'Save Sedgehill' demo, 12 December 2014

‘Save Sedgehill’ demo, 12 December 2014   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

‘Save Sedgehill’: hundreds demonstrate against forced academy

James Kerr

On Friday 12th December over 400 parents, staff and students took to the streets of Catford to oppose Lewisham council’s proposed dismissal of the Sedgehill school governors and the imposition of an ‘interim executive board’ (IEB), a precursor to the school being forced into becoming an academy.

The council claims the school is ‘failing’, citing a 9% dip in exam results as justification for the move despite there being an average 7% fall nationally. The move also ignores the fact that the school has been deemed by Ofsted to be improving, with excellent sixth form results and more importantly is cherished as a genuine community school.

Year 11 Sedgehill student Omodara summed it up: “It’s more than just a school to me now, it’s a home, everyone there is my family. Academies aren’t going to accept everyone but Sedgehill does because it is a community school”.

This attack is all about the break up of local authority-run education and reducing costs as part of a huge cuts package being pushed through by the council. Other schools in Lewisham are also discussing the possibility of becoming academies, so it is important to develop a united campaign across the borough.

Effective action

Martin Powell-Davies, Lewisham NUT secretary and Socialist Party member has been one of the key organisers of the campaign. As Martin pointed out at the Stop Academies in Lewisham meeting in the run up to the protest, one of the most powerful weapons in the fight against academies will be strike action; and already indicative ballots are being carried out in the affected schools.

Also Socialist Students members on the protest raised the need for student action, a call already echoed by Sedgehill and Prendergast students. Students are beginning to organise across the different schools and Socialist Students members and supporters have begun discussing how to support the building of a united school student strike in the new year, if the policies are forced through.

Eyes are now on the Lewisham Labour group meeting on Tuesday where they will be discussing the IEB at Sedgehill. If Labour councillors continue with this hated policy then a challenge to them at the ballot box will also be raised, something the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition would support.

Sixth former Siobhan Prince had the last word when she said: “All the opportunities I have derive from being at Sedgehill, even being out here today and speaking on the megaphone comes from the confidence Sedgehill gave me”. It is this element of education Lewisham council seems to ignore when pushing through policies designed to suit politicians from the main parties, managers and businesses and not students and staff.

@SaveSedgehill on Twitter.

Demo video: http://youtu.be/x9SXveQxlhY

To contact Lewisham Socialist Party call James on 0782 583 6477 or email [email protected]