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Dual heads of Parrs Woods School Rachel Jones and David Ashley
'Heads must roll at Parrs Wood'
15/11/2007
LABOUR candidate Lucy Powell has called for ‘heads to roll’ at Parrs Wood High following the news that the school could be placed under special measures.
Ms Powell – a former pupil at Parrs Wood and prospective parliamentary candidate for the Withington seat – has demanded that council leaders take ‘direct and swift’ action to deal with reported problems within the leadership at the school.
Ofsted inspectors visited Parrs Wood earlier this month and recommended it be placed into special measures citing ‘confusion, inconsistency and a lack of accountability’ within the management as principal reasons.
The 2,000 pupil school is currently run under the dual headship of David Ashley and Rachel Jones.
Now Ms Powell has urged local authority representatives to step in and resolve the matter at the Didsbury school.
She said: “I have been in touch directly with council leaders to demand swift and direct intervention to deal immediately with the leadership and governance issues.
“The Ofsted report points the finger directly at both the senior management in the school, as well as the governing body.
“I want the local authority to use its powers to deal with both of these aspects of the leadership of the school. This is a damming indictment on those in charge.”
A draft report on the school, based on verbal feedback from Ofsted, said: “Leadership and management are inadequate. The school provides an unsatisfactory standard of education and those responsible for leading the school do not have the capability to change that.”
Lord Keith Bradley has also come under fire after he submitted his resignation at an emergency meeting of the school governors.
Lib Dem councillor Simon Ashley said: “Lord Bradley and the other governors have a moral duty to turn Parrs Wood around.
“When a school is in trouble, that is when governors need to stand up and be counted. Lord Bradley’s first reaction when faced with a problem is to pretend he is too busy to deal with it. His feeble resignation speaks volumes for the man.”
However Lord Bradley, who has a daughter at Parrs Wood, has hit back at the accusations. He said: “It’s typical that the Lib Dems have chosen to attack me rather than concentrate on the needs of the children at Parrs Wood.
“I have stepped down because I can’t make the time that will be required on a day-to-day basis because of my work for Manchester University both in Manchester and London, as well as my commitments with the Christie Hospital and the additional responsibilities I have in the House of Lords.”
Lord Bradley also offered to remain an associate member of the governing body.
Most recent 2 of 3 user comments
19/11/2007 at 19:33
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The OFSTED report, when published, will add flesh to the newspaper reports. If the reports are true - that those responsible for leading the school do not have the capability to change, then this is a stunning indictment of the head and the governing body alike.
Keith Bradley's resignation should be criticised if only because of the timing. He isn't the only politician in the frame for criticism. The Liberal Democrat MP says his colleagues on the governing body 'knew about management problems', disengenious since they are long serving members and have a major responsibility for the school's failure.
Part of the problem for Parrs Wood has to have been so poorly supported by the City Council over the last few years. They made bad decisions and at critical moments were absent from view.
20/11/2007 at 15:36