Parents, teachers and students turned out in numbers to Saturday’s City Hall protests against the proposed academisation of King Edward VII School (KES).
The secondary school, located in the Broomhall and Crosspool area of the city was handed a compulsory academisation order by the Department of Education following a January Ofsted inspection which downgraded the school from Good to Inadequate.
Protesters claimed the decision to change the school was forced through too quickly and presents an unnecessary upheaval to what many described as a successful school.
Emma Wilkinson, who’s daughter attends the school, said: “I don’t think the school is failing. I think that inadequate judgement is wrong, it doesn’t reflect the school that we know.”
The Ofsted report from a two day visit to the school in September 2022 judged the school Good in three of its categories, but requiring improvement for its quality of education and Inadequate in terms of safeguarding.
The report means KES will now go into the process of being overtaken by a Multi Academy Trust.
Brigantia Learning Trust has been included in the agenda for the April 25 Department for Education’s Yorkshire and the Humber advisory board meeting.
Many of the protesters strongly disagreed with Brigantia’s proposed takeover, with signs on display reading “No to Brigantia” and “Hands Off KES”.
Toby Mallinson, joint divisional secretary for the Sheffield National Union of Teachers, claimed Brigantia is not a suitable candidate for KES.
He said: “They’ve got two secondary school’s but they’re a very different demographic, and neither of them got sixth forms and they’ve got five schools altogether, which is very small.
“Two of those are in requires improvements themselves, so they’ve got their own problems to sort out. They have not got the capacity and should not be put in charge of one of the most iconic schools in the city.”
Kes has over 1800 students, and would increase Brigantia Learning Trust’s current student count by over a third.
In a survey issued to parents asking which Trust they would like to see takeover the school, 86 percent of the 400 parents said they would rather see the process stopped outright.
A spokesperson for Brigantia trust said: “The Department for Education has informed Brigantia Learning Trust that a discussion is due to take place with the Advisory Board and Regional Director at their forthcoming meeting in April regarding King Edward VII School. Brigantia Learning Trust will await further communication from the Yorkshire & Humber Regions’ Group regarding their decision.”
Many parents were calling for a new Ofsted report to be issued and for the current plans to be put on hold.
Ms Wilkinson said: “I think we could just be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. It’s a big overreaction to a school that doesn’t need to be faced with that.”
Protesters will present a petition with over 2500 signatures to the Department of Education today (Monday 24) asking for the proposed academisation to be scrapped.
