Malorees Governing Board

Malorees School

Christchurch Avenue, NW6 7PB

Subject: Opposition to Amalgamation Proposal and Request to Withdraw Proposal 

Date: 7 February 2025

Dear Governors,

As concerned parents and carers within the Malorees School community, we respectfully request the withdrawal of the current amalgamation proposal. This decision has been made without sufficient consultation with parents and teachers, and key issues remain unaddressed.

Our concerns are as follows:

1. Lack of Transparency: Despite repeated requests, the minutes documenting the decision to amalgamate have not been made available to us. The Board submitted the proposal to Brent Council in September 2024, indicating that the decision was made earlier. Yet, over six months later, as of 7 February 2025, we still have no access to these crucial documents, which in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the School Governance (Roles, Procedures, and Allowances) (England) Regulations 2013, governing bodies and local authorities have a duty to maintain openness in decision-making processes. The unreasonable delay to disclose crucial information erodes trust and obstructs our ability to fully understand the rationale behind the decision and raises serious concerns about transparency, particularly those that significantly impact our school community.

2. Lack of Parental Representation: During this critical consultation period on a decision that will significantly impact our children’s education, the governing board has no parent governors. This raises serious concerns that key decisions—including whether to proceed with amalgamation—may have been made without input from those most affected: our children and families.

3. Financial and Structural Concerns: Staff have expressed concerns that amalgamation, coupled with a lack of commitment to timely building projects, could result in a budget deficit, placing staff and the school at risk of forced cuts or extended delays in commencing rebuilding works. 

4. Unanswered Questions: During the meeting where the amalgamation was discussed, several uncertainties and ambiguities were evident. Subsequent confusion over pertinent issues makes it difficult to provide informed feedback, rendering the informal consultation ineffective. 

In light of these issues, we request the following actions:

1. Withdrawal of the Amalgamation Proposal: Pause any further action on the current proposal until proper parental/carer representation has been established, ensuring this continues throughout future governance decisions.

2. Comprehensive Parental Consultation: Establish mechanisms such as forums, surveys, and open discussions to facilitate active parental participation and understanding within the Malorees community.

3. Provision of a Comprehensive Proposal and Clarity on Terms of Amalgamation: Provide firm details, including the conditions/terms for amalgamation, deadlines, assurances on building works, and how potential delays would be mitigated to protect budget responsibilities and staff job security. Also, details of what not amalgamating would look like (i.e. whether Junior redevelopment would continue while a possible separate application for infant redevelopment funding). We request a clear financial and risk analysis of the amalgamation and non-amalgamation scenarios, including the DoE funding amounts and a covenant to secure the land’s future. 

4. Clarification of Consultation Feedback Influence: Confirm the significance of feedback in the decision-making process. For instance, if the majority of respondents support or oppose the proposal, will this majority be reflected in the final decision as suggested on page 6 of the proposal document?

Additionally, we seek clarification on the following statements made during consultation meetings:

• Governors have indicated that amalgamation is necessary to secure building works and have mentioned a 'fear of punishment' (withdrawal of DfE commitment to rebuild) during discussions. Has the DfE made amalgamation a condition of building works, and why
• Why are fear/threats being used as leverage either way?
• Can minutes of the governor meetings be made available electronically? We were told these were available via a website.

Given that the deadline for the consultation is February 16th, we kindly request a detailed response outlining the steps the board plans to take to address these concerns by Wednesday 12 February. We also advocate for ongoing dialogue with parents to ensure that our voices are heard and valued in future deliberations.

We look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

Concerned Parents and Carers of Malorees Children

Signed by: