[Brighton] Does anyone here have kids at West Hove Infant/Junior school? The privatisation of our schools should be a national scandal…

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

Just wondering if there’s any other parents on here who are upset about the proposed academisition with Aurora?!

The whole academisation process should be a front page national scandal - it’s privatisation in stealth mode. If more people knew about it, it would be a national debate.

 

[Comrade Sam]

I don't have kids there, but have fought the privatisation of schools I've worked at before. When a school becomes an academy it loses all democracy and the assets become the property of the sponsor (they don't have to part with any money). Academies have a history of failure making their very rational bullshit.
To win you will need to work with the Teacher's Union the NEU and put together parents, governors, local activists and people on the council that care.
Once a school is taken out of democratic local control and placed in the hands of a private enterprise it can legally never return.
Good luck and stay angry.

 

[dazzer6666]

Just wondering if there’s any other parents on here who are upset about the proposed academisition with Aurora?!

The whole academisation process should be a front page national scandal - it’s privatisation in stealth mode. If more people knew about it, it would be a national debate.

Hearing the University of Brighton Academy Trust is in a total mess as well……….

 

[Westdene Seagull]

All my kids are grown up but I'd fight it with every bone in my body if it happened at one of their schools. There was a shocking Panorama episode a couple of years ago, might still be available online, that highlighted how these private companies prioritised profit over student safety or learning. Lets not forget that Ron Aldridge was the CEO of the ruthless Capita but his organisation now runs a number of schools in the city.

 

[Chicken Run]

Just wondering if there’s any other parents on here who are upset about the proposed academisition with Aurora?!

The whole academisation process should be a front page national scandal - it’s privatisation in stealth mode. If more people knew about it, it would be a national debate.

Have B&HCC swept in there yet and reduced intake?

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Just wondering if there’s any other parents on here who are upset about the proposed academisition with Aurora?!

The whole academisation process should be a front page national scandal - it’s privatisation in stealth mode. If more people knew about it, it would be a national debate.

This has been happening for nearly 2 decades…

 

[portlock seagull]

The Chinese now own the schools around me apparently. On the plus side, piano lessons are improving. Most pupils can play chopsticks…

…I’ll get me coat

 

[schmunk]

Just wondering if there’s any other parents on here who are upset about the proposed academisition with Aurora?!

The whole academisation process should be a front page national scandal - it’s privatisation in stealth mode. If more people knew about it, it would be a national debate.

My children's school became an academy a few years ago but is controlled by a charitable trust. Whilst "private" it's not profit making and still needs to comply with the national curriculum and government/charity financial rules.

It's allowed a few local schools to pool resources and keep eyes on each other. As far as I'm aware the school is happy and successful, so I don't have any antipathy towards it.

 

[jackalbion]

Another Institution that I attended on the downfall it appears.

 

[JetsetJimbo]

It's allowed a few local schools to pool resources and keep eyes on each other.

You don't need to privatise state schools to "allow" this

 

[Guinness Boy]

All my kids are grown up but I'd fight it with every bone in my body if it happened at one of their schools. There was a shocking Parorama episode a couple of years ago, might still be available online, that highlighted how these private companies prioritised profit over student safety or learning. Lets not forget that Ron Aldridge was the CEO of the ruthless Capita but his organisation now runs a number of schools in the city.

Well PACA is awful. Spends all day checking what colour socks the kids are wearing whilst blind, indifferent or ignorant to a massive culture of vaping and drug taking. Unfortunately my daughter won't leave because all her friends are there. I'd move her tomorrow otherwise.

 

[keaton]

You don't need to privatise state schools to "allow" this

No. Indeed it rather defeats the point as that's what a local authority controlled school can do

 

[Westdene Seagull]

All my kids are grown up but I'd fight it with every bone in my body if it happened at one of their schools. There was a shocking Panorama episode a couple of years ago, might still be available online, that highlighted how these private companies prioritised profit over student safety or learning. Lets not forget that Ron Aldridge was the CEO of the ruthless Capita but his organisation now runs a number of schools in the city.

OK, six years ago -

 

[jackalbion]

Well PACA is awful. Spends all day checking what colour socks the kids are wearing whilst blind, indifferent or ignorant to a massive culture of vaping and drug taking. Unfortunately my daughter won't leave because all her friends are there. I'd move her tomorrow otherwise.

Yeah and they educated complete idiots like @UnhingedSeagull94

 

[Guinness Boy]

Yeah and they educated complete idiots like @UnhingedSeagull94

The avatar gives away who that is!

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Well PACA is awful. Spends all day checking what colour socks the kids are wearing whilst blind, indifferent or ignorant to a massive culture of vaping and drug taking. Unfortunately my daughter won't leave because all her friends are there. I'd move her tomorrow otherwise.

PACA's Head is a complete Thundercunt. Mrs WS goes to the gym there (not officially part of the school). Despite paying for membership members get kicked out for at least an hour a day to allow the PACA kids use of the gym. Not unreasonable but PACA are meant to send the gym times they wish to be blocked out on a weekly basis. A number of times this hasn't happened or the gym has been closed for members outside the advertised PACA hours. You'd think PACA would have at least a terms timetable worked out and be able to give it to the gym.

Equally, PACA staff are not allowed to park in the upper car park - the lower car park has been reserved for them based on 'child protection' issues. Despite this Mrs WS has seen multiple PACA staff (identified by their IDs hanging from their branded lanyards) parking in the upper car park thus leaving no spaces for members.

She's complained about both these issues to the Head who has effectively said she's lying about both issues. The Head there - and I will name them, Mark Poston - is a complete cvnt who doesn't care about his pupils or the local community just as long as he looks good to the bigwigs at the Aldridge Foundation.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

My kids go to an academy and say it’s shithouse.

Despite the shiny Ofsted grade they have been of little help to my eldest who has additional needs (ADHD and we suspect autism (private assessment today infact) He’s in year 6 so we are hoping to finalise his EHCP ahead of starting secondary school so we can place him somewhere that will meet his social and educational needs.

They have offered little more than “child care” when it’s come to his actual education and the there’s an obvious business first undertone sadly within the group. Turn over of staff is high and I can see why

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Once the carcass of a public institution is opened up the vultures will descend. Hospitals, dentists, railways, utilities, schools - whatever.

 

[Chicken Run]

Just wondering if there’s any other parents on here who are upset about the proposed academisition with Aurora?!

The whole academisation process should be a front page national scandal - it’s privatisation in stealth mode. If more people knew about it, it would be a national debate.

Is the below statement from the school regarding other academised schools factual?

“Finally, we would point out that when other schools in Brighton and Hove became academies and joined academy trusts, they too faced similarly heightened opposition and all sorts of concerns were raised – none of these concerns have materialised and all speak positively about the experience.”

 

[keaton]

Is the below statement from the school regarding other academised schools factual?

“Finally, we would point out that when other schools in Brighton and Hove became academies and joined academy trusts, they too faced similarly heightened opposition and all sorts of concerns were raised – none of these concerns have materialised and all speak positively about the experience.”

It's an entirely vague and meaningless statement and impossible to verify. You'd hope someone involved in leadership in education wouldn't put their name to it