Trojan Horse school hit by shortage of teachers

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/08/trojan-horse-school-teacher-shortage-birmingham

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Efforts to revive Park View academy in Birmingham – the school at the centre of the Trojan horse controversy last year – are being held back by a severe shortage of teachers after multiple suspensions and vacancies, with potential replacements put off from applying by the school’s reputation.

The staff shortage has seen the school receive another set of damning findings from Ofsted inspectors, after the schools watchdog’s latest inspection report published on Thursday criticised the school’s quality of teaching and reliance on temporary staff.

“The academy is unable to improve quickly enough because there are insufficient leaders and permanent teachers working in the academy. The high levels of staff absence are having a detrimental effect on the quality of teaching, students’ progress and students’ behaviour. Leaders are unable to sufficiently check the quality of temporary teaching and do not have a suitable strategy to remedy this situation,” the Ofsted inspectors said, concluding that the school “is not making enough progress”.

Inspectors also cited discipline problems caused by staff turnover: “Students’ behaviour is unacceptable in many lessons because teachers, especially many of the temporary supply teachers, are not insisting on high standards.”

In a letter to parents, Park View’s trustees and new principal, Adrian Packer, said the school recognised the problems identified by Ofsted. “A significant theme of the report is that of staff absence. This is a concern shared by us all. The majority of these absences are out of our control, so it is particularly challenging for us as these circumstances lead to complex recruitment issues.

“We are therefore working tirelessly to bring in more staff and to overcome some of the unprecedented challenges we are facing. There are many factors out of our control but we are not deterred.”

Ofsted’s inspectors praised Packer’s efforts: “In the short time the acting principal has been in post he has shown a strong commitment to improve the academy. He has appropriately focused on key priority areas including safeguarding and aspects of the curriculum. However, he has not yet been able to bring stability to the teaching staff by filling vacancies with permanent applicants.”

As part of the Trojan horse investigations – which centred on allegations of increasing influence by Islamic conservatives within a group of schools in Birmingham – 10 Park View teachers have been suspended pending investigation.

Many of the suspensions stem from the investigation by former national counter-terrorism commander Peter Clarke into the allegations involving 25 schools in the city.

Potential applicants have been put off applying for jobs because of the controversy that saw Park View in the headlines throughout the summer.

Other schools in Birmingham, including some unconnected with the controversy, have reported increasing difficulty in attracting teaching staff.

Ofsted’s inspectors also praised the school’s efforts to promote the understanding of British values. “Students have composed a song about their feelings of Britishness and the school council has discussed Trojan horse issues with local journalists,” the inspectors noted.

Ofsted’s inspection published in June faulted Park View for failing to safeguard pupils from the dangers of exposure to extremism, and for failing to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. It downgraded the school from outstanding to inadequate and placed it in special measures, while the school’s management and senior leadership were later replaced.