6 Impact on children in Birmingham
73. Nicky Morgan has stressed that "At the end
of the day, this is all about making sure that the young people
at the heart of these schools get the best possible education
to fulfil their potential".[97]
There is some way still to go to make this a reality. Prior to
the Trojan Horse investigations, the Park View Educational Trust
appeared to be providing a high level of education for students
at its academies. Both Oldknow and Park View itself were judged
to be outstanding and results at both schools were above the national
average. Following the upheavals of last spring, GCSE results
at Park View dropped significantly in 2014 from 75% A* to C in
2013 to just 58% in 2014.[98]
Councillor Jones told us that "a lot of the children in the
schools affected have had a very difficult time […] There
has been relentless negative media coverage of them, their communities,
their religion, their schools, in the press, day in and day out".[99]
74. In late January 2015—more than nine months
after the first Ofsted inspections in Birmingham—the five
schools most heavily involved were still in special measures.
Sir Michael Wilshaw told us that "three have made progress,
two have not".[100]
The latest Ofsted inspection report on Park View, published in
January 2015, found that the school was not making sufficient
progress towards the removal of special measures, largely because
of the significant number of teaching staff currently absent from
the academy. This had had a detrimental effect on the quality
of teaching, students' progress and students' behaviour.[101]
75. On 29 January the Secretary of State announced
that new trustees were in place at all the academies, "led
by outstanding and dedicated head teachers".[102]
Oldknow Academy and Golden Hillock are to be taken over by the
ARK academy chain. Saltley School and Specialist Science College
(the only state maintained school to be placed in special measures)
is to become an academy, sponsored by another Birmingham school,
Washwood Heath Academy.[103]
76. When asked whether the children, communities
and schools in Birmingham had benefitted from Ofsted's intervention,
Sir Michael Wilshaw told us:
They have benefited in some sense, because they
are not the subject of the sort of policies that would be pursued
by these governors with a very particular view of how schools
should be run. They are free of that. But those schools have been
through an enormous amount of turmoil.[104]
He added:
These children are lovely. I have been to Birmingham
several times, and I am enormously impressed by both the children
and parents—I have attended public meetings with those parents,
who want those schools to do well. They have been badly let down
by the governors and by the fact that we cannot get enough good
leaders and teachers in those schools.
77. Sir Michael made a "strong recommendation
to the Department […] that additional funding should be found
so that we can recruit good people to those schools very quickly,
because unless that happens and we see improvement across the
board, people who have gone to ground but who want to exploit
the situation will do so".[105]
The Secretary of State indicated in her statement the following
day that the DfE would "consider all reasonable requests
for additional funding [at Park View Academy] if and where it
can help".[106]
78. The DfE progress report in January 2015 suggested
that problems still exist with the BCC leadership on education.
The Secretary of State informed the House that she considered
reform was too slow at the Council and that "if the Council
do not take urgent steps to improve their leadership capacity,
I am prepared to make use of the powers available to me to issue
a statutory direction to the Council".[107]
She also announced that the appointment of the education commissioner,
Sir Mike Tomlinson, had been extended to March 2016 "to oversee
the council's delivery of the plan they have developed".[108]
Conclusion
79. The children
in the schools affected in Birmingham deserve better from all
involved. The DfE must continue to monitor the situation in the
individual schools. We welcome the extension of the appointment
of Sir Mike Tomlinson as education commissioner to address wider
problems in education in Birmingham.
97 HC Deb, 29 January 2015, col 1022 Back
98
"GCSE results down at Park View and Golden Hillock schools",
BBC News, 21 August 2014 Back
99
Q236 Back
100
Oral evidence taken on 28 January 2015, HC (2014-15) 880, Q68 Back
101
Ofsted report following special measures inspection of Park View
School the Academy of Mathematics and Science, letter dated 28
November 2014, published 8 January 2015 Back
102
HC Deb, 29 January 2015, col 1015 Back
103
HC Deb, 29 January 2015, col 1015 Back
104
Oral evidence taken on 28 January 2015, HC (2014-15) 880, Q68 Back
105
Oral evidence taken on 28 January 2015, HC (2014-15) 880, Q68 Back
106
HC Deb, 29 January 2015, col 1015 Back
107
HC Deb, 29 January 2015, col 1016 Back
108
HC Deb, 29 January 2015, col 1016 Back
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