Update following a phone call from the Head Teacher
On Friday afternoon, I had a phone call out of the blue from Kerry Cooney. She was clearly aware of my social media messages and wanted to talk to me about my concerns. I have taken a couple of days to digest the discussion.
During the call I learned things which I did not know before. Which whilst helpful would have been helpful months ago. In my opinion, that’s what happens when you don’t do a meaningful consultation.
The point is that the word meaningful is very subjective. Communication is a 2 way thing and in this case there are many parents and teachers who don’t feel that the consultation has been meaningful.
A consultation went to parents last year. I missed that. I am assuming I am not the only one. I made the point that without facts and a full understanding of what it means to join a MAT I could not have engaged in any form of meaningful consultation (had I seen what was sent out). If communication is one way and there isn’t room for meaningful discussion that isn’t meaningful communication.
I can only conclude that if that is my experience it is perfectly feasible that the experience has been the same for the teachers. Kerry Cooney told me that the school has done more consultation than it was legally required to. Which makes things even more worrying. More than required and yet the teachers don’t feel they have had a meaningful consultation. It is easy to undertake processes to ensure legal boxes are ticked but this doesn’t make for an on board teaching team and a happy school and that is my worry. Children learn best in a supportive and engaged environment.
If the transition goes ahead, the following will happen:
- quality teaching staff will leave (many have already)
- LGS will CEASE to exist as an entity. There’s no going back
- terms can be changed as soon as the MAT takes over.
- the school will be run by a new board of trustees. Many of the decisions currently made by the LGS board will be subsumed to the King Edwards IV board and Lordswood will loose a lot of it’s autonomy
- Lordswood will be like a department of a larger group, so not necessarily a priority.
In our discussion, Kerry Cooney seemed unaware that girls feel unhappy in the school. She had no sense of excessive rules being a issue for students. She said that she has not changed any rules since being in post which was contrary to what I’ve discussed with teachers and students. She is working to the rules of the previous head and has been observing the work of the school for the last academic year before making decisions about how to move things forward. How can the Head of the school (and probably the Trustees) be so unaware of the potentially negative culture that’s bubbling under the surface.
I was told that the school is in financial difficulty and can’t afford to run as it is. I would like to know more about this (something a meaningful discussion might achieve). It’s a worry but is joining a MAT the only way forward? If it is, is KE IV the right fit? If it is proceeding is the right thing but ONLY after MEANINGFUL consultation.
I remain concerned and urge other parents to have a look into it and see for yourself. Please share this petition as much as you can with people who will share our concern about the future of the school.
We are desperately short of time!!