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Accepted: The site of the new school |
Camden Council has announced plans for a new school, but campaigners say it is in the wrong end of town. Special report by Richard Osley
Fears over Academy plans
EDUCATION chiefs were warned last night (Wednesday) they will face a fight if they make Camden’s new school part of the government’s controversial City Academy programme.
It was confirmed on Friday that two potential sponsors for the project in Adelaide Road, Swiss Cottage, have already emerged – the University College London (UCL) in Bloomsbury and the Institute of Education.
Unions drew a line in the sand yesterday (Wednesday) and said they would contest any bid to use external sponsors – even if they were respected institutions like the two that have already come forward.
Andrew Baisley, from Camden NUT, said: “We would be concerned if the new school became a City Academy. In the proposals it says the Institute of Education and UCL are interested in getting involved in this school only. We would be worried it would create an elitist institution.”
He added: “It could create a competition with other schools starting to protect their intake and maybe put under pressure to become trust schools. We would be happy for the Institute of Education and UCL to get involved, they are great universities, but we would like to see them getting involved in all of Camden’s schools.”
The proposals will be discussed by unions, governors and parents at a public meeting at Haverstock School in November.
Large swathes of the Labour Party have called for a new community school, while a small section of modernisers believe academies are the only way Camden can, in financial terms, possibly open a new school.
In recent months, both Conservative and Lib Dems have said they had to at least show they would consider using academies to qualify for government funding.
Conservative councillor Andrew Mennear said: “An academy could provide financial advantages and may prove to be the most practical way of meeting the needs of Camden’s students.”
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