The Government is pressing ahead with the forced academisation of a local primary school despite huge grassroots resistance.

After months of local campaigning against the forced academisation of a primary school in northwest London – including 16 days of strike action by staff – Labour’s new Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson has decided that the school’s takeover by a Multi-Academy Trust will go ahead as planned.

The Save Byron Court campaign group have responded to the decision, saying:

“We are devastated by Bridget Phillipson’s decision to proceed with the takeover of Byron Court by Harris Federation from September. Despite us exposing major issues with the Ofsted inspection, the many aspects of this opaque system that are rigged against parents and deny us choice and voice, and presenting the major rapid improvements made proving ours is not a failing school, we have been ignored by this Education Secretary in much the same way as her predecessor did. Specific concerns have not been addressed; we have been denied the opportunity of reinspection; we weren’t even given the courtesy of a direct reply to us or our public petition signed by over 2,000 people.”

The group acknowledges that there were many factors at play that led Byron Court to forced academisation, including a period of turbulent leadership with an absent headteacher during the inspection, ineffective support and scrutiny from Governors and the Local Authority and an understaffed Senior Leadership Team. But it argues that despite this, with parent scrutiny, greater leadership capacity, and Local Authority support, “the improvements made at the school in one academic year were incredible.”

“The staff at Byron Court really believed in the school and in keeping it a community school,” says the campaign group. “They too are victims of this unjust system, they too were failed by those entrusted with Byron Court.”

The months-long campaign saw strike action by members of the education unions NEU and NASUWT and a protest outside the Department for Education where a petition to save the school was delivered in June.

Campaigners produced and handed out leaflets at the school gate and in the neighbouring area; made several Freedom of Information requests to the Education Department , Ofsted and Brent Council; spoke at Brent Council’s Cabinet and Scrutiny Committee meetings; held vibrant protest demonstrations with parents, school staff, community members, local councillors and the local MP; made campaign badges, signs and t-shirts; and joined NEU members taking strike action against the forced academisation on the picket lines. A video report of the campaign can be viewed here.

The campaign highlighted the many injustices that are baked into a system that is designed against state schools – chronic underfunding, a punitive inspection regime, a national rush to privatise education, despite widespread opposition, and no opportunity for school improvements to be made. The whole process is blighted by a lack of transparency and no involvement from those locally affected.

In July, the campaign succeeded in securing a meeting with new Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. The subsequent decision by the Department to proceed with forced academisation for the school thus came as a bitter blow.

Jenny Cooper of Brent NEU said: “This is a terrible decision for staff, children and community and we know it is based on an Ofsted complaints process and forced academisation system that are not fit for purpose and do not involve stakeholders.”

Save Byron Court campaign group concluded: “The message this sends from Bridget Phillipson and this Labour Government should worry us all: seemingly prioritising profit over people, special interests over communities, endorsing the rigged and corrupt system they’ve inherited instead of restoring fairness under the ‘change’ agenda we were promised. So much for investing in local communities and building stronger connections between all the stakeholders at schools. Teachers – denied their right to work at a Local Authority school with professional trust and autonomy. Parents – denied their rights to choose the kind of school their children attend and a proper say in how it’s run. But most heartbreakingly – our children denied a supportive, enriching, inclusive, broad and balanced education. Forced academisation is an injustice to communities which must end.”

The group expressed their overwhelming gratitude to fellow parents and carers, the school staff, members of the community, Brent Councillors and local MP Barry Gardiner, as well as the NEU and NASUWT, “and so many from across the country in backing our fight. Thank you for consistently putting the children first, working relentlessly and tirelessly hard to bring up the standards at the school, and for holding all responsible figures accountable to ensure we were all working together for the benefit of our children and our school. Your help, support and encouragement were invaluable in getting us as far as we did.

“We encourage and will actively support parents in other schools to fight back until we are rid of this injustice, and will continue pushing for greater parent voice and transparency within the education system.”

Image c/o Save Byron Court campaign group.