Today, a long-awaited report has been published on a London school following the conclusion of the Local Child Safeguarding Review into culture, policy and practice.
For almost a decade, our work has focussed on raising red flags around the impact of zero tolerance behaviour policies on our children and the influence of an ideology which places fear, threat, coercion and compliance at the centre of a standards agenda which serves to institutionally harm the most vulnerable, underserved and underresourced children and their families.
Compounding structural inequalities, discrimination and adversity without care nor concern is too often normalised and enabled through inadequate governance, lacklustre complaints procedure and a hubris only possible as a result of protectionism and blinkered establishment privilege.
Those of us who have attempted to highlight concerns have faced accusations aimed to discredit, deflect, distort and distract from the rising numbers struggling to attend, access, or remain in education; many of the same children spiralling into higher levels of additional learning support needs, CAMHS treatment, social care involvement or increased risk of permanent exclusion.
Mossbourne is an indices story with others lying underneath. You don’t need to look very hard to find a parent, child or teacher who’ve been impacted by similar variations of a theme highlighted in the report.
It has taken not inconsiderable courage and determination to pursue this story, spearheaded by a single parent and a small group of us supporting.
The report is sobering to say the least, with a clear and unflinching spotlight shined back to those championing the ideology and its delivery, on the payroll of the Government.
Please read the full report
chscp.org.uk/case-reviews/
Reported by
@AnnaFazack1 for
@theguardianfeed @ObserverUK theguardian.com/education/20…
Schools Week
schoolsweek.co.uk/mossbourne… @SchoolsWeek
And TES
tes.com/magazine/news/genera… @tes
Questions remain over the Government’s admirable ambition to build a culture of inclusion and belonging in every school, improving attendance, engagement and thriving, at the same time as delivering behaviour policies which disproportionately impact children with highest levels of need.
The answer is not increasing segregation by design. Nor is it found in diluting the protections and entitlements of the Equality Act, and Children and Families Act. Neither is it found in increasing powers around School Attendance Orders, or by issuing half a million fixed penalty fines to families.
The definition of madness is doing more of the same and expecting a different result. Should we even be surprised? The data speaks for itself.
#timeforchange
There is always Another Way.
We can do better. Together.
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