The Campaign continues

The Anti-Trust group is still determined to stop the two Trust Schools being built in Waltham Forest. There have been several recent interventions that have gained more support for our campaign. 

We have in the past weeks protested outside the Surgery of Councillor Robbins, where we also asked members of the public to send letters objecting to the change of use of the cricket ground. The Councillor in question did not turn up to his surgery despite it being advertised as his week to be there. 

We did put the illusive Councillor under a bit of pressure when he turned up at the Community Council meeting the following week. He was asked by one of our group if he intended to ballot the parents of the schools about 'Trust Status' , along with the local residents. He replied that would not happen because it was just a "side show". Yes! to the councillor who is responsible for education and was democratically elected-democracy is a sideshow. Perhaps future voter, especially in Grove Green ward should remember this.

Graham Moss was also reluctant to have a parents' ballot when it came to Norlington school. Well, I guess we all know where they stand on this one.  

Last Thursday 19 3 09, there was a parents' meeting at Norlington to consult over Trust Status. The parents that did attend were all against the Trust and some were very angry indeed. At the end of the meeting many were chanting for a ballot but Graham Moss was not listening. Perhaps he and Chris Robbins have selective hearing difficulty-more likely they know how unpopular the Trust is with parents and residents but want to impose their views on the rest of us.

There is however, some possible good news on the horizon. The UCU union at the Institute and UEL have been contacted. The UCU lecturers' union, opposes academies and trusts in principle, along with the NUT, who have been a major force in the WFCAT group. They may be able to make some interventions in the campaign directly to the Institute and the UEL- something we have not been able to do.

Keep up the campaign!

Pat Stoppard 

Don't forget to go to the Town Hall at 6.45pm

We need as many people as possible to come along tonight to prove that we don't trust the Trusts. We don't want them building on the Cricket Ground. Walthamstow Town Hall 6. 45pm.

See you there.

Pat Stoppard

Update of the Anti-Trust Campaign

On Friday 6 Feb there was a very well attended meeting of the group. Several invited people spoke about different aspects of the campaign and shared their different perspectives with an audience of about seventy people. The meeting was chaired by Roger, a local resident.

Steve White spoke about the educational problems that would come with a Trust and also the problems it would cause for NUT members' pay and conditions. The NUT is the biggest national Teachers' union and has a national policy opposing them.

The second speaker was a local resident involved in local sports activities for young people. He spoke about his lack of belief in the Local council when they talk-up the prospect of increased sports facilities. He told the meeting that sports facilities were likely to be further diminished if this proposal to build such a big school on the site goes ahead. He shockingly added that the whole borough has only two 400 meter running tracks and this proposal will reduce the one on the site to 300 meters.

The next speaker was from a heritage group who spoke against the proposal because of the unsuitability of the new school on the site. He added that most school new-builds did not try and blend with the environment but were completely aesthetically insensitive to their surroundings.

After the speakers there was a lively debate from the meeting with many good contributions made. Mike Barton stated that the best way to stop this appalling proposal was to democratically organise against it. He said as many people as possible should turn up at the BSF council meeting on Thursday at 7.pm to show just how discontent we all are.

A teacher from Norlington stated that his members were so disgusted with the proposal that they have indicated that if the consultation is not fairly done they are prepared to strike. They are in fact permitted under union law to ballot for strike action if their employer is changed from the Local Authority, which of course will happen under the trust proposal.

A teacher from George Mitchell stated that he had resigned from the group at his school that were working on the proposal because they had not been honest about why the Trust was proposed. He stated that it only came about because GM had fallen into 'National Challenge Status', which means their exams results were not regarded as satisfactory and they had been threatened with an Academy: an even worse option for the school. 

Other contributions included some very angry parents and local residents who want more for their kids than an educational experiment.

At the end of the meeting it was resolved to fight even harder. The actions that the group will take are as follows:

Attend the council meeting at the Town Hall on Thursday 12th Feb at 7.pm

Meet in the Bowling club on Friday 13th to plan our next series of meetings and action.

Write to local papers

Write to local councilors

Write to Chris Loy in opposition to the proposed building in very large numbers.

Bring your ideas for further action to the meeting on Friday. It is on the Cricket ground site   

Public Meeting called for 6th February At Leyton Cricket Ground

A Public Meeting has been called by local residents on Friday 6th February at the Leyton County Cricket Ground for 7 pm. 

Speakers from the NUT have been invited to give their views on Trust Schools.

 Local residents are encouraged to attend to discuss the the implications of building on the playing field and what a huge increase of school children in the are will mean for them. 

Waltham Forest Anti-Trust Campaign wants local people to become active in this campaign: please attend the meeting and bring your ideas along regarding what we can do next. 

PUBLIC MEETING FEBRUARY 12th

The Public Meeting is about Building Schools for the Future and the consultation document does not mention the Trusts. If you are concerned about this, make sure you are there and demand that the rebuilding programme is carried out WITHOUT chanfging schools to Truststatus.

A public meeting will be held at Walthamstow Town Hall - Thursday 12 February 2009 at 7pm at which the Director of Children and Young People Services and the Portfolio Lead Member for Children will invite your comments and questions related to the publication of the proposals.

You can still download the consultation document (1.91MB PDF file) which contains the information on the BSF programme proposals for schools in Leyton, Leytonstone and Chingford including proposals for schools in Walthamstow.

Urgent Planning protests needed

There has been an important new development.

Waltham forest has put their planning Notice in wF Magazine on page 16 of their WF Magazine.

Objections should be emailed to:chris.loy@walthamforest.gov.uk

Write to: Chris Loy

C&YPS,

LBWF,

Silver Birch House,

Entrance A,

Uplands Business Park,

Blackhorse Lane,

London E17 5SD