Brentwood Catholic Diocese in east London wants to turn all its schools into academies. Already academisation at St Angela’s in Newham has been ruled out for five years after strike action. Newham National Education Union joint-branch secretary and Socialist Party member Louise Cuffaro told the Socialist:
“There is nothing about academisation that benefits staff or pupils. Working together with other schools an economy of scale can be achieved without academisation. The board of trustees who run academy trusts may keep individual school governing bodies to give a veneer of local accountability but ultimately the trustees have control of the ‘business’.
“Stand-alone and multi-academy trusts are registered companies. Marketing, branding and growing the trust are all terms that are talked about in the ‘Statement of the Diocese Future Plans’! These are all terms that should have no place in any state-funded education.
“St Michael’s and St Bonaventure’s in Newham and St Bede’s in Romford have balloted for action to stop the academisation of their schools. The National Education Union calls for no further academisation of any schools and the taking back of existing Academies.
“Solidarity to all workers and parents who are standing together against the undemocratic, unaccountable, privatisation of their community schools!”