Tidemill Governors Challenged Over Academy Decision

Press Release:Save Tidemill Primary School Campaign

Friday 14th January 2011

Country’s highest paid Superhead Mark Elms gets maths wrong in academy bid

The governors at Tidemill Primary School in Deptford are about to withdraw their application to become an academy. Though the school governors previously voted 8 to 5 on the 2nd of December 2010 to take the school into academy status, it has recently come to light that the financial breakdown presented by Mark Elms was in fact seriously flawed. Solicitors Leigh Day & Co acting on behalf of Leila Galloway, a parent of two children at the school, have received strong indications that the school is minded to withdraw its application before being drawn into an application where they would be subjected to a Judicial Review.

 
Although campaigners maintain that there were many flaws in the schools proposal and consultation process it appears that the main reason for the school withdrawing its application rests on a set of seriously flawed figures.

 

There is more than one miscalculation. One glaring example is where the school estimated that it would cost them £60,000 to pay for additional services normally provided by the LEA when in fact the DOE’s estimate is £78,000 and the LEA estimates the figure to be in excess of £229,000.

All schools that apply for academy status are also mandated to undertake an Equality Impact Assessment. It would appear the school has not done this.

Leila Galloway and local campaigners maintain that this is a victory for parents and local residents. Many people feel that the whole process has been rushed and important decisions made without fully exploring the implications of such a profound and irreversible change.


For further information please contact:

Leila: 07766710638 or 02086928939

Email: leila.galloway@gmail.com

Website: www.academies sayingno.org