• Tues 18th June 2002

Report on a Meeting of Coulby Newham Parents,
Addressed by Cllr Paul Thompson,
on Tues 18th June 2002

The Visit
Earlier this month, Middlesbrough Councillors and other interested parties visited Emmanuel College, a City Technology College in Gateshead, run by the Vardy Foundation, Sponsors of South Middlesbrough City Academy. Cllr Paul Thompson kindly agreed to meet with a few local parents to give his personal impressions of the School, and reassure them as to the many instances of "Good Practice" which we could expect to see transferred to SMCA. The meeting took place on Tues 18th June at the Coppice Meeting Hall, Coulby Newham, and though organised at short notice, was attended by about 15 people.
Cllr. Thompson kicked off by telling parents that the visitors had approached the trip as sceptics, with the same concerns and questions as many parents, in particular with regard to the intensity of the Christian ethos.
His main concern was to observe the children. He found them to be confident, intelligent, articulate and happy.
When asked if he thought that the children might have been specially selected to speak to the visitors, Cllr Thompson said that this had occurred to them, but that the students answered questions honestly and openly with no evidence of "coaching" or "brainwashing".
Asked about the Christian Ethos, some had replied that while it seemed a bit heavy, they didn't take a lot of notice, and didn't feel belief or observance was forced on them.
The visitors, including a local clergyman, did have some reservations about the overtly Religious atmosphere and the content of some of the wall displays. They had seen no evidence of children having to carry bibles.
The discipline in the College was quite strict, and behaviour was excellent, though children still appeared relaxed and happy in the company of teachers.
Whilst the students admitted that they did have a long and tiring school day (8.30am - 4.30pm), they were not unhappy, and enjoyed and made full use of after school activities. Some, particularly girls, did express a dislike of the school uniform.
College facilities were "1st Class", with a library that would put most local libraries to shame. The main reception area, though a little reminiscent of a car showroom, was an effective communications centre for the school, providing information on timetables, events and activities, and distributing the "swipe cards" which replaced the need for school dinner money to be carried around.
Parents welcomed many of these positive aspects and were encouraged by what they heard.

The Differences
Cllr Thompson reminded parents that South Middlesbrough City Academy should in fact bear little resemblance to Emmanuel College, as both the legislation covering the two types of school, and the intake of pupils would be different.
Emmanuel takes in children from all over the Gateshead area. Parents make a definite choice to send their children there, and consequently enter into a contract with certain compulsory elements.
Our Academy will have a much more distinct catchment area. There will only be a 10% element of selection on the basis of talent in the school's speciality, Business and Enterprise.
Parents questioned the point that the two schools would differ, as they had had conflicting reports from members of the LEA and Vardy Foundation representatives, some of who stressed the differences, while others insisted that the College would be replicated at Middlesbrough.
All parents present agreed that in view of Sir Peter Vardy's statement, if an open invitation to visit Emmanuel could be secured, it should be welcomed and taken advantage of.
(Cllr Thompson has since managed to arrange a visit for interested parents to take place on 5th July, with another possibly in September. Contact Val Boyers val.boyers@ntlworld.com)
Concerning the contract that both parents are required to sign before their children are accepted into Emmanuel College, which demands compulsory attendance at college events and that sports selection etc. should take precedence over part-time jobs, the Cllr expected that nothing more demanding than the normal Home-School agreement would be required from Middlesbrough Parents.

Intake
Cllr Thompson reassured parents that SMCA would have to abide by LEA admissions guidelines, and that he would be particularly concerned that they should fulfil their obligations to Children of Special Educational Needs, an area for which schools in Coulby Newham have traditionally been praised, and an area in which the Ofsted report for Emmanuel College had been slightly critical.
Schools that have a substantial SEN intake have been treated unfairly in the past by the way League Tables are compiled. There was concern that the Vardy Foundation was not prepared for this, and that their target for a 20% increase in standards was overly ambitious. Cllr Thompson dismissed rumours that teachers had been asked to compile a "hit list" of challenging pupils who may be excluded.

Uniform
Regarding the Emmanuel model of the School Uniform, most parents agreed that the case for having a uniform was valid, but believed that the existing form of the Coulby School uniform was adequate. What need for Blazers and ties? They were restrictive to children and an unnecessary expense. The Emmanuel dress code is specific down to the denier of tights girls are required to wear. Parents warned that if Middlesbrough girls were not allowed to wear trousers, the Vardy Foundation would be risking a revolt.

Ethos and Curriculum
There was still concern about the definition of "Christian Ethos" and that it could be quite as extreme at SMCA as at Emmanuel. The influence of the Christian Institute (whose members are influential in the governance of Emmanuel) was seen as quite hard line and intolerant in its attitude to other faiths, single parents and non-traditional family units. For instance, were kids going to be singled out, or feel uncomfortable, if they were Sikhs, if they came from a one-parent family or if their uncle was gay?
Parents were also worried about the impact that "Biblical Literalism" could have on teaching across the curriculum, particularly in Science, in view of the recent controversy at Emmanuel over "young earth Creationism" being taught as superior to Evolutionary Theory. What credibility would a Science qualification from such a school have in the outside world?
Would SMCA follow Emmanuel's pattern of compulsory GCSE and A level exams in Religious Education? This could make students' option choices at year 9 and at Sixth form, narrower and more difficult than they already are, and for most students was not a particularly useful qualification to have.
There was worry about the school day and the change from hour-long lessons to 50-minute sessions and shorter breaks. Would this put extra pressure on children and increase teacher workload?
Cllr Thompson said that because of the disciplined atmosphere in the school a 50-minute lesson was just that, not 15 minutes of disruption and 35 actually productive learning as is often the case now. This should benefit both students and teachers.

Parent Power?
Cllr Thompson said that many of these concerns would be better addressed with the contribution of the new Principal, Richard Coupe, when he takes up his post. But parents felt that their concerns would be academic by then, as they would have no effective representation on the Board of Directors.
The Cllr agreed that both Parent and LEA representation was inadequate, the present structure being: 1 Parent, 1 LEA and 5 Vardy Nominees. He felt it unlikely that there would be any movement on this from the Sponsors. Should parents continue to press for better representation? It couldn't hurt.
There were conflicting reports from parents as to who was actually on the board as it stood. Those mentioned included Nigel McQuoid Head of Emmanuel, John Burn Former Head of Emmanuel and Chairman of the Christian Institute who has represented the Vardy Foundation in consultations with Parents, and Rev David Holloway, Vicar of Jesmond Parish Church and founder of the Christian Institute.
Parents had as yet had no confirmation of who made up the Board. Cllr Thompson informed them that the LEA representative would be Malcolm Saysell. Obviously the solitary parent representative could not be elected until the two schools, Coulby and Brackenhoe had merged and the two sets of parents become one unit. (Happily, there has since been confirmation of one other member of the Board. He is Rev Alan Leighton of St George's at Normanby. He has family connections in Coulby Newham, and is well known and respected throughout the community.)
Once the school is in operation City Academies are exempt from the normal school complaints procedure, and parents cannot complain to the LEA if their single representative on the Governing Body is overruled. The next level for complaint is the Secretary of State for Education.
Parents asked about the status of the "Parents Consultative Group" to which most of them had applied. This was only to run for 15 months, to be replaced by the "Academy Council" on which there would be parental representation, but which would only have powers to report back to the Board of Directors.

Parental Choice?
It had been suggested to some parents at other meetings, that if they didn't like the proposed school they could choose to send their children somewhere else. Most of the parents rejected the idea of leaving the community and uprooting their families or splitting up their children from their friends. The point was raised that we didn't have a Prospectus. At least Emmanuel parents were able to make an informed choice based on a Prospectus. Cllr Thompson said a Prospectus for SMCA was due to be published in September.
One parent said that the issue of choice did not arise. They had attempted to find a place for their child in several other Middlesbrough Schools and had been informed that there were simply no places.

Staff
There had been concern over the choice of the new Principal. His previous post had been in a selective, Quaker, part boarding school of 300 high achieving pupils in Reading. South Middlesbrough might be a culture shock for him. Other candidates for the job had included a number from the US.
A parent was worried that a number of teachers appeared to be leaving, and that some, while initially expressing concerns about the Academy, had gone very quiet lately. Had they been "nobbled"?
Cllr Thompson explained that some teachers had decided to leave for reasons unconnected with the change over, and others had decided it was a good time to retire. No one had been "nobbled".

Policy
Other concerns included the idea that City Academies were simply privatisation and selection "by the back door", and that this particular one was a "Faith School by the back door".
There was also dissatisfaction that by being replaced by a City Academy, Coulby School was automatically labelled as a "failing school", which it was not.

Future
As things stand, parents agreed that it was now important to try and take a positive attitude and to be as involved as possible in the new School, to push for better representation, to co-operate with the Sponsors we have in ensuring that the best aspects of Emmanuel College are transferred to SMCA, and to make sure that our children and our community get the best deal and the high quality school they deserve.

• Tues 14th May 6.30pm
  Coulby Newham School

Report by a Coulby Newham Parent on the Meeting Held at Coulby Newham School on 14th May 2002, Concerning South Middlesbrough City Academy.

A number of concerns were voiced at this meeting and it may be useful to examine the background to parents' concerns before we consider what was actually said.

When the project was first put to the public about a year ago, most people were excited about the prospect of a bright, new, state of the art Academy being built at Coulby Newham. The LEA's position was that it would solve the problem of falling rolls at Brackenhoe School, which they proposed to close.
A Christian charitable organisation, the Vardy Foundation, was to put forward £2 million of the £20 million budget (the rest to be met by Central Government), and Emmanuel College in Gateshead was held up as a model, both at meetings and in distributed literature, by which we were to judge the foundation's methods. This was considered a "beacon school" by the Government in terms of its examination success, had been given a glowing report by Ofsted. It's hardly surprising then, that some parents were disturbed by recent, controversial reports regarding Emmanuel College, and the Vardy Foundation's influence and intentions. It was hoped that some concerns would be addressed at the meeting.

Some of the principal figures addressing this evening's meeting were,

• Dr Barbara Comiskey, Corporate Director of Education for Middlesbrough LEA,
• John Burn, former Head of Emmanuel College, as representative of the Vardy Foundation,
• Susan Goodhall, Head of Service, LEA
• Terry Sutcliffe, Assistant Head of Planning and Information, LEA.

Also attending the meeting were:

• Members of Coulby School staff,
• Councillor Paul Thompson
• Councillor Dave Walsh (as a representative of Ashok Kumar MP who was unable to attend),
• Ray Mallon the newly elected Mayor of Middlesbrough
• Around 100 residents.

After a Welcome by Mr Gaskell, current Head of Coulby School, Dr Comiskey opened the meeting with an offer to meet with any group for further discussions if required. She reminded us that the Academy would be unique in the country in its focus on Special Needs Education, and emphasised how fortunate it was that the process had been so speedy. She recognised parents' concerns but asked them not to believe everything they read.
Susan Goodhall ran through the project's timetable from start to finish

• From initial consultation to final decision - April 2001-Feb 2002
• School Closure Agreed - April 2002
• Planning permission - April 2002
• New Principal Appointed - April 2002
• Funding agreement signed by the Sponsors and DfES - May 2002
• Construction Started - May 2002
• Proposals re. City Academy Staffing- April- May 2002
• New School due to open - Sept 2003
  

Ms Goodhall also stressed the efforts being made towards a smooth and painless transfer for all staff from both schools who wished to continue with the Academy.

Dr. Comiskey also informed us that the existing community areas and Youth Club, including 2 sports halls, will be retained and may indeed be added to, and that worries over increased traffic should be eased by the development of a roundabout on Stainton Way giving access to the new Academy site.

Next to speak was John Burn, who attempted to clear up parents' concerns over recent reports, and any confusion over what a "broad based Christian ethos" actually is.

• There would be a "daily act of Christian worship" which he pointed out was in fact a legal requirement of all "non Faith" schools. Christianity would be taught, as would all other major faiths. Pupils of "other faiths" would be welcomed. Children's spiritual and moral development would be addressed across the curriculum.
• He denied the rumours about having to carry 2 Bibles at all time, by wondering why anyone would need 2. A Bible might be required for Religious Education lessons. He also denied that the new Principal Mr Richard Coup, (currently working in Reading, but due to take up his position here in September of this year.) was a Baptist Preacher.
• Science would be taught as required by the National Curriculum, and that the theory of Evolution would be taught.
• Possible plans for changes to school hours were subject to discussion. The school buildings would be possibly open from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm for extra curricular activities, to address the needs of the whole community and provide resources for "Cradle to grave" education. There would be an "integrated approach" to the Special Educational Needs remit of the Academy, covering a very wide range of needs.
• It was hoped that the Sixth form would be in operation as soon as the school opened though subjects offered were to be decided in consultation with other local post 16 education providers.
• The Academy would be a State School, funded on a year-by-year basis by Central Government, and regularly inspected by Ofsted.
• Parental representation would be on an "Academy Council" allied to the Governing body.
• A guarantee was given that those who began year 10 next September would not have their GCSE courses disrupted by the changeover.
• Over time, the population of the school was expected to be 1250 pupils including the 6th form.
• Bullying was not to be tolerated, but to be dealt with. Students should be given a secure environment, where they could "go about their business unafraid". Disruptive pupils would be dealt with.
• With regard to existing teachers at both schools, all who wanted to work in the new Academy would be found a place "appropriate to their qualifications and experience". The Vardy Foundation was to be the future employer of school staff and therefore responsible for any recruitment

At this point Dr Comiskey and Mr Burn began to field questions from the audience.

• Parents voiced concern stemming from recent articles about the teaching of Creationism and the possibility of a Christian fundamentalist agenda at Emmanuel College. The reports were dismissed as "misrepresentations", particularly those published in the Guardian, which was accused of having its own agenda, related to scuppering Government plans.
• Mr Burn dismissed a reference to the lecture delivered by Steven Layfield, the Head of Science at Emmanuel College "The Teaching of Science A Biblical Perspective", in which he encourages science teachers to actively promote the story of creation portrayed in Genesis, as superior to Evolutionary theory. He could not, however, be persuaded to give an assurance that teaching across the curriculum would not be based on "Absolute Biblical Truth".
• Parents were assured that the depth of their concern would be taken on board, and it was stressed repeatedly that the Academy was "in no way shape or form" Emmanuel College, despite the fact that it had been the original model by which we were asked to judge the merits of the project.
• Dr Comiskey emphasised that the strict legal definition of a "Faith School" was that it was set up as part of a specific "denomination", therefore the Academy did not fall under this heading.
• Yes, the Academy would be similar in curriculum to Macmillan College, but would differ in its specific area of Specialisation, "Business and Enterprise". The idea behind specialised interests in schools was that any child in the area with a particular talent or interest, would be able to make use of the facilities of the appropriate specialist school, no matter which school they themselves attended.
• Parents discussed practicalities of the proposed changes in the school day. Was the prospect of a longer school day followed by the inevitable homework simply asking too much of our children. Dr Comiskey agreed to take any suggestions and comments into consideration.
• There was particular concern that this, and other matters had not been raised with parents earlier,
• The school week would certainly be limited to Mon - Fri, with the possibility of study support sessions on Saturdays.
• As the Academy would be an "Independent School", the LEA would have very little control over what went on there. Although there would be extensive parental representation on the "Academy Council" this would only be "allied" to, and make recommendations to, the Governing Body, and could have no real decision making powers. The Governing Body itself would be made up of only 7 members, only one of whom would be an elected Parent, one would be an LEA representative, and the remaining 5 would be nominated by Sir Peter Vardy. This was of great concern to the audience, many of whom, including Mr Mallon, had been unaware of this. Dr Comiskey suggested an interim "Shadow Council" be set up to monitor developments, and that parents should put forward their names. We were reminded that ultimately it was up to us to get involved.

A parent now invited Mr Ray Mallon to give his opinions. He suggested that what many parents were worried about was Creationism and Fundamentalism. He understood the fear though as a Christian he saw nothing wrong with the Bible. Some Journalists "won't let the facts get in the way of a good story", and one article had been blown out of proportion. In Meetings with The LEA and Vardy Foundation, he had asked the same questions that had been asked tonight, and had been reassured. Though he was concerned about the inadequate parental representation on the board.
Mr Mallon gave a "Cast Iron Guarantee" that as elected Independent Representative he would protect parents' interests.

After the meeting Parents were invited to view the Site Plans and Mr Sutcliffe said that they would be on display either in the Rainbow Library
or Langdon Square in the near future.

Many Parents left reassured on one hand but concerned about the accountability of the governing body, and the level of parental involvement. Everyone wants this Academy to succeed, as parents we want the very best opportunities and care for our children, but as parents we must also have a significant say in how it is run.

• Wed 15th May 6.30pm
  Brackenhoe School

Report by a Coulby Newham Parent on the Meeting Held at Brackenhoe School on 15th May 2002, Concerning South Middlesbrough City Academy.

The following evening a similar meeting took place, primarily for the benefit of Brackenhoe Parents. Representatives of the Vardy Foundation and Middlesbrough LEA addressed the meeting. Council and Mayoral representatives were not present.
As it happened, Coulby Newham parents outnumbered them, as the attendance was very disappointing. It was stressed by a Brackenhoe parent, that previous meetings had been very well attended, and that most parents felt all their concerns had been dealt with to their satisfaction, including the issue of transport to the new Academy. It was made clear that both parents and staff of Brackenhoe were overwhelmingly in support of the new Academy.

The information given in the meeting followed a similar vein to that of the previous evening, with some omissions, and some interesting changes reflecting the fact that a good deal of parents concerns had been listened to.

John Burn gave us some extra details including that Special Needs students were to make up about 10% of the school population.
There would probably be about 2 sessions of RE lessons per week. That young people should be encouraged to think for themselves and follow their own moral code. That in Science lessons, they would be taught how data is used to create and construct theories, how to examine and identify flaws in those theories, and how some could be contradictory, including Evolution.

When the floor was thrown open to questions, Brackenhoe's Head was very keen that Coulby Parents did not dominate the meeting, as they had already had their own meeting, and it was agreed that Dr Comiskey and Mr Burn would meet separately with them afterwards to discuss specific concerns.

Questions were raised about the length of the taught school day. Mr Burn suggested that it may begin at 8.30 and end at 4.00 pm with the possibility of longer breaks and a staggered lunch, but stressed that this was still a matter for consultation, and could be better dealt with when the new principal takes up his post.
Students would probably be expected to remain on the premises at lunchtime. Students' requests the previous evening for more social activities, and a healthier menu would also be addressed. Packed lunches would still be allowed.
The matter of Uniform was brought up, and though this was again a matter to be finalised after September with the full involvement of Mr Coup, we were assured that the issues of price and assistance with purchase would be at the forefront of their minds. Dr Comiskey also stated that she would actively push for girls to be allowed to wear trousers.

In a short separate meeting with Coulby Parents and Students, Mr Burn and Dr. Comiskey addressed concerns from parents who had recently visited Emmanuel College at their suggestion.
Parents were concerned at the religious nature of the school prospectus, and the compulsory attendance to college events, and the fact that very few Asian students had been seen around the College. Mr Burn assured them that South Middlesbrough would be an entirely different matter, and rejected the possibility of indoctrination, "brainwashing" or "manipulation" in the classroom. He also stated that Asian students made up around 8% of Emmanuel's school roll.
An advance had been made in the matter of Parental representation on the Governing Body of the Academy. Dr. Comiskey informed us that moves had already been made to urge government to allow another Parental seat on the board of Governors.
Both again stressed that they were available to any parents for consultation at any time.