (Thursday). They have made the following statement:
Howisitthat a schoolstaff canfeelsounited,thattheirpupilsandtheir schoolandtheythemselveshave beensobadlytreated, thattheyare willingtotake suchstrikeaction?
Staff have passed amotion ofnoconfidence intheIEB (InterimExecutive Board) nowrunningtheschool.(Pleasesee belowfor the fulltext.)Staff have askedthat a possiblelegalchallenge belookedatas well asa complaintbeingmade toallrelevantauthorities.
MichaelGove, supporterofARKandtheirproposedtakeover, almost dailyshowsthedystopianversionofeducationbydictatorshipandcontainment. He proposes,andisusingacademiesandfree schools,tobringina10hourdays for pupils.Schoolstostayopen51weeksoutof 52. Wesay“givepupilsa childhood”.
The CoplandIEB's socalledconsultation waslaughinglyinadequate. Eventheirinadequate'feedbackform'gave a resultof 86%of pupilsagainstand89%of staffagainst.Veryfewparentsrespondedandthougha majoritywere for conversiontherehadbeennoadequatecorrespondence withparents, nolettersor documentstranslatedtohelpunderstandingandnodocumentexplainingwhythestaff wereagainst.
The Unionsofferedtocalloff the strikeiftheparentswere given anindependentlyoverseenballotbuttheIEBrefusedtocommunicate atallwiththelocalunions.
There willbe a picketat theschoolbetween8 and9 am tomorrow.
CoplandJointUnionsMeeting22/1/14
ThisCoplandjointunionopenmeetingsupports;
1. ThemotionofnoconfidenceintheIEB
2. Thatacomplaintbemadetoallrelevantauthoritiesandbodies**onthebasisofitandanyotherirregularitiesthatcometolight
**E.g.BrentLocalAuthority,BrentAuditandInvestigationDepartment,TheAuditCommission,Teacherunions,MichaelGove,DfE
3. ThatlegalactionbeinvestigatedfollowingthesuccessfuljudicialreviewbyBarkingandDagenhamCouncilinsupportofWarrenComprehensiveschoolwithaviewtotakinglegalactionovertheattempttoforceacademisationwithoutproperinformationorconsultation
CoplandstaffhavenoconfidenceintheIEBasthey;
1. Continuedandoversawamassive,indiscriminate,hugelyexpensivevoluntaryredundancyprogrammeinthesummerthattooknoproperaccount ofthecurriculumandfailedtoprotectittothedetrimentofpupils'educationandtheschool.
2. Failedtotakeactiontoimprovetheintake
3. Failedtopressactiontogetanyofthemoney(£2.7million)returnedthatwasremovedfromtheschoolunderapreviousadministration,whileatthesametimeclaimingeverycutbackandredundancywasnecessaryonfinancialgrounds.
4. SecretlyappliedtotheDfEtoturnCoplandintoanARKacademywithoutinforming,nevermindconsulting,andnotevenprovidingatimelinetostafforparents.
5. Haverefusedtoallowanindependentlyoverseensecretballotofstafforparentsregardingtheirproposal,orproperlynegotiateonit,despitetheUnionsoffertopayforsuchaballot.
6. Haveengagedinafundamentallyflawedandunfair'consultation'procedureoversupportstaffredundanciesandareseekingsuchwidescaleredundanciesbothinteachingandsupportstaffthattheeducationandwellbeingofthepupilscanonlybeharmed.
7. Haveadverselyaffectedtheschool'sfinancesbydrasticallyreducingthe6thformnumbers.
8. Haveactivelypursuedanantiunionagenda;
a) unilaterallyabolishingtheschool'sJCC
b) decliningtoformallyconsulttheunionsovertheARKproposal
c) unlawfullynotallowingschoolunionrepstogoontrainingcourses