Calls for all schools to come back under local government control

The Truro and Falmouth Constituency Labour Party (CLP) tabled a motion at the party’s conference in Liverpool this week.

And local members said they were pleased they had gained support from party colleagues.

The motion came forward shortly after a BBC Panorama programme which raised concerns about the funding of academies and highlighted Fowey River Academy, where money had been claimed for work which was said to have not been completed, although the school and its managers have not been implicated in any way.

Jennifer Forbes, from Truro and Falmouth CLP, said: “There has been a feeling about academies at the CLP for a while. And then the Panorama programme highlighted some issues in Cornwall.

“We want to start a process whereby academies can return to local authority control if they want to.

“And one of the more important things for me is to ensure that teachers and support staff in Cornwall go on to the national pay scale. We all know that we have a high cost of living and a lower wage level in Cornwall and that (national pay scale) is one of the things which would help school staff.”

The motion from Truro and Falmouth was one of several which were put before the conference and was presented by local member Michael Chapman.

Jennifer said: “It went to the conference floor and was supported unanimously and there was definitely a lot of strong support for this.”

She added: “There is real concern about academies and multi-academy trusts which can be paying their chief executives more than the prime minister. That is taking money out of education and using it to pay those managing these trusts. I think it is outrageous.”

The full motion which went to the conference was: “Conference welcomes Labour’s commitment to ensure that all schools will be taken back under local democratic control under a Labour Government; applauds those Labour controlled authorities who have resisted academisation; believes that the Labour Party should adopt a more robust policy of opposition to the continuing academisation of schools, especially our primary schools.

“Conference notes that there are many local campaigns of opposition to the academisation programme involving parents, teachers and local community activists and believes Labour should offer support and encouragement to these activists in resisting academisation in line with our commitment to community organising.

“The main task in education for a Labour government will be to recreate a coherent, planned and appropriately funded national public system which is accountable to its various stakeholders and communities. However, the principles of accountability and collaboration which are central to our NES charter cannot be implemented whilst the current fragmented and semi-privatised school system persists.

“Conference agrees that in government, the Labour Party will bring all schools back under local democratic control including academy and Multi Academy Trusts. Therefore proposals to wind up MATs and turn over control and management of schools to local democratically controlled structures should be developed urgently.

“Conference agrees that the Labour Party should work with the teaching unions, the SEA, academics and others to take this policy forward as a matter of urgency.”

The shadow education secretary Angela Rayner also told the party conference this week that Labour would end the Government’s academy and free school programme.

She also indicated that powers over school admissions and building new schools would go to local councils.

She said: “The Tories have thrown money at an academy and free school programme that is not improving outcomes for pupils, even while individual schools have their budgets cut year after year.”