ONE WEEK LEFT TO SAVE THE HEWETT!!

In a week’s time, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan will decide to permanently hand the Hewett School over to the Inspiration Trust to become an academy, against the wishes of the local community, unless…

We convince her otherwise!

Of the Hewett School, David Cameron has said: “Where schools are coasting… I think it is very important that we intervene on behalf of local parents…” and also that he would look at this specific case. We have been told that Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan will “consider all representations before making a final decision”.

We are urging Mrs Morgan to consider that we do not want the Government to intervene on behalf of local parents and hand The Hewett School to The Inspiration Trust. This is not in the best interests of the students or parents.

In countless petitions, letters and emails, we (the local community; parents; students; teachers; councillors at Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council) have said ‘no’ to The Hewett School becoming an academy.

Hewett is not ‘coasting’. Ofsted Inspector Lesley Daniel, (February 3rd) said: “Your school improvement plan does tackle key priorities such as your developing literacy strategy and clear curriculum plan, amongst other initiatives, which will have a longer term effect on the quality of education provided for your students.” She said the improvement plan would be fully fit for purpose with the “appointments of a permanent head teacher and other key members of staff”. We do not need the Inspiration Trust’s help in order to achieve this.

This will be the first time that ministers have turned a Norfolk school into an academy, and proposed a sponsor, without receiving a request from its governors, or interim executive board. No justification has been given as to why Hewett’s particular situation warrants such an unusual course of action. Given the speed of this decision, the failure to benefit from a governing body’s expertise in impartially weighing up the options and the fact that local people’s wishes have been ignored, it is not surprising that the validity of the government’s decision is so widely questioned. (It is also worth mentioning that Sir Theodore Agnew is both Chair of The Inspiration Trust and Chair of the Department for Education’s Academies Board).

Given the incalculably important question of our children’s education as well as the immense value of this large site to the city, it is imperative that local people have confidence in any process that decides Hewett's future. We have a right to have a say in our children’s schooling and hope that the government can find it within itself to agree.