'Inadequate' school to seek new sponsor

Takeover . . . Collective Spirit School in Chadderton

A FAILING free school which has been condemned for its poor standards is set to be taken over by a new sponsor.

Mohib Uddin, chairman of governors at Collective Spirit in Chadderton, confirmed to the Chronicle that it is working with the regional schools commissioner to identify a suitable group to run the controversial school.

The secondary opened in the former South Chadderton School in Butterworth Lane in September 2013 despite fierce council opposition.

It was set up by Raja Miah, who was awarded the MBE in 2004 for his work in the wake of the Oldham riots.

But a damning Ofsted inspection last May found that it was failing to give pupils an acceptable standard of education.

It was rated as the bottom grade of inadequate and placed in special measures.

The report - described by Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon as the worst he had seen - criticised inadequate teaching, high truancy rates and instability in leadership.

It said pupils did not feel safe from bullying and even revealed that there was no library or age-appropriate books in classrooms.

Then inspectors who returned in November to check the school's progress said that pupils, who were banned from bringing their own lunches, were going hungry because the food provided by the school was so poor.

New sponsors are now being sought for Collective Spirit and Manchester Creative Studio in the city centre which are both run by the same trust.

Options

A new head teacher is due to start at Collective Spirit on Monday and Mr Uddin, who became a director of both schools last year said: "We are working closely with the regional schools commissioner to try to improve the educational offer at the school.

"We are looking at a range of options and one of them is a different sponsor."

He confirmed that it was "likely" that the school would be taken over, adding: "In situations like this you get schools who don't want to work with others.

"But there is no antagonism from our side and we are not trying to delay or stop the process.

"Our focus is on the children and making sure we provide the best educational offer.

"If we go down the route of a new sponsor, we have to find one that is suitable and believes in our ethos and vision for the school."

A statement on the school's website adds: "The trust has agreed that the Collective Spirit Free School and Manchester Creative Studio School should join new multi-academy trusts once suitable partners can be identified.

"Our belief is that this is the best way forward in securing the future and vision of both schools now that both are established in their respective communities.

"Both schools are fully staffed, have very healthy student numbers and are recruiting well for next September."