Legal challenge against DofE continues, Khalsa Secondary Academy remain under Khalsa Academies Trust

PRESS RELEASE 15th August 2020

SAVE OUR SIKH SCHOOL PARENTS GROUP WILL FIGHT DECISION BY RSC

The Save our Sikh School Parents Group would like to inform parents of Khalsa Secondary Academy and the wider community, that they will continue to fight the decision by the DFE to transfer the school to the Sikh Academies Trust.

The Trust and Parents group have already commenced a judicial review (legal proceedings) against the DFE for issuing the termination notice. This action will continue because the decision to transfer the school to any organisation was unfair, unjust and discriminatory. This action will stop any proposed transfer of the school.

Our legal challenge is important for the Sikh community at large, as unlike Catholic and Church of England schools, the 13 Sikh Schools in the UK have no legal protection against such decisions. We as a community need to demand the same rights as others, just as we fought for the right to wear a turban. We have not taken this decision because the school is being transferred to another Trust, we have done so because the decision is totally unjust based on the following facts:

The decision to issue the termination notice did not take into account the significant improvements that had been made at the school as verified by external and independent experts in safeguarding, governance and SEND provision.

The decision process did not follow the commitment by the DFE to follow the same principles and process as agreed with the Catholic and Church of England schools which is discrimination.

The DFE should have given the school more time due to lockdown for Ofsted to visit the school and independently verify the significant improvements that have taken place. Other schools who have been judged Inadequate have been given up to three years to improve.

The DFE made a commitment that the school would be transferred to a strong sponsor. The Khalsa Primary School is a single small primary school and is NOT an existing strong sponsor that has the experience of running multiple schools. The head teacher has no track record of running Secondary Schools in the UK, nor knowledge of GCSE or A level results.

The Khalsa Academes Trust has a track record of successfully opening three brand new Sikh schools and a four-year record of GCSE results which have been in the top 5-15% nationally. Earlier this week, the school achieved its first A levels results which are in the top 5% nationally.

We would like to provide assurance to the Sikh community and parents that we act in the best interest of our students and the Sikh community and we thank over 6,250 parents and community members who have signed a petition asking the DFE to rescind their decision.

We are the official body of the parents of Khalsa Secondary Academy and we do not support any other Trust other than Khalsa Academies Trust and support them fully in the legal challenge against the unfair and unjust decision taken by the Department of Education.

We as a Sikh community need to stand together and fight injustice as the Sikhs have done so in the past.