Trial and error approach leaves parents considering the future

Collective Spirit school in Chadderton

CONCERNS over educational progress, a lack of information and a "trial and error" approach has forced two parents to consider withdrawing their children from Collective Spirit if places at their other preferred schools become available.

Sharon Raynor applied for a school move for her son Joseph Wiltshire (12) after she was disappointed when she attended his Year 8 parent evening and was not given an update on his progress.

Sharon said: "I'd been waiting for parent evening for months as I was keen to receive an update after the Ofsted report rated the school as "inadequate".

"I'd also had to push for an end of term report but when it finally arrived half the information was missing and I had no idea about the progress in my son's education.

Issues

"When we arrived parents were greeted with a white board this listed all the teachers that would not be present at parents evening, including maths, English and science.

"It would have been better to put a board out with the few teachers that were attending."

Sharon and a group of seven other parents asked to meet with the head teacher about the issues but said they were not given a satisfactory response to their concerns.

"Joseph arrives home and says he is concerned about his education - he wants to be an accountant but without a maths teacher regularly monitoring his progress, I fear he may not realise his dreams," she said.

"I decided I wanted to take him out of school but when I enquired with the council, the only schools with spaces are others that had been told they need improvements."

Sharon says she has contacted Ofsted and made an official complaint to the school but is keen to get the issue resolved as soon as possible, especially as Joseph is due to pick his GCSE options next year.

"When we attended the open day when Joseph was still in primary school the speech that was delivered and information that was given at that time made the school sound like an opportunity you wouldn't want your child to miss out on.

"Parents at the time were informed that pupils who were already attending the school were progressing at double the speed of other mainstream schools.

"That is not what we have experienced at all.

"I'd like to see the school succeed and if a new sponsor could be find soon and the improvements made quickly it would be great. But I can't risk putting my son's education on hold."

Leanne Reilly is concerned that Collective Spirit is not giving her son Glyn Reilly-Jones (12) the best chance for a bright future and has put him on a waiting list to move to Newman College.

Update

She said: "He's very capable and I want him to go to sixth form or possibly university but he needs a good education now to be given the chance.

"Whenever we ask for an update from the school or speak to them about standards we're told it's "trial and error".

"But it shouldn't be trial and error when it comes to our children's education."

Leanne has also been told that her daughter Lillia has been given a place to start at Collective Spirit in September, but has already put her name on a waiting list for Newman College instead.

Leanne added: "The school was sold as a brilliant new way of learning, with high standards, discipline and education and we were completely taken in by it. But that is not what we have found.

"Parents are not given any information and something needs to drastically change."