27th November 2016

Complaint regarding tender by Oasis Community Learning in the re-brokering of The Ridings Federation of Academies' schools

Please accept our formal complaint about the involvement of the Oasis Community Learning Multi-Academy Trust in the tender for The Ridings Federation of Academies schools.  We are complaining that joining the OCL MAT will change the religious ethos of the TRFA schools and that the TRFA Trust has not given full consideration to this matter and its implications for the schools when choosing to include Oasis Community Leaning in the tender options.

At a recent public meeting Claire Emery, Chair of the TRFA, told a parent that the religious ethos of OCL “did not matter”; implying that, in her opinion, the religious ethos of the Oasis Charitable Trust's schools is of little relevance to the decision making process when considering who will take over the TRFA schools.

On the contrary, legislation states that it matters very much.  

TRFA schools do not have a religious character or ethos. They are secular schools.  The Oasis Charitable Trust is a Christian charity and is the sole member (owner) of Oasis Learning Community.  The religious ethos of Oasis schools is clearly evident in the Oasis Charitable Trust’s ethos statement and the ethos statements of Oasis Academy schools.

Oasis UK is inspired and motivated by the life, teaching and example of Jesus. It informs our radically inclusive ethos and drives our passionate belief that each human being is equally important, has intrinsic God-given worth and is uniquely valuable.  – Oasis UK

Our Christian ethos drives our sense of purpose and our actions. It is an expression of our character and the lens through which we evaluate all we do. – Oasis UK

The ethos of Oasis is an expression of our character and permeates everything we do. Inspired by the life, message and example of Jesus Christ - Oasis Academy Brislington, South Bristol Hub

The ethos of Oasis is an expression of our character and permeates everything we do. Inspired by the life, message and example of Jesus Christ - Oasis Academy Brightstowe, North Bristol Hub

The ethos of Oasis is an expression of our character and permeates everything we do. Inspired by the life, message and example of Jesus Christ – Oasis Academy John Williams, North Bristol Hub

Oasis school buildings and premises are used as religious “hubs”. A hub is the central part of a wheel that connects the axle to the wheel itself. Each Oasis Academy school is linked to a specific hub by name. John Williams holds a church on school premises and Brightstowe states that the activity of the Chaplin includes "taking assemblies, ‘hanging out’ with students in our school corridors, canteens and playgrounds, one to one mentoring sessions, home visits, ... taking part in lessons". This shows how central the Christian faith is in the day-to-day operation of Oasis Academy schools.

Church and Chaplaincy is a specific job category on the OCL Career Board advertising staff vacancies.  OCL employs Chaplains at favourable rates of pay comparable with experienced teachers, not merely as office holders with minimal duties.  They are not volunteers.  By contrast, a secular support staff position was recently advertised in the South Bristol hub on a zero-hours contract at minimum wage on clearly far less favourable terms.

Religion is not merely incidental and “doesn’t matter” at Oasis schools as the Chair of TRFA Trust appears to believe.  The Christian faith is evidently core to the operation, direction, ethos and signage of all Oasis Academy schools.

No doubt the Oasis Charitable Trust intends to found an Oasis Hub South Gloucestershire using our schools if the tender is successful. As the majority stakeholders, parents and pupils are vehemently opposed to our schools being used in this way.  We say schools are for teaching not preaching. The fact is key stakeholders have not been consulted by the TRFA Trust prior to accepting a tender from an overtly religious Christian organisation intending to put Churches and Chaplains in our schools.  Shame on Claire Emery for trying to pull the wool over our eyes!

The Secular Society states that the OCL’s sex and relationships policy contains the phrase: "The Oasis Community Learning Board will not permit the promotion of homosexuality”.  Adopting such a policy as part of a take-over may amount to discrimination against pupils, staff and parents of TRFA schools on the grounds of sexual orientation and is certainly not “preparing our young people to be global citizens”. 

Please note that the statutory sex education policy and many other statutory policies are not freely published on any of the OCL schools' websites. Nor do OCL Board members publish a register of their pecuniary interests or attendance at meetings as legally required. The names of the Trustees who appoint the Board members are not published or revealed by a Google search and their pecuniary interests are also unknown. And with only one woman on the Board, and no ethnic groups other than White British represented, we are entitled to question the Trustee’s commitment to transparency, equality and diversity in its dealings and appointments.

Further, the current stakeholder survey distributed to parents by TRFA Trust does not include any questions directed at canvassing the views of stakeholders on changing the religious nature of the TRFA schools.  We understand that, on this basis alone, a decision made by the Regional Schools Commission for Oasis Community Learning to take over TRFA schools would be subject to legal challenge.

In addition to our complaint about the religious ethos of OCL schools, OFSTED has identified the same issues across this national MAT as they found in TRFA schools.

We must ask you; why is a tender from the Oasis Community Learning Multi-Academy Trust even on the table?

We urge you to take any potential tender by Oasis Community Learning off the table.  As the greater proportion of key stakeholders, we are telling you that parents and pupils do not want to become part of a religious hub; we do not want to be managed by a Christian faith organisation; and we do not want Churches and Chaplains on our school premises. It does not fit with the existing secular ethos of the TRFA schools.  When it comes to changing the religious nature of a school, this is one area where ethos really is more relevant than money on the table. 

Please see the petition to Justine Greening, Secretary of State for Education; Lord John Nash, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for School; and Nick Gibb, Minister of State for Schools for further evidence of key stakeholders' support for this complaint.

We ask that that this official complaint is properly dealt with according to approved policy and that our views will be accounted for when deciding on the fate of the TRFA schools.  It is clear that Oasis Community Learning is not the right choice on this occasion.

Yours sincerely

Parents, Pupils and Friends of The Ridings Federation of Academies' schools

Winterbourne International Academy

WIA Sixth Form

Woodlands Nursery

Woodlands Primary Phase

Yate International Academy

https://www.change.org/p/justine-greening-save-our-school-from-an-organisation-which-won-t-support-the-continued-success-of-trfwia