At the Hall Green Constituency Committee meeting held on Tuesday 23rd November 2010, members of the public expressed concern that the Agenda did not include Moseley and Queensbridge Schools. These two inner city schools are currently undertaking a procedurally flawed, predominately one-way and less than inclusive consultation exercise to change status from Community Schools to Foundation Schools.
Both Moseley School and Queensbridge School are located in the parliamentary constituency of Hall Green. Moseley School is located in Springfield Ward and Queensbridge School in neighbouring Kings Heath Ward. Both schools serve mainly BME pupils from deprived areas of south Birmingham e.g. Balsall Heath, Sparkbrook, Sparkhill and Springfield, with the majority of Pakistani heritage.
The opportunity to discuss Moseley School and Queensbridge School came up under Agenda Item 6 – Community Cohesion Strategic Framework. Although the officer responsible, Mashuq Ally did not attend, members of the public felt that Birmingham City Council plays lip service to Community Cohesion. Unlike other schools in Birmingham and in other cities across the country that proposed structural change, Moseley School and Queensbridge School are not even bothering to consult all interested parties including members of the public, former pupils and independent community organisations or asking stakeholders to fill in a questionnaire to indicate whether they approve or disapprove with the proposals and to provide written feedback or comments.
There was strong condemnation of the fact that Queensbridge School had conducted its Parents Consultation event to discuss Foundation Status on the day of one of the most important religious festivals for a significant group of parents. This is akin to holding a public consultation meeting on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day! It would appear that the date may have been deliberately chosen to marginalise, exclude and/or minimise participation of a particular section of the community served by the school likely to be sceptical or opposed to any attempt to change the status of the school while maximising participation of another section of the community served by the school likely to be amenable to the merits of Foundation Status. This is putting one group of parents at a distinct disadvantage. The 2007 OFSTED report for Queensbridge School states that the largest group of pupils in terms of ethnicity are Pakistani, followed by White British, Black British Caribbean and Asian British Bangladeshi. The proportion of pupils whose first language is not English (49%) is well above average, and increasing. See page 3 of embedded 2007 OFSTED report for Queensbridge School for further information. Many of the parents would either be fasting on 16th November or celebrating with friends and family. Queensbridge School would have permitted pupils to take at least one day holiday. Statutory guidance advises against consulting on proposals during holidays. Queensbridge School has acted unreasonably and in a discriminatory manner. A parent at Queensbridge School said there would be an opportunity at a later stage to consult all parents but it was pointed out that if the first stage of the consultation was not carried out properly, then the decision to proceed to the next stage would be fundamentally flawed.
Councillors unanimously voted to call for a halt to the sham consultation exercise that Moseley School and Queensbridge School are currently undertaking to change status from Community Schools to Foundations Schools.
Pupils, parents, concerned members of the public and independent community organisations should make an official complaint about the procedurally flawed, predominately one-way and less than inclusive consultation exercise that Moseley School and Queensbridge School are currently undertaking by writing to:
Moseley School: enquiry@moseley.bham.sch.uk
Queensbridge School: enquiry@queensbridge.bham.sch.uk and copy or forward your complaint to:Equalities Human Rights Commission (EHRC): englandhelpline@equalityhumanrights.com
Cabinet Member for Education: les.lawrence@birmingham.gov.uk
Cabinet Member for Equalities: alan.rudge@birmingham.gov.uk Officer for Equalities: mashuq.ally@birmingham.gov.uk Strategic Director for Education: tony.howell@birmingham.gov.uk Secretary of State for Education:govem@parliament.uk Local Member of Parliament: godsiffr@parliament.uk
