Agenda item

To hear any deputations received from members of the public in accordance with Standing Order 67.

Two deputation requests were received from members of the public, both in relation to agenda item 6 – Annual School Standards and Achievements Report 2022-23. As there were no objections to hearing the deputations the Chair allowed both speakers up to 3 minutes to address the Committee.

Tanisha Phoenix addressed the Committee as a parent of pupils at Byron Court Primary School, highlighting that she would be speaking in relation to section 3.3.3 of the Annual School Standards Report, namely, the academisation of Bryon Court Primary School. In addressing the Committee, she highlighted that a Freedom of Information Request (FOI) had been made to help parents understand how a school which previously had outstanding teaching status had now been rated inadequate by Ofsted and hoped the Committee could help to get answers to some of those questions and concerns.

Tanisha began by advising the Committee that parents at Byron Court Primary School were aware that a Rapid Improvement Group (RIG) had been put in place at the school in September 2022, chaired by Shirley Parks (Director Education, Partnerships & Strategy, Brent Council). Parents wanted to understand why the RIG had been put in place, what issues had been identified in September 2022 and whether those were some of the same issues that had been identified in the recent Ofsted inspection, as well as what the impact of the RIG had been over the past year that it had been in place. In addition, parents had requested information on how many RIG meetings took place and what level of monitoring and support was put in place by the RIG, including any interventions that took place to ensure improvements were being made. Where issues were identified when the RIG was in place, parents wanted to understand whether those issues were escalated and where. It had been felt by Byron Court School that RIG meetings had not been as frequent as the school would have liked and parents asked whether this had contributed to the inspection rating that the school had received. Tanisha highlighted that another school in the borough, detailed in paragraph 3.3.2 of the report, had been rated as ‘requires improvement’ in 2022-23 and subsequently had a RIG put in place that had led the school on a journey to ‘good’. Parents wanted to understand why the RIG had not given Byron Court that same journey to ‘good’ so that by the time Ofsted inspected the school it was rated inadequate. In concluding her deputation, Tanisha asked if the Council felt that it had done all in its power to help the school and avoid the now forced academisation order.

Vina Vekria also addressed the Committee in relation to section 3.3.3 of the Annual School Standards and Achievement Report 2022-23, namely the academisation of Byron Court Primary School, as a parent of 2 students at the school. She began by acknowledging that the Council was legally bound to comply with the academisation order, and that Councillor Gwen Grahl (Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools) had reaffirmed in the Cabinet meeting on 9 April 2024 the Council’s commitment to supporting and improving the school and implementing additional leadership following the Easter half term. She asked what guarantees the Council could give parents that it would follow through with the commitment to protect and promote community schools. Parents of the school were campaigning for the reinspection of the school and asked whether the Council would also commit to pushing for a reinspection. Parents wanted to ensure that, if they were successful in obtaining a reinspection for Byron Court, improvements were seen. As such, they asked what guarantees could be given that the RIG currently in place would do what is expected and required of it so that those rapid improvements could be shown to Ofsted should they reinspect the school. Vina asked what additional resources could be provided to Byron Court and who those additional leaders would be. In concluding her address, Vina asked whether the Scrutiny Committee would agree to return to the topic in a future meeting to review what had happened between now and then.

The Chair thanked both speakers for their presentations and assured them that the Committee would be keeping a monitor of the issue as it moved forward. He highlighted that officers and Lead Members may address and respond to some of their comments under agenda item 6 – Annual School Standards and Achievements Report 2022-23.