HAVOC - Other Community Campaigns - Stoke against Academies

HANDS OFF OUR SCHOOLS

Private sponsors have NOTHING to offer Stoke-on-Trent Schools.
Don't let them take our schools over!

Let's have a proper 'consultation' - let the people of Stoke-on-Trent
hear the arguments for and against academies.

stokeagainstacademies is a campaign of parents,school staff, governors and concerned citizens,
supported by local trade unions including ATL, GMB, NASUWT, NUT, MU,
UNISON, UNITE (T&G) and North Staffs TUC.

Did you know?

Stoke-on-Trent Local Authority/SERCO is planning to close many of our High Schools and Special Schools and end the Community status of ALL High Schools and Special Schools.
Stoke-on-Trent Local Authority/SERCO is proposing to replace our Community Schools with a network of privatised Academies and Trust Schools paid for with public money.
This year's figures for GCSE results, published on 10th January 2008, show Community Schools achieved 42.4% success compared with the Academies result of 30.9%. This demonstrates the success of the maintained sector and questions the government's lack of trust in it.
When a school becomes an Academy or a Trust, many local children will not get places in their local Schools.
Academies and trust Schools are not accountable to local people. Community Schools are part of the Local Authority which is answerable to the people through the ballot box at local elections.
When a school becomes an Academy or a Trust, the ownership of the school buildings and land transfers into private ownership.
The decision is being taken by two people - the Elected Mayor and the Chief Executive of the City Council.
This fundamental change to our secondary Schools is unprecedented anywhere else in the country; Stoke-on-Trent is being used as a political guinea pig for educational change.

During November and December 2007, there was a series of very well attended public meetings on the proposals to reorganise Stoke-on-Trent's High Schools and Special Schools. Just before Christmas, the LA/SERCO announced their intention to rethink this strategy.

What has happened since is a series of private, "behind closed doors" meetings, with Headteachers and Chairs of Governors, BUT the proposal to create a network of Academy, Trust and Faith Schools remain exactly the same.

Let's have proper consultation

Let the people of Stoke-on-Trent hear the arguments for and against Academy and Trust Schools!

"A good local community school for every child"

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Stoke Against Academies
NASUWT Office
Greatbach Avenue
Penkhull
Stoke-on-Trent
ST4 1HH

Contacts:
Ivan Hickman (NUT)
Joint Secretary, Stoke Against Academies
0776 736 0284

Richard Sidley (NASUWT)
Joint Secretary, Stoke Against Academies
0777 465 0250

www.stokeagainstacademies.org
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